All lot of songs come to mind when you hear the name Charlie Daniels, but perhaps most notably is his 1979 hit “The Devil Went Down To Georgia.”
Written and performed by the Charlie Daniels Band, the song was released on their 1979 album, “Million Mile Reflections.” The melody of the song was originally written in the key of D minor by a man named Vassar Clements who called it, “Lonesome Fiddle Blues.” The original version was released on Clements’ self-titled 1975 album on which Charlie Daniels played guitar. The Charlie Daniels Band moved it up an octave and put words to it that tell the story of a young man named Johnny who was tempted to make a deal with the Devil. The performances of Satan and Johnny are played as instrumental bridges. The song was the band’s biggest hit, reaching #3 on the Billboard Hot 100, climbed to #1 on the country chart, and won a Grammy for best country vocal by a group.
The song was such a hit, the Charlie Daniel’s Band performed it in a cameo appearance for the 1980 film, “Urban Cowboy” starring John Travolta.
The plot of the film follows the relationship between Buford Uan “Bud” Davis (John Travolta) and Sissy (Debra Winger).
Watch the video below to see Charlie Daniels’ appearance in the film!