Charlie Daniels was a huge influence on many Sask. fiddle players including Prince Albert's Donny Parenteau. The music video for "Fiddleback"  features an intro from Daniels. (youtube)

By Nigel Maxwell

Gone but not forgotten

Country music legend remembered fondly by Sask. music community

Jul 6, 2020 | 3:50 PM

Charlie Daniels, who may be best known for his hit song “Devil Went Down to Georgia,” has died at age 83.

A statement Monday from his publicist indicated the Country Music Hall of Famer died at a hospital in Hermitage, Tennessee, after doctors said he had a stroke.

While Daniels may be gone, his legacy lives on through the numerous musicians he influenced. In 1996, Prince Albert’s Donny Parenteau happened to be playing at the same venue as Daniels, and Parenteau worked up the courage to talk to his idol. Parenteau explained he was from Prince Albert, Saskatchewan, Canada.

“He says nice to meet you, and he looks at me and says eh?” Parenteau laughed.

The two men then proceeded to sit down at a table, and Parenteau, who was expecting to have a conversation about fiddles, was soon surprised to have Daniels ask him a question about food.

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“He said son have you ever had a Vidalia onion and I said no never; and I never had the heart to tell Charlie I dont like onions,” Parenteau joked, adding he soon learned Vidalia onions are eaten the same way people eat an apple.

Years after their first meeting, Daniels would collaborate on Parenteau’s song “Fiddleback.” Daniels also agreed to help introduce the music video. Reflecting back on what it was like to experience that, Parenteau said he was completely in awe to be recognized in that way by a living legend.

“Even for him to say my name, is like wow. It’s just unbelievable,” he said.

Parenteau, who has accumulated a number of hit songs in his own career, credits Daniels for being a huge influence. He explained as a young fiddler, one of the first tunes that pops into your head or someone is going to request is devil went down to georgia.

“I don’t care who you are, where you are from on his planet, you could have dropped Charie Daniels into any living room and they are going to know who he is,” Parenteau said.

Regina’s Brian Sklar has also won numerous awards, produced over 40 albums, and has played all over Canada, the United States and Europe. He said after the release of “Devil Went Down To Georgia, the song found a permanent spot in his playlist every night his band played.

“No matter where we play, no matter the age of the audience, they all wanna hear Devil Went Down to Georgia. If you’re gonna be remembered one particular tune, it don’t get much more popular than that one,” he said.

While Sklar did not have a chance to meet Daniels personally he described Daniels as a raunchy rebel, and the perfect guy to be playing at a country music jamboree.

“The kind of guy you found in a honky tonk bar with chicken wire in front on and I think that’s probably where he was most comfortable playing,” Sklar said.

Among one of Daniels’s many accomplishments was when he played himself in the 1980 John Travolta movie “Urban Cowboy” and was closely identified with the rise of country music generated by that film.

Daniels was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2016. He said his favourite place to play was “anywhere with a good crowd and a good paycheque.”

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nigel.maxwell@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @nigelmaxwell

— with files from The Associated Press