Charlie-Daniels-Posthumously-Bestowed-Pandora-Billionaire-Award

Charlie Daniels Posthumously Bestowed ‘Pandora Billionaire Award’

 Charlie Daniels passed away in July of 2020. However, his status as an icon of southern rock and country music lives on. Last week, Pandora recognized Daniels with their Billionaire Award during the 2021 Volunteer Jam. That award celebrates one billion streams on the platform.

The Volunteer Jam, traditionally headlined by The Charlie Daniels Band, was a bit different this year. This year’s event was a musical tribute to the late legend. So, it was the perfect time to honor the musical icon with an award.

The Daniels Family On The Billionaire Award

The Daniels family was unaware of the award. As a result, Charlie’s widow, Hazel, and his son, Charlie Daniels Jr. were taken off guard when Doug Gray invited them to join him on stage for the presentation. Gray is the lead singer of The Marshall Tucker Band. The two bands were not only contemporaries in the country and southern rock worlds. They were also longtime friends.  

 “Let’s cry together,” Gray told Hazel and Charlie Jr. during the emotional presentation.

About the event, Charlie Daniels’ widow said, “This special award and the entire night brought tears to my eyes, to see how much his fans love him, because he loved them, too.” She added that she wished everyone could have fans as loyal as her late husband’s.

 Charlie Daniels Jr. was also deeply moved by the turnout for the show as well as the award. He said that it was, “an exciting, uplifting, and emotional night.” However, the Billionaire Award was one of the highlights of the Volunteer Jam for him. About the posthumous honor, he said, “For an artist whose main success was when record sales were measured by gold and platinum albums and decades before the advent of streaming to reach that milestone, this is a real testament to dad’s legacy and to his millions of fans who continue to listen to his music.”

What Does The Billionaire Award Mean For Charlie Daniels?

For one, it is a huge achievement for an artist, living or dead. One billion is a hard number to truly comprehend. However, for a group like the Charlie Daniels Band, it shows that their legacy is strong and will most likely outlive each of the band’s members.

Additionally, it means that the Charlie Daniels Band’s music will find a home among other “Billionaires,” on Pandora. You can now tune into the streaming service’s Country Billionaires station and hear hits like “The Devil Went Down to Georgia,” and “In America.”

Charlie Daniels is in good company on the Pandora Country Billionaires station. Artists on that list include Chris Stapleton, John Pardi, Miranda Lambert, Justin Moore, and a handful of other great country acts.