Trace Adkins is one of several artists scheduled to perform at Charlie Daniels‘ funeral on Friday morning, and the singer remembered his late friend ahead of the service while speaking to News 2 this week. “I’m still kind of in shock,” Adkins said. “It’s a different world now without Charlie Daniels in it. I can’t even put the loss into words. Not since I lost my father have I felt this way about losing somebody. It’s a heavy blow.”
The 58-year-old shared that Daniels was both a friend and a mentor to him and gave him advice in a way few others could. “I turned to him for advice and his advice was always grounded in integrity and it was just steeped in wisdom, but tempered with humility and not many people have the ability to do that,” he explained. “I just thought the world of him, loved him to death and I’m going to miss him terribly.”
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Adkins said he is planning to perform “Arlington” at the funeral to honor Daniels’ years of support of the military. Other artists scheduled to perform during the service include Gretchen Wilson, Vince Gill and Travis Tritt and the funeral will be led by SiriusXM’s Storme Warren and pastor Allen Jackson. The service will take place at World Outreach Church in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, at 11 a.m. CT and will be available to view on World Outreach Church’s website and Facebook page as well as The Charlie Daniels Band’s Facebook page and YouTube channel.
Law enforcement will assist with an escort for Daniels’ body from Sellars Funeral Home in Mt. Juliet, Tennessee, to the service, which will be followed by a private burial at Mt. Juliet Memorial Gardens in Mt. Juliet. Daniels died on Monday morning at Summit Medical Center in Hermitage, Tennessee, from a hemorrhagic stroke at age 83.
After the musician’s passing, Adkins used social media to remember his friend, writing that he had “a very heavy heart” as he reflected on “the legendary Charlie Daniels.” “It’s true that meeting your heroes is dangerous because more often than not, they disappoint you,” Adkins shared on Instagram. “Charlie was the exception. I absolutely cherished his friendship. I could write a book about the positive influence he had on my life, but today I’ll just say that I miss him already. Love you, Charlie.”
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On Wednesday, Adkins performed at a patriotic-themed service for Daniels outside of Sellars Funeral Home. He shared a video of the performance on Instagram and opened up about his friendship with Daniels, which began after Adkins earned his record deal in Nashville. “I can honestly say that there’s a hole in the fabric of this country today, and Charlie Daniels left that hole,” he wrote. “I’ve known a lot of good men in my life, I still know a lot of good men but when you talk about great men the list is short. But Charlie Daniels was on that list for me.”
