The singer-songwriter and guitarist Charley Pride is one of the best-loved of all country artists, and a hero to African-Americans for his determination to break down the barriers of racial discrimination. Pride contrasted the standard country themes of loving and losing with uplifting gospel messages. His smooth baritone vocals and fondness for the “classic” country sound made him hugely popular; at the height of his career, Pride was second only to Elvis PRESLEY in his record sales for RCA.
Charley Pride was born on March 18, 1938, in the northwest Mississippi town of Sledge, where his family were sharecroppers on a cotton farm. One of 11 children, he listened to country music on the radio and was drawn to the songs and style of Hank WILLIAMS. He bought his first guitar from the Sears Roebuck catalogue, playing it through his teenage years. At age 16, he played baseball for the Detroit Eagles and the Memphis Red Sox in the Negro American League. By I960 he was playing semi-pro, but his failure to reach the Major Leagues turned his attention back to music.
Paying his dues in small clubs and bars throughout the early 1960s, Pride refined his rich baritone and sharpened his stage performance. A backstage meeting with country star Red Sovine found Charley singing Hank Williams’ “Lovesick Blues,” and being encouraged by Sovine and Red Foley to try his luck in Nashville. And so it was that in 1966 the producer Chet ATKINS signed “Country Charley Pride” to RCA. Pride soon released his first single, “The Snakes that Crawl at Night.”
Pride’s third single, “Just Between You and Me,” broke the Top 10, and his 1967 remake of Hank Williams’ “Kaw-Liga” crossed over from the top of the country to the U.S. pop charts, beginning a streak of six consecutive No. 1 country hits. Keeping a low profile while releasing his first few records, Pride became a runaway success on radio before audiences ever knew he was African-American, and subsequently caused a stir in the white-dominated country music industry. The wisdom of hard labour was etched into his voice, and his sincerity won legions of fans. In 1967 Pride debuted at the Grand Ole Opry. He was well received by the audience, and he became one of the country show’s most popular performers.
In the early 1970s, Pride’s career took off in earnest as he scored U.S. Top 10 hits with “I Know One” and “Does My Ring Hurt Your Finger.” Meanwhile a series of gold albums—including From Me to You (1971), The Best Of, Volume Two (1972), and The Sensational (1973)—cemented his place in country music history as he expanded his audience through regular television appearances. A 1971 gospel record, Did You Think to Pray, earned Pride his first two Grammy Awards.
Pride’s best-known hit, “Kiss an Angel Good Morning” (1971) led to a series of chart-toppers, including “It’s Gonna Take a Little Time,” “She’s Too Good to Be True,” and Merle HAGGARD’S “A Shoulder to Cry On.” In 1972 Pride collaborated with Henry Mancini on “All His Children,” which was featured in the movie adaptation of Ken Kesey’s Sometimes a Great Notion. In 1977 he enlisted backing vocalists Dave and Sugar for a series of love song hits, including “I’ll Be Leaving Alone” and “Someone Loves You Honey.” Two Hank Williams originals, “Honky Tonk Blues” and “You Win Again,” emerged from a tribute album to provide two more U.S. No. 1 hits for Pride in 1980, with ten more Top 10 hits over the next three years.
Pride continues to perform in concert, and in 1994 the Academy of Country Music honoured him with its prestigious Pioneer Award, in tribute to his triumph over prejudice and his many accomplishments as a recording and performing artist.
Todd Denton
SEE ALSO:
CASH, JOHNNY; COUNTRY; JENNINGS, WAYLON.
FURTHER READING
Pride, Charley, with Jim Henderson. Pride: The Charley Pride Story (New York: W. Morrow, 1994); Zanderbergen, G. Nashville Music: … Charley Pride (Mankato, MN: Crestwood House, 1976).
SUGGESTED LISTENING
Essential, Moody Woman; Night Games.