Country music icon and Country Music Hall of Famer Charlie Daniels has passed away at the age of 83. With his No. 1 hit “Devil Went Down to Georgia,” Daniels was a staple musician of Southern rock, the Associated Press reports.
Daniels’ publicist said the artist had passed away Monday morning at Summit Medical Center in Nashville after he suffered from a stroke.
Daniels continued to perform and was touring consistently up until the coronavirus pandemic struck in early March. It was planned that he would resume the current tour at the beginning of August and continuing with dates into 2021.
“His music fused the immediacy of Southern Rock with the classic country storytelling that he heard as a child. He brought new audiences to country music, pointing people to the sources even as he explored the edges,” said Kyle Young, CEO of the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, according to The Tennessean.
The famed musician — who is a singer, songwriter, fiddler, and guitarist — began his career in the mid-1960s. He started as a session musician, which included playing bass and guitar for Bob Dylan’s sessions. Starting in 1970, his band, “The Charlie Daniels Band,” started touring, according to Associated Press.
In 2008, Daniels was invited to join the esteemed Grand Ole Opry. And, in 2016, he was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame, according to the Associated Press.
Fans crowded the streets to pay tribute to the country singer.
Country music stars have taken to social media to praise and mourn the death of Daniels.
Luke Bryan posted to Twitter saying, “Just learning of the passing of this great man. What a hero. A true patriot, Christian, and country music icon. Prayers to his family. Thank you for all of your contributions on and off the stage. God bless you Charlie Daniels.”