![Remember When Charlie Daniels Played at a Democrat’s Inauguration?](https://townsquare.media/site/204/files/2019/05/charlie-daniels-fundraiser-jimmy-carter.jpg?w=980&q=75)
Remember When Charlie Daniels Played at a Democrat’s Inauguration?
Charlie Daniels didn't exactly hide his conservative Republican political and social views, but did you know he once headlined a fundraiser for a Democratic presidential candidate? He even performed at the inauguration.
The year was 1976, and Georgia Governor Jimmy Carter was running for president against Gerald Ford, who had assumed the presidency after Richard Nixon resigned from office in August of 1974. Though he was not well-known nationally before announcing his candidacy, Carter's plainspoken honesty provided a sharp contrast for American voters who were still reeling from the multiple scandals of the Watergate era, and he conducted an unusually grassroots campaign that found support from a range of voters who might not have normally backed a Democrat.
Daniels and his Charlie Daniels Band headlined a benefit for Carter in Nashville in May of 1976, drawing 11,000 people. When Carter ended up winning the presidency, Daniels also performed at his inaugural ceremony on Jan, 20, 1977, and though he was later a very staunch and outspoken supporter of Republican politics, he still believed in the choice he made then.
"Jimmy Carter is a good man," Daniels told Nashville's Tennessean newspaper in 2014. "He came along, a fresh-faced young man out of Georgia, and he spoke plainly, saying, 'I never will tell you a lie.' I don't think he ever did tell us a lie. I voted for Carter the second time, too. He wasn't part of the establishment. The town of Washington ate him alive."
Country Music's Most Political Artists:
More From 92.5 The Ranch
![Aaron Watson & Montgomery Gentry To Play Back To School Bash in Texas](http://townsquare.media/site/145/files/2024/06/attachment-Untitled-design-56.jpg?w=980&q=75)
![Potosi Live Welcomes Lubbock’s Pecos & The Rooftops To Abilene On July 26th](http://townsquare.media/site/145/files/2024/07/attachment-Untitled-design-64.jpg?w=980&q=75)
![Texas Country Star Wade Bowen To Rock Potosi Live This Friday](http://townsquare.media/site/145/files/2024/05/attachment-GettyImages-1819513084.jpg?w=980&q=75)
![Win Tickets to Koe Wetzel & Kolby Cooper at Abilene’s Taylor County Expo](http://townsquare.media/site/145/files/2024/04/attachment-GettyImages-2153190228.jpg?w=980&q=75)
![Healing For Hawley Benefit To Help Tornado Victims At Potosi Live Tonight](http://townsquare.media/site/145/files/2024/05/attachment-HEALING-FOR-HAWLEY-1.jpg?w=980&q=75)
![Win Tickets to See Mike Ryan Perform At Lime Rock In Tuscola](http://townsquare.media/site/145/files/2024/06/attachment-Untitled-design-52.jpg?w=980&q=75)
![It’s National DJ Month, and Abilene Has a Winning Trifecta](http://townsquare.media/site/145/files/2024/05/attachment-Chaz-Rudy-Brad-e1717098297133.jpg?w=980&q=75)
![That Time This Texan Hobnobbed With Stevie Nicks](http://townsquare.media/site/145/files/2024/05/attachment-Nicks-pix-3.jpg?w=980&q=75)
![Discover Potosi Live: Your Go-To Venue For Live Entertainment In Texas](http://townsquare.media/site/114/files/2022/01/attachment-potosi-live-concert.jpg?w=980&q=75)