LIBERTY, Ky. (LEX 18) — If someone was looking for a soul to steal, Jerry Tucker knows they got a real good one in Charlie Daniels.
"He was like my big brother. He was always there for us. Always," Tucker said of the Country Music Hall of Famer.
Daniels passed away on Monday, and country music fans across the country are mourning the loss. But in Casey County, it's being felt just a little bit harder.
Decades ago, Daniels took an interest in Jerry and Sandy Tucker's Galilean Home, which houses and cares for underprivileged children and adults, many of whom were born with physical and mental challenges. The home relies entirely on donations, and Daniels was as good at giving as he was with a fiddle.
#charliedaniels was a true friend to Kentucky’s Galilean Home in Casey Co. The director there tells us why @LEX18News 5:30. pic.twitter.com/pbuGhOULev
— Michael Berk (@LEX18_Michael) July 7, 2020
"He did everything he could for us and was always there when we were in trouble financially," Tucker said.
But to those Galilean Home residents who either don't know or don't care how the ends are met here, Daniels was so much more than just a check.
"Uncle Charlie! Everybody knew him as Uncle Charlie," said Tucker. Tucker would often take a handful of the residents to see Daniels in concert whenever the band was within a short drive of their campus. Daniels also visited the Casey County facility on occasion.
"He was an example for me in everything he did," said Tucker while adding, "...we're going to miss him. I already do."
