Charlie Daniels, who is most notably known for the 1979 hit, “The Devil Went Down to Georgia,” passed away earlier today from a hemorrhagic stroke at a Tennessee hospital, according to his publicist. He was 83 years old.
He had suffered what was described as a mild stroke in January 2010 and had a heart pacemaker implanted in 2013 but continued to perform.
Daniels was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame and the Musicians Hall of Fame, as well as a member of the Grand Ole Opry.
The Charlie Daniels Band had several tour dates scheduled for later this year, according to his Facebook page.
Daniels, a singer, guitarist and fiddler, started out as a session musician, even playing on Bob Dylan’s “Nashville Skyline” sessions. Beginning in the early 1970s, his five-piece band toured endlessly, sometimes doing 250 shows a year.
His funeral arrangements will be announced later this week.
