Never Look at the Empty Seats: A Memoir

2017 | Biography | Music & Dance

A tale of hard work, musical discovery, and faith, Charlie Daniels’s journey has been one of a kind. Equal parts rebel-rouser and apostle, it’s no small coincidence he launched his career by beating the Devil with a fiddle in hand. I love this man, the things he stands for, and his music. What a story.

—Brad Paisley, Grammy Award-Winning Singer and Songwriter

Charlie is so up-front and friendly, we all assume we know everything there is to know about him. Not so. There is so much about Charlie’s life in this book that it would and could make a great movie, or even better, a long-running series . . . very informative and interesting. We all love Charlie, me more than most. Enjoy the book. I did.

—Dolly Parton, Grammy Award-Winning Singer, Songwriter, and Actress

The Incredible Story of a Country Music Legend

Few artists have left a more indelible mark on America’s musical landscape than Charlie Daniels.

Readers will experience a soft, personal side of Charlie Daniels that has never before been documented. In his own words, he presents the path from his post-depression childhood to performing for millions as one of the most successful country acts of all time and what he has learned along the way. The book also includes insights into the many musicians that orbited Charlie’s world, including Elvis Presley, Bob Dylan, Willie Nelson, Tammy Wynette and many more.

Charlie was officially inducted into The Country Music Hall of Fame in 2016, shortly before his 80th birthday. He now shares the inside stories, reflections, and rare personal photographs from his earliest days in the 1940s to his self-taught guitar and fiddle playing high school days of the fifties through his rise to music stardom in the seventies, eighties and beyond.

Charlie Daniels presents a life lesson for all of us regardless of profession:

“Walk on stage with a positive attitude. Your troubles are your own and are not included in the ticket price. Some nights you have more to give than others, but put it all out there every show. You're concerned with the people who showed up, not the ones who didn't. So, give them a show and…Never look at the empty seats!”

My friend Charlie Daniels is not only a country music legend and icon, he’s also a Great American, and a lover of all that matters—God, faith, family, country, and our military. If you want to live life to the fullest, read this book, as it is a road map to everything great.

—Sean Hannity, Host of Hannity and Author of New York Times Bestseller Deliver Us from Evil

Charlie Daniels is a true American icon. He’s a patriot who loves God and country and a Country Music Hall of Famer. I am blessed to call him my friend. Trust me, there will never be another Charlie Daniels!

—Darrell Waltrip, NASCAR Hall of Famer

Charlie takes you inside stories of his amazing family, his discovery of music, and his fight to make it in a profession that most just don’t! He shares the why, who, and how of really hard times taught him life lessons, and those wonderful events and people that he is proud of and celebrates in his book. Read it for yourself . . . this amazing man has a story for us all.

—Phillip Fulmer, 2012 College Football Hall of Fame

Charlie Daniels (Author)