Charlie Daniels Waxes Poetic About ‘Freedom and Pursuit of Happiness’ in Final On-Camera Interview

Charlie Daniels’ death has had many reminiscing on his values and patriotism, and now — in his final on-camera interview — the country music legend is heard waxing poetic about “freedom and pursuit of happiness.” In June, Daniels recorded an interview for Fox Nation’s The Pursuit! With John Rich, and opened up about his take on the show’s theme.

For his final question, Rich asked Daniels, “How has the right to pursue happiness changed your life?” The southern rock icon replied, “It is my life. I live my life.” He went on to say, “There’s so many things I enjoy. You know, I enjoy eating, you can probably tell that, you know. I enjoy a good glass of wine. I enjoy hunting. I don’t get the chance to do it anymore, but I love my guns. I love fishing.” Daniels then said, “If I decide today, ‘Hey, so let’s go down to the lake where I can catch some crappie,’ you get in the car and go. Or, ‘let’s fly to Australia. Get your passport.’ You know, let’s go somewhere, let’s do something. Nobody stopped me. A lot of places you couldn’t do that. You couldn’t go out of the town you’re in; you couldn’t go out the state you’re in.”

Daniels continued: “Pursuit of happiness — freedom and pursuit of happiness go hand in hand together. Freedom to worship any way you want to. Freedom to go anywhere you want to, do anything you want to, to say anything you want to. Right, wrong, indifferent, whatever. People don’t have to listen to you, but you’ve got a right to say it. That’s the pursuit of happiness. Being the person to reach your potential and be the person that God designed you that you could reach your potential to be. That, to me, is the pursuit of happiness. God, family, country, work. That’s my four principles.”

Daniels passed away on Monday at the age of 83. That same day, his representatives issued a statement on the sad news. “Country music and southern rock legend Charlie Daniels has passed. The Country Music Hall of Fame and Grand Ole Opry member died this morning at Summit Medical Center in Hermitage, Tennessee,” the statement read. “Doctors determined the cause of death was a hemorrhagic stroke.” The statement concluded, “Funeral arrangements will be announced in the coming days.” Fox Nation subscribers can catch Daniels’ interview when it airs on the streaming service this Friday, July 10.