Volunteer Jam

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The Volunteer Jam is a sporadically-held concert series headlined by the

.

Over the years, guests have included

of performances from the late 1970s and early 1980s at the Volunteer Jam shows. Later Volunteer Jams became benefits for Daniels' charity, the Journey Home Project, for soldiers.

History

Volunteer Jam I

October 4, 1974
The very first Volunteer Jam concert was held at War Memorial Auditorium in Nashville. The show was scheduled as a live recording session for two songs for the Fire on the Mountain album, "No Place to Go" and "Orange Blossom Special." The CDB invited some of their friends - Dickey Betts from the Allman Brothers Band and Toy Caldwell, Jerry Eubanks and Paul Riddle from the Marshall Tucker Band - to get together and jam after their set. A tradition was born. "Ain't it good to be alive, and be in Tennessee!" - Charlie Daniels, 1974

Volunteer Jam II

September 12, 1975
Officially known as "Volunteer Jam '75," the second Jam was held at the Murphy Center in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. Special guests included The Marshall Tucker Band, Dickey Betts and Chuck Leavell from the Allman Brothers Band, Jimmy Hall from Wet Willie and Dru Lombar from Grinderswitch. The concert was filmed and released as Volunteer Jam - Starring The Charlie Daniels Band, the first full-length Southern rock motion picture.

Volunteer Jam III

January 8, 1977
Volunteer Jam III was held at

and others. Performances from this Jam were combined with performances from VolJam IV to create a live album, Volunteer Jam III and IV.

Volunteer Jam IV

January 14, 1978
Volunteer Jam IV was held again at Municipal Auditorium in Nashville. Special guests included The Winters Brothers Band, Grinderswitch, Wet Willie, Sea Level, The Sanford-Townsend Band and others. Performances from this Jam were combined with performances from VolJam III to create a live album, Volunteer Jam III and IV.

Volunteer Jam V

January 13, 1979
Volunteer Jam V was held again at Municipal Auditorium in Nashville. This Jam marked the return of

.

Volunteer Jam VI

January 12, 1980
Volunteer Jam VI was held again at Municipal Auditorium in Nashville. Special guests included The Winters Brothers Band, Dobie Gray, Grinderswitch, Papa John Creach, The Henry Paul Band, Rufus Thomas, Crystal Gayle, Wet Willie, Bobby Jones & New Life, Louisiana's LeRoux, Ted Nugent and others.

Volunteer Jam VII

January 17, 1981
Volunteer Jam VII was held again at Municipal Auditorium in Nashville. The CDB's special guests included Ted Nugent, Dobie Gray, Molly Hatchet, Delbert McClinton, Crystal Gayle, Bobby Bare, Jimmy Hall from Wet Willie and others.

Volunteer Jam VIII

January 30, 1982
Volunteer Jam VIII was held again at Municipal Auditorium in Nashville. Special guests included Johnny Lee, George Thorogood, Crystal Gayle, Quarterflash, The Oak Ridge Boys, Dickey Betts, Jimmy C. Newman, Duane Eddy, Roy Acuff and others.

Volunteer Jam IX

January 22, 1983
Volunteer Jam IX was held again at Municipal Auditorium in Nashville. The CDB's special guests included James Brown, Carl Perkins, Betts, Hall, Leavell and Trucks, Grinderswitch, Quarterflash, Johnny Lee, The Winters Brothers Band, Papa John Creach, Woody Herman, Streets, and others.

Volunteer Jam X

February 4, 1984
Volunteer Jam X was held again at Municipal Auditorium in Nashville. Special guests included

, Tammy Wynette and others.

Volunteer Jam XI

February 2, 1985
Volunteer Jam XI was held again at Municipal Auditorium in Nashville. Special guests included Kris Kristofferson, Tom Wopat, Little Richard, Nicolette Larson, Alabama, Ted Nugent, Bill Medley from The Righteous Brothers, Tommy Shaw from Styx, Lacy J. Dalton, Gail Davies, Eddy Raven, Emmylou Harris, Amy Grant, and others.

Volunteer Jam XII

July 12, 1986
Volunteer Jam XII was held at the then-new

and others.

Volunteer Jam XIII

September 6, 1987
Volunteer Jam XIII was held again at Starwood Amphitheatre in Nashville. Special guests included William Lee Golden, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Gary Chapman, Great White and others including Lynyrd Skynyrd. It was Johnny Van Zant's first appearance as Skynyrd frontman, replacing his brother, Ronnie, who died in a 1977 plane crash. The Jam also coincided with the Jerry Lewis Labor Day Telethon, and some of the Jam performances were broadcast on the program.

Volunteer Jam XIV

May 4, 1991
Volunteer Jam XIV was held again at Starwood Amphitheatre in Nashville. Special guests included

.

Volunteer Jam XV

September 20, 1992
Volunteer Jam XV was held again at Starwood Amphitheatre in Nashville. Special guests included

, and others.

Volunteer Jam XVI

October 29, 1996
The last of the original Jams, Volunteer Jam XVI, was held at the

BlackHawk

.

Volunteer Jam XVII (Volunteer Jam Colorado)

May 24, 2014
An unofficial Volunteer Jam concert was held at

.

Volunteer Jam XVIII (40th Anniversary Volunteer Jam)

August 12, 2015
The CDB celebrated the 40th anniversary of the Volunteer Jam with an all-star lineup at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville. Artists scheduled to perform included Travis Tritt, Montgomery Gentry, Billy Ray Cyrus, The Kentucky Headhunters, The Outlaws, Lee Roy Parnell, Trace Adkins, Colt Ford, Tracy Lawrence, Craig Morgan, Ted Nugent, The Oak Ridge Boys and Michael W. Smith.

Volunteer Jam XIX (Charlie Daniels 80th Birthday Volunteer Jam)

November 30, 2016
Daniels celebrated his 80th birthday with a Volunteer Jam on November 30, 2016, with special guests

.

Volunteer Jam XX: A Tribute to Charlie

March 7, 2018
"Volunteer Jam XX: A Tribute to Charlie" included the CDB,

and Travis Tritt. Was recorded for broadcast on AXS TV, as well as DVD/CD releases.

Volunteer Jam XXI: A Musical Salute to Charlie Daniels

August 18, 2021
"Volunteer Jam XXI: A Musical Salute to Charlie Daniels." Organised by David Corlew (Daniels' business manager), the first event after his July 6, 2020 death is a benefit for Daniels' charity The Journey Home Project. The event featured the surviving members of the CDB in addition to Alabama, The Marshall Tucker Band, Ricky Skaggs, The Gatlin Brothers, Chris Young, Randy Travis, Travis Tritt, Lorrie Morgan, Exile, Michael W. Smith, Big & Rich, Anthony Castagna, CeCe Winans, Gretchen Wilson, 38 Special, The Allman Betts Band, Cedric Burnside, Jenny Tolman, the Atlanta Rhythm Section, Travis Denning, Johnny Lee, Rhett Akins, Scooter Brown Band, The SteelDrivers, Pure Prairie League and comedian Dusty Slay. SiriusXM‘s Storme Warren hosted.

See also

• The Warren Haynes Christmas Jam

External links

• Volunteer Jam - Volunteer Jam page, with memorabilia from past Nashville Tennessee Volunteer Jam concerts
• Volunteer Jam XX - Official page for the Volunteer Jam XX show.
• Charlie Daniels Volunteer Jam - Official Page for all Volunteer Jams
• 2018 Volunteer Jam Lineup - Charlie Daniels' 2018 Volunteer Jam Lineup Announced - Rolling Stone