Charlie Daniels Band coming to North Central College

The Charlie Daniels Band will bring its blend of American music this spring to Naperville's North Central College.

The performance begins at 8 p.m. Saturday, April 28, in Pfeiffer Hall, 310 E. Benton Ave. Tickets are $60, $50 and $45. Call the North Central College Box Office at (630) 637-SHOW (7469) or visit northcentralcollege.edu/showtix.

It hasn't been so much a style of music, but more the values consistently reflected in several genres that have connected Charlie Daniels with millions of fans. For decades, he has steadfastly refused to label his music as anything other than Charlie Daniels Band (CDB) music.

Like many other American success stories, Daniels began his with rural roots. Born in 1936 in Wilmington, N.C., he was raised on a musical diet that included Pentecostal gospel, local bluegrass bands, the rhythm and blues, and country music emanating from Nashville radio.

Daniels broke through as a musician himself with the 1973 album "Honey in the Rock" and its hit song "Uneasy Rider." His rebel anthems "Long Haired Country Boy" and "The South's Gonna Do It" further propelled his career, and Daniels eventually landed a $3 million contract with Epic Records - the largest ever given to a Nashville act at that time.

Daniels delivered not only to the label but to his fans with the well-known track "The Devil Went Down to Georgia." The song became a platinum-selling single, topped both country and pop charts, won a Grammy Award and earned three Country Music Association trophies.

Now a full-fledged member of the Grand Ole Opry, Daniels says, "When it gets right down to the nitty gritty, I've just tried to be who I am. I've never followed trends or fads. I couldn't even if I tried. I can't be them; I can't be anybody but me. CDB music is purely American music with something for everyone."