Raymond Hoser

Charley Pride

Charley Frank Pride (born March 18, 1938) is a country music artist. During his career, he has had thirty-six number-one hits on the Billboard Hot Country Songs charts. He is one of the few African-American country musicians to have had considerable success in the largely white country music industry and the only one to be inducted into the Grand Ole Opry.

Early life and career

Pride was born in Sledge, Mississippi, one of eleven children of poor sharecroppers. His father named him "Charl Frank Pride", but because of a typing error on his birth certificate, he was legally born as Charley Frank Pride. In his early teens, Pride began to play the guitar.

Though he also loved music, one of Pride's life-long dreams was to become a professional baseball player. In 1952, he pitched for the Memphis Red Sox of the Negro American League. He pitched well, and, in 1953, he signed a contract with the Boise Yankees, the Class C farm team of the New York Yankees. During that season, an injury caused him to lose the "mustard" on his fastball, and he was sent down to the Yankees' Class D team in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin. Later on that season, while back in the Negro Leagues with the Louisville Clippers, he and another player (Jesse Mitchell), were traded to the Birmingham Black Barons for a team bus. "Jesse and I may have the distinction of being the only players in history to be traded for a used motor vehicle," Pride mused in his 1994 autobiography.[1]

He pitched for several other minor league teams, his hopes of eventually making it to the big leagues still alive. Pride appeared to be on his way to a career in baseball, but the U.S. Army had other plans for him. After serving two years in the military, he tried to return to baseball.[2] Though hindered by an injury to his throwing arm, Pride briefly played for the Missoula Timberjacks of the Pioneer League (a farm club of the Cincinnati Reds) in 1960, and had tryouts with the New York Mets and California Angels organizations. When it became apparent that he was not destined for greatness on the baseball diamond, Pride turned his attentions to pursuing a music career. [3]

On June 5, 2008, Charley, his brother, Mack "The Knife" Pride, and 28 other former living Negro League players were "drafted" by each of the 30 Major League Baseball teams in a recognition of the on-field achievements and historical relevance of 30 mostly forgotten Negro Leaguer stars. Charley was picked by the Texas Rangers while his brother was taken by the Colorado Rockies.

Rise to music fame

While he was still trying to make it in baseball, Pride had heard much encouragement to join the music business from country stars such as Red Sovine and Red Foley. Soon, he was working towards this career. In 1958, in Memphis, Tennessee, Pride visited Sun Studios and recorded some songs.[4] One song has survived on tape, and has been released in the United Kingdom as part of an LP-box. The song is a slow stroll in walking tempo called "Walkin' (the Stroll)." [5]

After struggling to get a contract with a record company, he finally caught the ear of record producer Chet Atkins. Atkins was the longtime producer of RCA Records, and made stars out of country singers like Jim Reeves, Skeeter Davis and others. Pride was signed to RCA in 1966. In 1966, he released his first single with RCA, "Snakes Crawl at Night". When the song was promoted to radio stations, the label called Pride "Country Charley Pride". At this time, country music was a white medium.

Soon after the release of "Snakes Crawl at Night", Pride released another single called "Before I Met You". Soon after, Pride's third single, "Just Between You and Me", was released. This song was what finally brought Pride success on the Country charts. The song reached #9.

Height of his career

The success of "Just Between You and Me" was enormous. He won a Grammy Award for the song the next year.

In 1967, he became the first black performer to appear at the Grand Ole Opry since harmonica player DeFord Bailey in 1925.[6] He also appeared in 1967 on the American Broadcasting Company's "The Lawrence Welk Show".[7] Between 1969 and 1971, he had six number-one hits. These hits were "All I Have to Offer You Is Me", "I'm So Afraid of Losing You Again", "I Can't Believe That You've Stopped Lovin' Me" and "I'd Rather Love You". All of these singles reached the lower region of the pop charts, showing the country/pop crossover sound that was reaching Country music in the 1960s and early 1970s, known as "Countrypolitan".

"Kiss an Angel Good Morning"

In 1971, he would release what would become his biggest hit and signature song. It was called "Kiss an Angel Good Morning", a million-selling crossover single that helped Pride land the Country Music Association's prestigious Entertainer of the Year award, as well as Top Male Vocalist, both in 1971. [8] He won the CMA's Top Male Vocalist award in 1972, as well. [9]

"Kiss an Angel Good Morning" not only made Pride a lot of money, but it is also one of his signature tunes. Besides being a country #1 in 1971, the song was also his first that reached the pop charts, reaching #21, and it went into the Top Ten of the Adult Contemporary charts.

