Gretchen Wilson Says She ‘Never Met a Better Man’ Than Charlie Daniels

Gretchen Wilson has added her message to the tributes flooding social media after Charlie Daniels’ death on Monday, sharing her own post remembering the late country star. Wilson used her platforms to share a photo of herself and Daniels on stage together, standing in front of a microphone as they both held a birthday cake.

Clad in his signature cowboy hat, Daniels’ face wasn’t visible as he looked at Wilson, but her smile was a clear indicator of how much the moment meant to her. “I never met a better man than Charlie Daniels,” Wilson captioned the image. “He was so inspiring in so many ways. May he Rest In Peace along side his Creator and continue to inspire!” Wilson famously name-checked Daniels in her smash hit “Redneck Woman” when she sang, “I know all the words to every Charlie Daniels song,” and the two were friends for years. They performed together on multiple occasions including during the pregame show for Super Bowl XXXIX in 2005 and recorded a duet, “Jackson,” together for Daniels’ 2007 album Deuces.

Wilson was set to be one of the performers for Daniels’ annual Volunteer Jam concert in Nashville this year, though it’s unclear whether the event will take place due to the coronavirus pandemic. The 2020 Volunteer Jam is scheduled for Sept. 15 at Nashville’s Bridgestone arena, and artists including Trace Adkins, Charley Pride, Big & Rich, Justin Moore, Chris Janson, the Gatlin Brothers, Travis Denning, Mickey Gilley, Johnny Lee, Delbert McClinton, the Outlaws and the Marshall Tucker Band are on the bill along with Wilson.

Daniels started the Volunteer Jam in 1974 and the first show was held at Nashville’s War Memorial Auditorium. The event continued until 1996 save for a three-year gap in the ’80s and later returned in 1999 with multiple Volunteer Jam Tours. In 2015, a 40th-anniversary event was held followed by a 2016 Jam celebrating Daniels’ 80th birthday. The most recent show was Volunteer Jam XX in 2018 and featured performers including Lynyrd Skynyrd, Alabama, Alison Krauss, ZZ Top’s Billy Gibbons and Ricky Skaggs.

Daniels died on Monday at age 83 at Summit Medical Center in Hermitage, Tennessee, from a hemorrhagic stroke. He is considered a Southern rock and country music legend and was inducted into the Cheyenne Frontier Days Hall of Fame in 2002, the Grand Ole Opry in 2008, the Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum in 2009 and the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2016.