Posted on 10.26.2020

Happy Heavenly Birthday - Soapbox, Jr.

I started writing a soapbox and then shelved it when I realized what was staring at mom and I later this week; Dad’s birthday on Wednesday.

This is the first of the “Sadiversaries” that I wrote about recently, but it seemed so much further off when I wrote about them, now It’s almost here.

This will be difficult, there were plenty of times when dad wasn’t home for his birthday, but I don’t ever remember not speaking to him and wishing him a Happy Birthday, so it’s going to be rough.

But it’s not me I’m concerned about. I’ll be sad, but I’ll muddle through as I have been, but I’m concerned about mom. I don’t think she has missed a birthday with dad since she started touring with dad after I graduated high school in 1983.

So, please keep her in your prayers this week.

Most of the time, celebrating dad’s birthday was a low-key occasion when they were home. Mom would make dinner and a cake, and we’d just hang out at Twin Pines.

There have been a few that were more memorable.

On dad’s 60th birthday, the final of the original Volunteer Jams was held as an acoustic event at the Tennessee Performing Arts Center’s Andrew Jackson Hall, just a few of the special guests were Lorrie Morgan, Tracy Byrd, Tracy Lawrence, John Berry, Blackhawk and Billy Ray Cyrus.

Before the show, I researched it, and found out that the song that dad had co-written that was recorded by Elvis Presley called “It Hurts Me” was on a greatest hits collection, ‘Elvis’ Gold Records Volume 4,’ that had itself gone gold, so we were able to present him with an Elvis Presley gold record for his 60th. I was very happy we were able to get that for him.

A few days before dad’s 70th birthday – in 2006 – we were in Hong Kong. We had planned this trip for a while, and we had a great time. We were traveling with several friends and had dinner at Jumbo Kingdom, a local Chinese restaurant with an amazing atmosphere, and a very unique building. 

It floats.

It’s essentially on a very large flat barge with the three-story restaurant built on top of it.  Since it sits in Aberdeen Harbor, it kind of looks like a large riverboat with an Asian flair.

Inside, we had a private dining room complete with two ladies playing some authentic music from the region, a zither and what is called an erhu, which is played with a bow like a fiddle, but with only two strings.

At one point before our food came, the ladies serenaded us with a somewhat familiar tune, someone had arranged for the ladies to chart out and perform a one-minute scaled-down version of “The Devil Went Down to Georgia.” Dad was highly surprised, and amused. They played an encore of it for us later, and dad was so intrigued, he actually bought an erhu while we were still in Hong Kong.

I don’t think he ever learned to play it.

On dad’s actual birthday, we were in a revolving restaurant on the Hong Kong Island side and celebrated by watching the dancing light show on the skyscrapers, and a cake covered with fruit. I still have the “70” candles from that night.

Dad’s 80th was a two-month celebration with multiple events including the Charlie Daniels 80th Birthday Volunteer Jam on November 30th with special guests 3 Doors Down, Larry the Cable Guy, Kid Rock, Luke Bryan and Chris Stapleton to name a few, but the day after his birthday on October 28, we had a party in the rotunda of the Country Music Hall of Fame. 

Dad had just been formally inducted into the Hall of Fame about two weeks earlier, so it was the perfect place to have the party which included two cakes in the shape of guitars, and one in the shape of a fiddle, and lots of guests.

I was thrilled to be able to unveil something that I had been working on for a few months, off and on. It was a video of different TV, movie, and commercial appearances of dad, the band, or CDB songs, including, of course, “The Devil Went Down to Georgia.” 

The inspiration – oddly enough – came from “Weird Al” Yankovic. I had seen him in concert a few months earlier. Al’s show includes a lot of costume changes, and while he’s changing offstage, a large screen would show different appearances in film or on TV, or just being the punchline to a joke on something like an episode of “Friends,” and it got me thinking about how many similar appearances dad and his music had over the years.

The finished video was about 20 minutes long and included mostly quick clips of appearances, songs or references from movies like Urban Cowboy, Superstar, Coyote Ugly, The Waterboy and The Dukes of Hazard, commercials for UPS, Skoal and GEICO, and TV show like The Fresh Prince of Bel Air, King of the Hill, Futurama, Mystery Science Theatre 3000, Robot Chicken, Saturday Night Live, The Muppet Show, and much more.

It’s a fast-paced tour of dad’s career, and the impact dad had on music and pop culture in general. 

So many memories, and that’s all we have now, but I treasure each and every one of them.

As energetic as dad was, it was not hard to imagine planning his 90th birthday in six years.

I used to say that if dad was forced to retire, that I didn’t know if he would last very long, since he loved to perform so much. It wasn’t a retirement, but I still have a gnawing at me that if dad had been able to keep performing, that he might still be going strong, but I can’t think like that. It was his time.

I also used to say that I hope I had half his energy when I got to be his age.

That would truly be a blessing.

Happy heavenly Birthday, dad. You are missed every day, and I thank you for everything you did to take care of mom and I for over 55 years.

I love you.

What do you think?

Pray for our troops, our police, our country and the peace of Jerusalem.

God Bless America!

— Charlie Daniels, Jr.
 

