Charlie Daniels Dies At 83; Star Was Scheduled To Play At Rialto

JOLIET, IL — Two months shy of his sellout performance at downtown Joliet's Rialto Square Theatre, musician Charlie Daniels has died following a stroke, representatives announced Monday.

The Tennessean reported that Daniels died Monday morning following a hemorrhagic stroke. He was 83. His death was confirmed by his publicist, Don Murry Grubbs, the newspaper said.

In January, Joliet Patch reported that The Charlie Daniels Band and The Marshall Tucker Band were teaming up as part of their "Fire on the Mountain" tour. The tour will include a show at Joliet's Rialto Square Theatre at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Sept. 11. The tour title is a nod to The Marshall Tucker Band's 1978 hit song, "Fire on the Mountain," as well as The Charlie Daniels Band's 1974 platinum-selling album of the same name.

Although Daniels' concert remains on the Rialto schedule for Sept. 11, the Rialto has not held any concerts inside its 1926-era performing arts center since the new coronavirus outbreak began spreading across Illinois in March.

One of the final Rialto concerts held in March featured country music star Joe Diffie, who died a few weeks later after contracting the new coronavirus.