Due to singer’s illness, Alabama postpones April 12 show at Mohegan Sun Arena in Wilkes-Barre, reschedules for Aug. 29
From a press release:
The 50th anniversary performance of country legends Alabama and The Charlie Daniels Band, originally scheduled for this Friday, April 12 at Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza in Wilkes-Barre, has been postponed and rescheduled to Thursday, Aug. 29.
Lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist “Randy Owen has a severe sinus infection and an infected throat. The doctor has him on vocal rest for a week,” the Mohegan Sun Arena stated.
“All tickets purchased for original performance date of April 12 will be valid on the new performance date, August 29. We apologize for this inconvenience.”
Refunds can be made at the original point of purchase, the NBT Bank Box Office at Mohegan Sun Arena (255 Highland Park Blvd., Wilkes-Barre), ticketmaster.com, and all Ticketmaster outlets.
The band’s next scheduled concert on Saturday, April 13 at the XL Center in Hartford, Connecticut has also been canceled.
It’s been 50 years since Randy Owen, Jeff Cook, and Teddy Gentry left the cotton farms of Fort Payne, Alabama to spend the summer playing music in a Myrtle Beach, South Carolina bar called The Bowery. It is a classic American tale of rags to riches, from humble beginnings picking cotton in the fields to international stars that went on to sell 80 million albums while changing the face and sound of country music.
Quality songs that have become the soundtrack for American life are the foundation for Alabama’s stellar career. Alabama introduced rock-style guitars, lights, pyrotechnics, and sounds to the country audience that has inspired many of today’s brightest country stars, including Kenny Chesney, Jason Aldean, and Luke Bryan.
“I thank God I’m here to see these great artists see fit to sing some of the songs we did,” says Owen, with the everyman sincerity that has helped so many identify with the humbly born superstars.
“More than anything, our longevity is a tribute to the hard work we did in selecting songs because it’s the songs that people remember,” Gentry says.
“We were renegades in sneakers and T-shirts. We had long hair and played loud and some of the country folks resisted us for a while. But then, of course, they did accept us, and then after that, our success made it lots easier for other bands to try it in country music.”
While their music continues to stand the test of time, their numbers and stats are beyond compare. Five decades since starting the band, Alabama has charted 43 No. 1 singles, including 21 No. 1 singles in a row, and have won over 179 CMA Awards, Grammy Awards, and ACM Awards. They are members of the Country Music Hall of Fame and have their own star of the Hollywood Walk of Fame. They are also world-class philanthropists who have raised over 250 million dollars for charity.
“A lot of fans will start a conversation with, ‘I don’t want to bother you,'” says Cook, “but what they don’t understand is that everything that’s happened to us, every one of those awards, happened because we’ve been accepted and supported by our fans.”
From his Dove Award-winning gospel albums to his genre-defining Southern rock anthems and his CMA Award-winning country hits, few artists have left a more indelible mark on America’s musical landscape than Charlie Daniels. An outspoken patriot, beloved mentor to young artists, and still a road warrior at age 81, Daniels has parlayed his passion for music into a multi-platinum career and a platform to support the military, underprivileged children, and others in need.
Raised among the longleaf pines of North Carolina, Daniels began his career playing bluegrass music with the Misty Mountain Boys. After moving to Nashville in 1967, he began making a name for himself as a songwriter, session musician, and producer. Elvis Presley recorded a tune Daniels co-wrote titled “It Hurts Me,” which was released on the flip side of “Kissin’ Cousins.” He played on such landmark albums as Bob Dylan’s “Nashville Skyline” and tried his hand at producing on The Youngbloods’ “Elephant Mountain” and “Ride the Wind.”
His own unique voice as an artist emerged as Daniels recorded his self-titled solo album in 1970 for Capitol Records. Two years later, he formed the Charlie Daniels Band and the group scored its first hit in the Top 10 with “Uneasy Rider.” Since then the CDB has populated radio with such memorable hits as “Long Haired Country Boy,” “The South’s Gonna Do It Again,” “In America,” “The Legend of Wooley Swamp” and, of course, his signature song, “The Devil Went Down to Georgia,” which won a Grammy for Best Country Vocal Performance by a Duo or Group in 1979 as well as single of the year at the Country Music Association Awards.
“I love what I do,” says Daniels of his 60+ years in the music business. “I look forward to entertaining people. When showtime gets here, I’m ready to go, ready to go play for them. It’s a labor of love. I just thank God I make a living at what I enjoy doing.”
Over the course of his career, Daniels has received numerous accolades, including his induction into the Country Music Hall of Fame, the Musicians Hall of Fame, and becoming a member of the Grand Ole Opry. He was presented the Pioneer Award by the Academy of Country Music and was honored as a BMI Icon in recognition of his songwriting. He also received a star on the Music City Walk of Fame.
Selling over 20 million records, Daniels’ induction into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2016 gave him a bookend to his memoir, “Never Look at the Empty Seats,” released on Oct. 24, 2017. The book includes stories about his life, career, experiences along the way, and a wee bit of advice to those who would like to pursue a career in music.
His current CD, “Memories, Memoirs & Miles: Songs of a Lifetime,” was released on Oct. 20, 2017 in conjunction with his autobiography. This album is perfect for listening along while reading his book, in which 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 always give them a show, and never look at the empty seats!”