PLEASE READ BEFORE YOU POST

Feel free to comment on soapboxes, but please refrain from profanity and anonymous posts are not allowed, we need a name and you MUST provide a valid email address. If you provide an email address, but leave the name as "Anonymous" we will pick a name for you based on your email address. No one other than website administrators will see your email address, not other posters. If you post without a valid email address, your comment (whether positive or negative) will be deleted. — TeamCDB/BW

 

 

Check out "Geechi Geechi Ya Ya Blues" from Beau Weevils - 'Songs in the Key of E'

 

 

Comments

Happy B-D
I did not know that; thanks, mine is tomorrow the 27th... Keep his legacy alive, he meant so much to many.
Posted by Alan paul
Happy Birthday Mr. D.
From the first time I met you in Schweinfurt, Germany before I opened your show, until the last time I saw you at Ft. Riley, you have been the kindest to me that you could possibly be. I am grateful for everything Mr. D. Happy Heavenly Birthday...
Posted by Rick
Happy Birthday
Thank you for this! I loved reading it.
Posted by Laura
Birthday's Are The Toughest
Amen, Amen & Amen Charlie Jr, rest assured that we will keep you and your mom in our prayers. I have said before that Birthdays are the toughest. Our grandson who would have been thirty two weeks ago, passed when he was two days shy of his eighth birthday and I can tell you that twenty seven years later that day was hell on me and the misses....nuff said God Bless Plowboy
Posted by Plowboy
Charlie Daniels
Happy Birthday in Heaven To the Best fiddle player ever... God please watch over and give Me Daniels family peace and comfort. Y'all are in my prayers 🕊️
Posted by Keith
soapbox 10/26/20
Charlie Thank you for continuing to write the soap boxes. I loved your Dad's and I equally enjoy yours. I was at one of tbe celebration concerts your Dad did jgor his 80th birthday. I was in homistoric Thalian Hall in Wil.ington. Your father said he had not played tbat venue since he was 19 years old. What a fantastic night it was. He ended it sitting on the stage playing How Great Thou Art. Just a few days later, I was in Montreat with Karlene Shea, in Gaither Chapel at a hymn sing. we ended that concert singing Bev Shea's arrNgement of How Great Thou Art. It was a great week! Know that I am praying for v you and your Mom tbis week.
Posted by Claire
Heavily birthday
I see headstone arrived finally will stop wish him a happy birthday after my dr apt in mt juliet in morning .but will say his legacy is one that will never die hes there in that house with yall don't think he anit jr as for your.mom if I'd ever meet her in person would give her a grant hug from me your father was and always will be a great man most down to earth person I ever met
Posted by Joseph
T-Shirt
We loved Charlie! Last year I took my boys to see him w/Alabama and my youngest purchased a CDB Shirt. The back quoted Charlie say, "There's only two things that keep America safe, the Almighty God and the US Military." My 14 YO has worn that shirt till it's in shreds. Is there a way to purchase him one for Christmas? Thank you! *NOTE* There are similar styles at the website store. - TeamCDB/BW
Posted by James
Happy birthday
My mom is Charlie's cousin Miriam. Charlie's granddad was my Mom's brother. I met Uncle Graham and Aunt Mattie several times. I have pictures of Charkue with us at the family reunion at Aunt Mary Liza's house years ago. Aunt LaRue, Charlie's Mom, used to come with Mom's sister, Grace, to have dinner with us when we would go to Wilmington. Mom remembers playing with Charlie when they were kids. Happy Birthday Charlie from your family in Florida.
Posted by Lisa
Charlie’s birthday
Would love to see the video of his 80th
Posted by MArilyn
Happy birthday
Happ birthday Charles Daniels . You will not forgot but be miss . I have grow up with his music love it everyone them . Prayers for his wife n son n family n friends . Fly High Charles Daniels .
Posted by Stephanie
Compilation Video
I would love to see that video you made for your Dad. *NOTE* It's right below the soapbox. - TeamCDB/BW
Posted by Richard
Charlies 84th Birthday
Thanks Charlie for writing the Soapbix posts that you do l do find a comfirt in reading each if them .l most certinaly will send peayers out to your Mom .you did pick a perfect name for the occasions that arrive sadiversaries . Great times and great memories with a great man. I do have to agree with you about how your dad lived to entertain and yes l can only imagine how you feel that if he was allowed to continue to perform things might have turned out different. Its been said if you are working at what you love you'll never work a day in your life.Thank you again Charlie Jr. For your comforting posts and l just will end by sayin "l love your Dad " ............... Ed Erb
Posted by Edward
Your Dad
Jr. Thank you for sharing with us all these great memories of your dad. I admired him for so many years. The way he lived his life. The way he loved your mom and treated her like a queen. Their ranch. His love for country and most of all GOD. I loved how he would tweet, Lets all Make the Day Count. I use that with my family in my good morning texts to them and they love it. I cried the day he passed. Please tell your Mom to continue with the pictures of Twin Pines all year long as he did, it makes me day dream of owning a ranch like your dad's and mom. That place is beautiful with calm and peace and I understand why he loved it so much. Jr, keep doing the soapbox we all enjoy it. God Bless you and your Mom always. Your friend and daddy's forever fan in Houston, Texas
Posted by Hector
Sweet Memory
Your dad came to Emporia Ks for a Veteran’s Day performance which if you didn’t know we are the founding city of Veterans Day and my husbands family is the founding family. I am a cancer survivor and very passionate about raising funds to help others fighting the fight. My husband talked to a member of the band and asked if we could get an autograph from your dad to be used in our silent auction. The band member immediately ran back to the bus and talked to your dad and he signed a picture for me. The money we earned went to a family going through cancer and I just wanted to share. Thank you for your beautiful words. Your dad was a great guy.
Posted by Cherie
Happy Birthday Charlie!
It's not often someone gets to meet their heroes. Thanks Charlie for taking the time to say hey at all the meet and greets backstage. I got to be friends with Taz as well. Hope you're rockin' and rollin' with all your friends in Heaven. Thanks for all the amazing music that will live forever!
Posted by John
Charlie Daniels
Happy birthday to your dad. It’s hard loosing either parent. Charlie was influential to lots of people.
Posted by Dana