William Micheal Morgan comments on the passing of one of his heroes: Charlie Daniels

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Country music legend and patriot Charlie Daniels passed away Monday morning of a hemorrhagic stroke according to CMT. He was 83.

Daniels was known worldwide for his string of hits that included “Long Haired Country Boy,” “Uneasy Rider” and “Simple Man.”

But he was best known for his 1979 smash hit “The Devil Went Down to Georgia,” which won a Grammy and a Country Music Association award for single of the year. The song was featured in the cult country classic movie “Urban Cowboy.”

Daniels was a devout Christian, and he also had several award-winning gospel recordings.

His work as a patriot took him around the world numerous times entertaining the troops. Daniels nonprofit foundation, “The Journey Home Project,” funded veteran-related projects.

“My respect for anybody that puts that uniform on knows no bounds,” he said in 2019, “and I pay gratitude to those people.”

Vicksburg native William Michael Morgan was in Nashville Monday and spoke briefly about his relationship with Daniels.

“I met Charlie at the Opry for the first time,” Morgan said. “He was a hero of mine, a voice of wisdom and peace in a time such as this. He will be dearly missed by the country community. Sad to see he’s gone.”