Country star Charlie Daniels, best known for this 1979 hit “The Devil Went Down to Georgia,” died Monday at 83.
According to the singer’s rep, Daniels died in a hospital in Hermitage, Tennessee after suffering a hemorrhagic stroke.
Jason Aldean said he was "heartbroken" to hear of Daniels' death. "He was one of the nicest/kindest people I have ever met," the singer shared on Twitter. "Thanks for the musical legacy u left all of us. We will miss you Mr. Charlie!"
Luke Bryan called Daniels "a hero. A true patriot, Christian, and country music icon."
Travis Tritt paid tribute on Instagram. "Charlie was the first legendary artist to take me under his wing and encourage me when I was first getting started in the business," he wrote. "He was always there for me when I needed him. I have so many great memories of touring, performing, writing and recording with Charlie, but my favourite memories are of simply talking with the man when it was just the two of us alone.
"Farewell dear friend until we meet again. Thank you for being such a friend, mentor and inspiration to me. I will always be grateful."
Chris Young tweeted: "What a life lived, and what an incredible human being. He will be sorely missed."
Before finding success on his own, Daniels was a longtime session musician who played on albums by Bob Dylan, Ringo Starr and Canada’s Leonard Cohen. He recorded 32 studio albums between 1970 and 2016.
He joined the Grand Ole Opry in 2008 and was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2016.
Daniels had several medical issues during his life. He suffered several fractures in his right arm and two broken fingers in an accident on his property in 1980, was treated for prostate cancer in 2001 and suffered a stroke in 2010 while snowmobiling. When Daniels was treated for pneumonia in 2013, doctors discovered he needed to be fitted with a pacemaker.
A member of the NRA, Daniels was unabashedly conservative and regularly shared his views on social media along with Bible passages and political messages. "I don’t think Joe Biden could make it through an inaugural speech much less a presidential term," he tweeted recently. Daniels’ account was also programmed to share the same five tweets every day, including one about abortion.
He penned a memoir, Never Look at the Empty Seats in 2017 as well as the 2018 book of “wisdom,” Let’s All Make the Day Count and a 2003 book titled Ain't No Rag: Freedom, Family, and the Flag.
Daniels is survived by his wife of nearly 56 years, Hazel, and their son Charlie Daniels Jr.