2018 Charlie Daniels Volunteer Jam Will Also be a Tribute to Charlie Himself
Since 1974, the Charlie Daniels Volunteer Jam concert has been a mainstay on the country music calendar, and a worthy fundraiser for veterans. Now in 2018, the event will hold special importance as it also acts as a tribute to Charlie Daniels himself, as he partners with tribute concert promoter Blackbird Presents for this year’s presentation called Volunteer Jam XX: A Tribute to Charlie.
“It’s hard to believe that it’s been 43 years since the CDB and some of our friends got together at War Memorial Auditorium for what was supposed to be a live recording session, a one-time happening that took on a life of its own and was to become known worldwide as The Volunteer Jam,” says Charlie Daniels. “I am extremely honored and excited to have this year’s Jam documented by Blackbird Presents. Gonna be a great night at the Volunteer Jam!”
Scheduled to perform at the tribute so far is Alison Krauss, Billy Gibbons of ZZ Top, Blackberry Smoke, Bobby Bare, Jamey Johnson, Chris Janson, Chuck Leavell, Eddie Montgomery of Montgomery Gentry, Justin Moore, The Oak Ridge Boys, Ricky Skaggs, of course Charlie Daniels and the Charlie Daniels Band, with many more special guests to be announced in the coming weeks. Storme Warren returns as the host of the event.
Blackbird Presents has also promoted tribute concerts to Merle Haggard, Kris Kristofferson, Emmylou Harris, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Gregg Allman, and many more. “Charlie has had an enormous impact on American culture through his dedication to supporting our troops, founding the unique southern sound that we know and love, and creating the unforgettable Volunteer Jam legacy,” says Keith Wortman, CEO of Blackbird Presents. “I am honored to be producing this year’s Jam alongside Charlie’s longtime manager, David Corlew.”
And even though the honoree will be Charlie Daniels, the benefactor will continue to be veterans. Proceeds from the event will be donated to The Journey Home Project, a 501(c)(3) non-profit co-founded by Daniels and manager David Corlew to help Veterans.
The event will be held March 7th at the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville. Tickets will go on sale December 8, 2017, at 10 AM CT via Ticketbastard, by phone at 800-745-3000, all Ticketbastard locations and the Bridgestone Arena box office.
Expect more names to be added to the lineup as the Volunteer Jame nears as is normal with these tributes.
December 7, 2017 @ 2:49 pm
Charlie’s a tank
December 7, 2017 @ 4:44 pm
He’s also and icon and will be remembered a long, long time.
December 7, 2017 @ 3:45 pm
+1 Good read Trigg!
December 7, 2017 @ 3:49 pm
I had the chance to see Blackberry Smoke in concert twice this summer. I like them now.
December 7, 2017 @ 5:23 pm
“Simple Man” is one of the greatest country songs ever. I have no clue why it’s so underrated. But Daniels deserves all the praise. Legend.
December 7, 2017 @ 7:23 pm
Fire on the Mountain stands the test of time. Great artist. Very underrated.
December 8, 2017 @ 8:29 am
Agreed. Same with Saddle Tramp, just a great album.
December 8, 2017 @ 9:15 am
And Nightrider.
December 9, 2017 @ 3:57 pm
Ditto to that. Also High Lonesome…great cowboy songs. He’s one of a kind. Love his slide guitar playing too.
December 7, 2017 @ 8:23 pm
I’m not saying Charlie Daniels is Santa Claus. All I’m saying is, no one has ever seen Charlie and Santa in the same room together…
December 7, 2017 @ 8:28 pm
Have seen Charlie countless times and he never disappoints. Besides the man being an absolute legend, he is still as energetic and patriotic as ever. His energy after all these years would still blow 99% of the piss ant new age acts away.
As for Blackberry Smoke, they are hands down the best band touring today. They are as tight a band musically as you will find, and having seen them about 10 times, I can honestly say they seem to improve with each show. They are also down to earth in person and when I saw them in CT two years ago, Charlie Starr spent quite a lot of time hanging outside on the sidewalk after the show talking and taking pictures with fans. Them being on the bill alone is well worth the price of admission.
Jamey Johnson being on the bill is just an added bonus. Whenever they do these “tribute” shows, the common fear is that they become over commercialized and saturated with acts that dont belong there but are simply placed on the bill to attract casual fans. Thankfully, it looks like the tradition of Volunteer Jam isnt being compromised in that way.
On a side note, it’s good to see Eddie Montgomery back in the saddle so quickly. Nobody could have faulted him if he had opted to take awhile off or even step away from performing. I hope being back out there so soon brings him the peace he needs.
December 7, 2017 @ 11:24 pm
Charlie Daniels is the best artist out there today years ago I would have loved to have seen him and LYNYRD SKYNRD play together but at that time I was still to young to go and see them thank you charile Daniels for all Your great music I love it very much
December 8, 2017 @ 9:18 pm
There’s only one long-haired country boy.
December 9, 2017 @ 5:35 pm
Love Charlie, my first concert was the CDB at the Ocean Ice Palace, in Brick, NJ in 1978. Still the loudest show I’ve ever seen. I agree, Saddle Tramp and High Lonesome are treasures. Also a giant fan of the MTB.
December 9, 2017 @ 5:52 pm
I agree on MTB too Jersey. Sadly, only Doug Gray is left. Here’s a fun memory of Charlie. I saw CDB at a volunteer jam, shortly after Toy Caldwell died. Charlie showed the audience he was playing Toys actual Gibson hollow body guitar. I think it was an es335. Charlie introduced the song by saying he was gonna play a song the guitar knew well. He then played a 10 minute version of Take The Highway! Wow…my goosebumps got goosebumps! And it meant all the more just knowing Charlie played fiddle on all those MTB albums including their first one. And he was best friends with all of them.Good memories.