I know I often gush about the park where we live and our town that supports passing on the love of music to the next generation by giving FREE lessons and a loaner instrument to ANY child in our area that wants to learn. The Music Roots Program has 250 kids in it (we only have about 3,000 people in our town).Yes, that is pretty extraordinary.  Also, The Buckaroo’s are given opportunities to meet some really cool people since their daddy is the park superintendent.

This past weekend, they went to their very first concert and I can not think of a better one for it to have been than the legendary Charlie Daniels Band. We waited outside in the ‘meet and greet” line (yes, they got backstage meet and greet passes) with my friend and her daughter who is a fiddle sensation herself.  Charlie Daniels got out of the vehicle, smiled at the boys and said hello.

I was worried because people had told us of other music stars who have come here to do concerts and were not warm nor welcoming, not even to the kids carrying instruments around with them. Not Mr. Daniels. We walked into the green room and he was casual, relaxed, open, and kind.

He signed Little Buckaroo’s first fiddle.

He also signed photos for the boys and me. He did look at me a little funny when he asked who to sign it to and I said The Park Wife.  I thought about telling him I am a blogger and social media gal and that is my blog name, but I am almost positive he has had stranger requests.

Then, my sweet friend Clancey who has a band and is one of our main performers here at our park and all over this region, was up to meet him. He asked her if she played that fiddle and then told her to “rip one off” for him.  And, that she did.  Big things are going to happen for this young lady, she is only 14.

The intro music started,  the band began and out comes Charlie Daniels with fiddle in hand – and let me tell you for a man that I believe is 75 (or even for a 25 year-old), EXTRAORDINARY!  He tore that fiddle up, worked the crowd, and then a few songs into the show, they gave him a guitar and he played the heck out of that!

The Buckaroo Boys were in awe.

Wow, his band. I have never seen a drummer like that (thank you to CDB drummer Pat McDonald  for giving our boys your drum sticks after the show, yes, they were beat up pretty good). The keyboarder Shannon Wickline came out after the show and talked to Clancey, that meant a lot to a young lady interested in following in their footsteps. Good, kind people.

Now, seriously, this picture is blurry, but look at that bow, he was playing The Devil Went Down to Georgia, enough said.

Charlie Daniels loves the Lord, loves our country, and loves his wife that he celebrated 48 years of marriage the day before he performed here. Thankful that our boys were introduced to live music by such a fine man and his band.

Blessings and fiddles on fire,
The Park Wife