Music

Charlie Daniels strikes up band for July 4 show

Charlie Daniels and his band perform Saturday at Magic Springs.
Charlie Daniels and his band perform Saturday at Magic Springs.

HOT SPRINGS -- Patriotic country veteran Charlie Daniels would seem to be the obvious choice for a July 4 concert.

And Daniels, no stranger to shows at Magic Springs & Crystal Falls Water and Theme Park, says he's mighty proud to be invited back.

Charlie Daniels

Opener: Aaron Owen (pre-show by Blane Howard at 3 p.m.)

7 p.m. Saturday, Magic Springs & Crystal Falls Water and Theme Park, 1701 E. Grand Ave. (U.S. 70 East), Hot Springs

Tickets: Gate admission — $59.99, $36.99 for children shorter than 48 inches and adults 55 and older, free for kids 3 and younger — includes lawn seating. Limited reserved seating, additional $10 or $8; parking at additional cost.

(501) 624-0100

magicsprings.com

"I've played there before, and they've always been good to the band and me," he says. "To play there on July 4 is just an extra bonus, you might say."

Daniels, 78, says he has no thoughts about retirement anytime soon.

"I have no intentions to do so," he says with a laugh. "I can't think of anything I'd rather do with my time than what I'm privileged to be doing already. I don't have a hobby or anything like that, even if I occasionally go fishing or play golf or ride horses, but there's nothing I'd want to do for eight hours a day, except music and all of what goes into that."

Daniels, well-known for his prowess on fiddle but also a well-respected master of guitar and mandolin, will bring his band of five musicians; the entire touring complement, including his road crew and the bus driver, comes to 13.

His latest CD is Off the Grid -- Doin' It Dylan, which is exactly what the title suggests: Daniels doing his versions of 10 Bob Dylan songs. And if anyone is entitled to take on Dylan music, it's Daniels, one of the studio musicians who backed Dylan when he took the then-controversial step of going to Nashville, Tenn., to record an album, Nashville Skyline, in 1969.

"I mostly played bass back then, but I got asked to play guitar when whoever was booked by producer Bob Johnston couldn't make it," Daniels recalls. "Apparently Bob liked whatever I was playing and asked me to come around when he did two more albums in Nashville -- Self Portrait and New Morning. So that was a good feeling, obviously."

Dylan's "testimonial" led to Daniels' first solo album, a self-titled release, in 1971. But it took two more years, and his third album, before he scored his first hit single, "Uneasy Rider," and that was considered a novelty song. Bigger things lay ahead: hit songs "The South's Gonna Do It Again," "Long Haired Country Boy," "The Devil Went Down to Georgia," "In America" and "Still in Saigon."

And he still includes Dylan's "Tangled Up in Blue" and "I'll Be Your Baby Tonight" in his live shows, along with the music his fans have come to expect.

"People have a right to hear what they come to hear, and we do those songs, and whatever time we have left over, we do other things. I enjoy doing them all," he says.

Daniels is eagerly anticipating the 40th anniversary of his Volunteer Jam on Aug. 12 at Nashville's Bridgestone Arena to benefit the Journey Home Project, a nonprofit that helps veterans organizations connect with donors to meet vets' health care, education and career needs. Daniels is chairman of the board.

"I was surprised at the RSVPs we got for the Jam," he says. "The caliber of artists will really be quite memorable."

Weekend on 07/02/2015

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