The Journey Home Project, a nonprofit founded by the late Charlie Daniels that supports veterans in their return, rehabilitation and reintegration back into civilian life, will forge ahead as The Charlie Daniels Journey Home Project (TCDJHP).
Charlie, who passed away on July 6, 2020, at age 83, co-founded The Journey Home Project in 2014 with his longtime manager David Corlew and served as its chairman. Charlie’s wife of 55 years, Hazel, has joined TCDJHP as its newest board member.
“Even though Charlie has passed, we will continue his legacy and stay on mission,” says Corlew. “As we all know, the men and women that have and continue to serve our country were so important to him. Our goals are to always support the Charlie and Hazel Daniels Center at MTSU [Middle Tennessee State University], as well as our suicide prevention programs and the process of reintegrating and transitioning these great Americans back to a productive and rewarding life.”
In the coming weeks, the organization is planning to announce this year’s Charlie Daniels Patriot Award recipient. Past recipients include Chris Young, William Horton and Judy Seale.
Over the course of his 60-plus-year career, Charlie received numerous accolades, including induction into the Country Music Hall of Fame (2016) and the Musicians Hall of Fame (2009), as well as becoming a member of the Grand Ole Opry (2008). As the fiddle-playing frontman of the Charlie Daniels Band, Charlie scored a number of Top 20 singles, including “Drinkin’ My Baby Goodbye,” “Boogie Woogie Fiddle Country Blues,” “In America,” and “The Devil Went Down to Georgia,” which topped the charts in 1979.
