We’ve lost another legend.
Charlie Daniels has passed away at the age of 83. Doctors determined the cause of death was a hemorrhagic stoke.
He will be missed by so many. Not only in country music but in all genres. He played our Kansas State fair four times (1983, 1990, 2002, 2017) and was a frequent performer at Country Stampede in Manhattan before the festival moved locations. C
Charlie raised hundreds of thousand of dollars for Starkey Inc. here in Wichita with his golf tournaments and benefit concerts starting in the 80’s. Charlie was here in person when the “Charlie Daniels” wing was dedicated in his honor in 1989. Starkey Inc. serves adults with developmental disabilities in Wichita.
Connection to Wichita:
- Charlie first played the Hi-Ho Club (47th & S Broadway) in 1967 before he was a household name.
- He had a song called “Wichita Jail” that went to #22 on the Country Charts in 1976. (Listen below).
- The first Charlie Daniel’s Golf Tournament for Starkey was in 1984. By the time the 20th was held in 2004, Charlie had helped raise more than $700,000 for the Starkey Foundation.
- Charlie was a personal friend of former KFDI co-owner Mike Oatman. Charlie sang at his funeral in 2003 with KFDI’s Orin Friesen
Photo Credit: PR-Photos
