See Charlie Daniels’ Final Interview on FOX Nation’s ‘The Pursuit!’

The country legend sat down with John Rich just a few weeks before his death.

Written by Chris Parton
See Charlie Daniels’ Final Interview on FOX Nation’s ‘The Pursuit!’
Charlie Daniels and John Rich; Photo credit: FOX Nation’s The Pursuit! With John Rich

While the country music community mourns the loss of the legendary Charlie Daniels, who passed away July 6 at the age of 83 after suffering a stroke, the fiddle-sawing icon has left fans with a few parting words of wisdom.

Just before his death, Daniels sat for his final on-camera interview on FOX Nation’s The Pursuit! With John Rich, discussing everything from the COVID-19 pandemic to his enduring faith with the fellow country artist.

The interview took place on June 16 at Daniels’ home outside Nashville, and is set to air for the first time today (July 10). It finds Daniels being his usual outspoken-but-heartfelt self, talking about the inner strength which has got him through so much in his career, and how it may help pull people through a global emergency. He notes that musicians will be some of the last to get back to work, due to the nature of concerts.

“My motto nowadays is, we try to walk by faith and not by sight,” he tells Rich.

Daniels goes on to talk about his earliest days playing guitar, and shares a revealing story about racial attitudes in the South at the beginning of his career. And ultimately, he opens up about what one of America’s greatest tenants means to him — the pursuit of happiness.

“Freedom and pursuit of happiness go hand in hand together,” Daniels says. “Freedom to worship anyway you want to. Freedom to go anywhere you want to, do anything you want to, to say anything you want to. Right, wrong, indifferent, whatever. People don’t have to listen to you, but you’ve got a right to say it.

“That’s the pursuit of happiness,” he goes on. “Being the person to reach your potential and be the person that God designed you that you could reach your potential to be. That, to me, is the pursuit of happiness. God, family, country, work. That’s my four principles.”

Daniels’ funeral takes place today (July 10) in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. It will be televised and feature performances from Travis Tritt, Vince Gill, Gretchen Wilson and Trace Adkins.