Charley Pride

Charley Pride rose to prominence as one of country music's standout figures from the late 1960s into the mid-1980s, thanks to his warm, powerful baritone and a distinctive phrasing style that lent his work an authentic, relatable quality. He felt most comfortable delivering straightforward tales of romance and daily existence, supported by melodic backings that highlighted his vocals, and during his prime span from 1966 to 1983 he collected 36 number one country singles along with 12 gold albums. For several years he ranked as RCA Records' second-highest-selling artist behind only Elvis Presley, and he kept drawing crowds on the road long after his classic approach no longer dominated country airplay. His early breakthrough carried added weight because he became the first African-American performer to reach major stardom in the field. Amid the charged racial climate of the mid-'60s through the '70s, he showed that Black artists could succeed on the Nashville charts, and he maintained the strongest track record of sustained achievement among African-American country acts across his career.

Born on a cotton farm in Sledge, Mississippi, where his father worked as a sharecropper, Pride purchased a guitar from Sears Roebuck at age 14 and learned to play by absorbing country broadcasts. Two years afterward he shifted focus to baseball, joining the Memphis Red Sox of the Negro American League. Following two seasons on the diamond he entered the U.S. Army for a two-year stint. After discharge he planned to resume playing ball yet suffered arm injuries that ended those hopes. Settling into construction work in Helena, Montana, he continued in the minors until a 1961 tryout with the California Angels proved unsuccessful; the New York Mets likewise passed on him the next year.

Once his baseball prospects faded, Pride concentrated on music. In 1963 he performed "Lovesick Blues" for Red Foley and Red Sovine behind the scenes at one of Sovine's shows. The two veterans encouraged him to head for Nashville. Though initial attempts to gain entry there stalled, Foley, Sovine, and Webb Pierce continued recommending him, ultimately helping him obtain management with Jack Johnson. Johnson introduced Pride to producer Jack Clement, who forwarded a demo to Chet Atkins at RCA; the label signed him in 1966. His first single, "The Snakes Crawl at Night," appeared later that year without a photo on the promotional materials because executives worried about programmer acceptance of a Black country singer. Both that track and the follow-up "Before I Met You" found modest listeners, yet "Just Between You and Me" launched his stardom. Issued near the close of 1966, the song rose to number nine and initiated a near-continuous run of Top Ten hits that lasted until 1984; of the 54 singles released in those 18 years, just three missed the Top Ten.

Though critics lauded "Just Between You and Me" and it earned a Grammy, pockets of resistance to a Black performer lingered among some country fans. Still, the steady caliber of his recordings and backing from fellow artists helped clear a path. On January 7, 1967, he became the first Black musician to appear on the Grand Ole Opry since DeFord Bailey in 1925. His profile climbed steadily over the next two years, and from 1969 to 1971 he scored six consecutive number one singles: "All I Have to Offer You (Is Me)," "I'm So Afraid of Losing You Again," "(Is Anybody Going To) San Antone," "Wonder Could I Live There Anymore," "I Can't Believe That You've Stopped Loving Me," and "I'd Rather Love You." Each also registered on the lower reaches of the pop charts, underscoring his smooth crossover appeal. "Let Me Live," drawn from the gospel set Did You Think to Pray?, interrupted his number one streak in spring 1971 yet captured a Grammy for Best Gospel Performance. Immediately afterward came two major successes, "I'm Just Me" and "Kiss an Angel Good Mornin'," which extended his reach on both country and pop surveys.

Pride kept placing high on the country charts through the '70s, notching further number ones such as "It's Gonna Take a Little Bit Longer" (1972), "She's Too Good to Be True" (1972), "A Shoulder to Cry On" (1973), "Then Who Am I" (1975), "She's Just an Old Love Turned Memory" (1977), and "Where Do I Put Her Memory." He stayed true to his country-pop approach while championing newer talents and writers including Ronnie Milsap, Gary Stewart, and Kris Kristofferson. Hits continued into the early '80s with "Honky Tonk Blues" (1980), "Mountain of Love" (1982), "You're So Good When You're Bad" (1982), and "Night Games" (1983). Growing dissatisfied with RCA's emphasis on newer acts over established names, he departed the label at the end of 1986 and moved to Opryland's 16th Avenue imprint, reuniting with longtime producer Jerry Bradley.

Several modest successes followed, among them the 1988 number five single "Shouldn't It Be Easier Than This," before the label folded. In the early '90s he joined Honest Entertainment and issued My 6 Latest & 6 Greatest, which featured collaborations with Marty Stuart and Travis Tritt. Radio exposure diminished, yet he remained a strong concert draw, often supported onstage by his son Dion Pride on lead guitar. The Academy of Country Music bestowed its Pioneer Award on him in 1994. He continued selective recording into the 21st century, releasing Choices in 2011 and Music in My Heart in 2018.

In November 2020 the Country Music Association honored Pride with the Willie Nelson Lifetime Achievement Award; the organization's head stated, "Charley Pride is the epitome of a trailblazer." During the CMA Awards telecast he performed "Kiss an Angel Good Mornin'" as a duet with Jimmie Allen. That appearance marked his final major public outing; he passed away in Dallas on December 12 from complications of the COVID-19 virus at age 86.