Ain’t it Good to Be Alive and in Tennessee?!
The 40th Anniversary of Charlie Daniels’ Volunteer Jam was a
Southern Rocker’s Dream
by Michael Buffalo Smith The 40th Anniversary Volunteer Jam was
one for the books. It had virtually everything you could want in a jam and more. Opening with Lee Greenwood singing his classic, “God Bless The USA,” with a huge American flag hanging behind the band, the theme of the show was set in stone. Throughout the course of the evening, we would meet veterans, wounded warriors and active duty soldiers both onstage and via the large movie screens that hung behind the stage and to the sides. There were short films, interviews and more peppered in among the live performances. There were amazing solo performances,
backed by the all-star house band, as well as good old fashioned Southern rock jams. One of the first featured Jimmy Hall, Billy Crain and Lee Roy Parnell, along with actor Charles Esten from the TV show “Nashville.” Jimmy sang his Wet Willie monster hit, “Keep On Smilin.” Great performances followed from Black-
berry Smoke (a last-minute surprise); Tucker Yochim; the Kentucky Headhunters; Phil Vassar; Craig Morgan; Wynonna; Tracy Lawrence; Jeannie Seely; The Oak Ridge Boys; a big ol’ jam with The Charlie Daniels Band, featuring Jack Pearson on guitar and Jamie Coconut on congas for on the whole set, and guest jammers including Tucker
Yochim and Natalie Stovall on fiddle. The CDB backed up Billy Crain on his brother, the late Tommy Crain’s song “Lonesome Boy From Dixie,” followed by Billy Dean, Eric Church (another surprise), Ryan Weaver and gospel singer Michael W. Smith lead the jam on “The Good Ol Gospel Ship.” Alabama took the stage to play a bit of
Mountain Music, followed by Billy Ray Cyrus, and Ted Nugent, who reunited his original band, including vocalist/guitarist Derek St. Holmes. Nugent opened with an instrumental of “The Star Spangled Banner,” reminiscent of Jimi Hendrix, but without the bombs drop- ping. Nuge introduced “a Detroit love song” called “Stranglehold.” St. Holmes sang it as powerfully as on the original recording. While most of the acts performed a single song, except for the CDB, Nugent did three, ending with his biggest hit, “Cat Scratch Fever.” The crowd went wild. Next up was Travis Tritt, followed by
20
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86