Joel 'Taz' DiGregorio Dead: Country Singer Killed In Car Crash

BY JOE EDWARDS, The Associated Press

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Country star Charlie Daniels says his longtime keyboardist and co-writer of "The Devil Went Down to Georgia" had his own musical personality.

Joel "Taz" DiGregorio, 67, was killed Wednesday night in a single-car accident on Interstate 40 west of Nashville while en route to Georgia for a Charlie Daniels Band concert that has since been canceled. He was alone when his car flipped going around a curve, Daniels said.

"He was an intricate part of our sound for 40 years," Daniels said Thursday in a telephone interview. "If you listened to our records, you could hear Taz all over them. He had a riff in `The Devil Went Down to Georgia' which was his idea."

Wearing an ever present cowboy hat and always to Daniels' right on stage, DiGregorio was a fixture of the band's rocking persona.

"He just fit in with our music for 40 years. It won't be easy without him," Daniels said.

The Charlie Daniels Band has canceled the concert Thursday in Cumming, Ga., and a show in Waterbury, Conn., on Saturday.

Daniels said he will resume performing next Friday and Saturday in Oklahoma with just five members.

"I won't replace him now," Daniels said. "I can't come to grips with replacing him right now, but I will."

DiGregorio is survived by his wife, two sons and two daughters. Funeral arrangements were incomplete.

"He just had a unique way," Daniels said. "We'll live with this and deal with it."

Listen to "The Devil Went Down to Georgia":

Comments

[Quaoar]

10:44 AM on 10/16/2011

RIP.
The Charlie Daniels Band were excellent performers, although I detest his right-wing politics.

[Nice Guy]

12:56 AM on 10/18/2011

Not a fan of the truth eh?

[Quaoar]

07:01 AM on 10/18/2011

Right wingers can't handle the truth.

[ZenSufi]

10:39 PM on 10/15/2011

Georgia is too hot for the devil.

RIP Taz.

[donnyraindog]

08:15 AM on 10/15/2011

Saw The Charlie Daniels Band numerous times in the late 70s early 80s and they were a lot of fun. It seems a shame that ol' charlie has become a" get of my lawn" cranky old timer over the last few years.

[CarlIII]

10:11 PM on 10/14/2011

Sorry to hear about anybody's death. But Charlie Daniels S.U.C.K.S and so does that stupid song. He's just another S.H.I.T kickkker .

[jcnspots]

06:08 AM on 10/15/2011

"If you can't say anything nice...." Taz was a helluva keyboardist and WILL be missed. And I suppose YOU can play a fiddle (violin for yankees) 1/10 as well as Charlie Daniels can?

[Nice Guy]

12:54 AM on 10/18/2011

And you are a heartless sob who will NEVER contribute to society as Mr Daniels has. He has given thousands of dollars to the Wounded Warriors Project, The Angelus among many other children's charities, 911 survivors, and charities too long to list. Charlie, Taz and The CDB have been to Iraq 3 times to give guitars to our troops, and to entertain them. He gives freely of his time, absolutely loves everybody and is loved back. Charlie and Taz are excellent musicians, known well for more than just a few hit songs. When you do something usefull for society, holla back. Until then, enjoy a nice big glass of Shut The Hell Up!

[CarlIII]

10:23 AM on 10/18/2011

I don't like him or his music or anything about him. He hates my president.

[makemesmile]

08:31 PM on 10/14/2011

I heard the Charlie Daniels' band practicing at the Oakland Auditorium years ago and their music was really great.