Charlie Daniels. Yes. That Charlie Daniels

January 20, 2018

2pm

We are proud to host Charlie Daniels for a book signing of his memoir, Never Look at the Empty Seats, on Saturday January 20th at 2pm.

Charlie--in case you live on some other planet--is a country music legend. He is a man who is respected for his music, his dedication to his principles and his honest, straightforward and kind manner. This is a man everyone in Country Music looks up to. He was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2016.

He and his wonderful wife, Hazel, are two of the nicest people you will ever meet. Our family became acquainted with them through their friends Louis and Kathy L’Amour. They came to visit the L’Amours in at their place in Durango and ended up falling in the love with the area. If you live here, you have probably seen them around town during the winter, but you may not have recognized them. Charlie is not the kind of celebrity who waves his own flag. One of the chapters in the book is about Louis L’Amour. These men were cut from the same cloth.

Years ago, when they were in town one summer, my parents asked Charlie and Hazel to ride the Silverton train with them. Dad reserved a private car at the back of the train so that they could just relax and enjoy the day with some friends.

It was a great day, but by the time the train arrived at the Durango station that afternoon, the word had spread through the cars that the man who sang, “The Devil Came Down from Georgia,” was on the train. As soon as the engine had stopped, people rushed from the train and came to the rear of the private car Charlie was in.

He came out, stepped down to meet the crowd and didn’t leave until everyone had shook his hand or gotten an autograph. When everyone had left, my dad asked him, “Charlie, do you ever get tired of doing that?”

Daniels replied, “Jackson, I spent a lot of time when nobody knew who I was. These people are my fans and I wouldn’t be anywhere without them. I owe them for the good fortune I’ve had.”

Enough said.

A bunch of us went to Santa Fe last May to see one of Charlie’s shows and he asked if we would like to have a signing for his new book at the Gallery when he was in town in January. When the book first came out, I saw that it was a memoir, which seemed a little strange since this man is nowhere near done with his career. His shows get better and better and he is on the road performing or making recordings eleven months a year.

This is a wonderful story. Never Look at the Empty Seats, tells about his life, the ups, downs and sideways. He shares his faith, his family, his love of country and his experiences with people, some famous, some not. Told in his own straightforward way, reading it is just like sitting there listening to Charlie tell the tales.

If you are on our email list and can’t make it to the signing, you can order a personalized, signed copy on our website. When you place your order, be sure to fill out the form at the bottom of the page and let us know how you would like Charlie to sign your book--and whether it's for you or someone else.

We look forward to seeing you on Saturday, January 20th at 2 in the afternoon!

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