The Charlie Daniels Band comes to Penn’s Peak Friday. They’ll be joined by the Outlaws. Show time is 8 p.m.

From his Dove Award-winning gospel albums to his genre-defining Southern rock anthems and his CMA Award-winning country hits, few artists have left a more indelible mark on America’s musical landscape than Daniels.

An outspoken patriot, beloved mentor to young artists and still a road warrior at age 80, Daniels has parlayed his passion for music into a multiplatinum career and a platform to support the military, underprivileged children and others in need.

Raised in North Carolina, Daniels began his career playing bluegrass music with the Misty Mountain Boys. After moving to Nashville in 1967, he made a name for himself as a songwriter, session musician and producer. Elvis Presley recorded a tune Daniels co-wrote titled “It Hurts Me,” which was released on the flip side of “Kissin’ Cousins.”

His own unique voice as an artist emerged as Daniels recorded his self-titled solo album in 1970 for Capitol Records. Two years later he formed the Charlie Daniels Band and the group scored its first hit with the top 10 “Uneasy Rider.”

Since then the band has populated radio with such memorable hits as “Long Haired Country Boy,” “The South’s Gonna Do It Again,” “In America,” “The Legend of Wooley Swamp” and of course, his signature song, “The Devil Went Down to Georgia,” which won a Grammy for Best Country Vocal Performance by a Duo or Group in 1979, as well as single of the year at the Country Music Association Awards.

The band performed more than 100 concert dates last year, including performances on the Grand Ole Opry, and has been keeping up with another full concert schedule this year.

“I love what I do,” said Daniels of his 60-plus years in the music business. “I look forward to entertaining people. When show time gets here, I’m ready to go, ready to go play for them. It’s a labor of love. I just thank God I make a living at what I enjoy doing.”

The Outlaws

For The Outlaws, it was always about the music. For 40 years, the Southern Rock legends celebrated triumphs, endured tragedies and survived legal nightmares to remain one of the most influential and best-loved bands of the genre.

Now The Outlaws return with new music, new focus and an uncompromising new mission: It’s about a band of brothers bound together by history, harmony and the road. It’s about a group that respects its own legacy while refusing to be defined by its past. But most of all, it’s about pride.

“It’s About Pride” is the latest album from The Outlaws, a record four years in the making and perhaps 20 or more in the waiting. And for original Outlaws singer/songwriter/guitarist Henry Paul, it’s a hard-fought revival whose success can be measured in old fans and new music.

“Because The Outlaws have been out of the public eye for so long, it’s almost like starting over,” he said. “But because of the band’s history, we’re seeing this as a new chapter. We’ve written and recorded this album on our own terms, and we’re out to make a significant impression. What our fans loved the, they still love now, because we are just as good or even better than we were. Most of all, they recognize the heart of what it is we still do.”

For The Outlaws, it’s still about the music. And now more than ever, it’s about pride.

Tickets are available at all Ticketmaster outlets, the Penn’s Peak Box Office and Roadies Restaurant and Bar. For more information on Penn’s Peak, go to www.pennspeak.com or call 866-605-7325.