Charlie Daniels once shared the nine words that instilled him with confidence and encouragement that changed his life forever.
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The late singer (2020) once sat down with Dan Rather on AXS TV, where he talked about his early days and doing a session with Bob Dylan. Daniels was a big fan of Bob Dylan, so he jumped at the chance to work with him.
The singer moved to Nashville in 1967 after his friend, Bob Johnston, asked him to. He'd always wanted to live in Nashville, so didn't need much convincing.
He knew he was a "low man on the totem pole" in Nashville, which is what made Bob Dylan's shining compliment that much more impactful. But we'll get there when we get there.
"In 1969, Bob Dylan came to town to do Nashville Skyline," and Daniels had the opportunity to play alongside him for a session. Being a huge admirer, he could hardly refuse, so he agreed to do one session.
And right after performing with Bob Dylan, the legendary singer paid Charlie Daniels a huge compliment.
How Bob Dylan Gave Charlie Daniels The Boost He Needed
"And when I got finished, I was packing my instruments up to leave and Bob Dylan asked Bob Johnson. He said, 'Where's he going?' And he said, 'He's leaving. I got another guitar player coming.'"
That's when Bob Dylan said, "I don't want another guitar player. I want him."
Imagine hearing that from someone like Bob Dylan.
"Those nine words meant more to me and were such a shot in the arm to me and such an encouragement to me, 'cause I'd had hit some, you know, pretty hard licks since I'd been here trying to compete, and Nashville is a really competitive town," Daniels explained.
"It was really encouraging, and of course it made me that much bigger fan."
This experience left Charlie Daniels feeling encouraged and inspired. He and his band would later go on to make the Bob Dylan tribute album, and I can't help but think it was a natural follow-up to his kind words.