Pride during the 1970s and 1980s

During the rest of the 1970s and into the 1980s, Charley Pride continued to rack up country music hits. Other Pride standards of the 1970s and 1980s include "Is Anybody Goin' To San Antone?", "Mississippi Cotton Picking Delta Town," "Someone Loves You, Honey," "When I Stop Leaving, I'll Be Gone," "Burgers and Fries", "I Don't Think She's In Love Anymore", "Roll On Mississippi", "Never Been So Loved In (All My Life)" and "You're So Good When You're Bad." Like many other country performers, he has paid tribute to Hank Williams, with top-sellers of Williams' classics "Kaw-Liga," "Honky Tonk Blues" and "You Win Again".

Pride has sold over 70 million records (singles, albums, compilation included).

He stayed with RCA Records until 1986. At that point, he grew angry over the fact that the record company began to promote newer artists and not older artists that had been with the company for many years. He moved on to 16th Avenue Records, where Pride bounced back with the #5 hit, "Shouldn't it be Easier Than This." He had a few minor hits with 16th Avenue, as well.

Charley Pride's lifelong passion for baseball continues; he has an annual tradition of joining the Texas Rangers for workouts during Spring Training. A big Rangers fan (Dallas has been his home for many years), Pride is often seen at their games.

In 2008, Pride received the Mississippi Arts Commission's lifetime achievement award during the organization's Governor's Awards for Excellence in the Arts.

Chronology

• December 1966 – Makes his debut on the Billboard magazine Hot Country Singles chart with "Just Between You and Me." The song would peak in the top 10 less than three months later; two earlier singles had failed to chart.
• August 9, 1969 – Scores his first Billboard No. 1 hit with "All I Have to Offer You Is Me."
• September 6, 1969 – Pride appears on national television on The Johnny Cash Show to perform a medley of Hank Williams songs with Cash. Pride's medley with Cash can be seen here.
• 1971 – Enjoys the biggest hit of his career with the million-seller "Kiss an Angel Good Mornin'." The song was his eighth No. 1 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart, and spent five weeks atop the chart.
• September 17, 1983 – Scores his 29th and final No. 1 hit on Billboard with "Night Games." He still remains sixth on the all-time list of most No. 1 hits on the Billboard country charts.
• 1950s, Pride lived in Helena, MT and played legion baseball for the Helena Smelterites.
• May 1, 1993 – Pride accepted an invitation to join the Grand Ole Opry, in the process becoming the first black Opry regular in the show's more than 70-year history.
• 1994 – Pride released his autobiography, Pride: The Charley Pride Story (published by William Morrow).
• June 1994 – Pride was honored by the Academy of Country Music with its prestigious Pioneer Award.
• January 1996 – Pride was honored with a Trumpet Award by Turner Broadcasting, marking outstanding African-American Achievement. His 1981 hit, "Roll On Mississippi", is considered the official song of his home state, a stretch of Mississippi highway was named for him and he headlined a special Christmas performance for President Bill Clinton and First Lady Hillary Clinton at the White House.
• July 1999 – Pride received his own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
• October 4, 2000 – Pride was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame. His name was announced by Brenda Lee.
• March 28, 2003 - Ranked #18 on CMT's 40 Greatest Men in Country Music.
• May 20, 2003 – Pride's album, Comfort of Her Wings, was released on Music City Records.
• November 7, 2006 – Pride's album, Pride & Joy: A Gospel Music Collection, was released on Music City Records.
• January 8, 2008 - Received the Mississippi Arts Commission's lifetime achievement award during the organization's Governor's Awards for Excellence in the Arts.

Famous quote

• "I don't have no skin hang-ups. I'm no color. I'm just Charley Pride, the man."

Discography

Main article: Charley Pride discography

Sources

• Country Music: The Rough Guide; Wolff, Kurt; Penguin Publishing
• Allmusic.com

See also

• Grand Ole Opry
• Inductees of the Country Music Hall of Fame (2000 inductee)

External links

• Official Website
• Record Label
• at the Country Music Hall of Fame
• at the Grand Ole Opry