Pride, Charley (1938-2020), was a popular country music singer. He recorded more than 35 number-one country hits. In 2000, Pride became the first African American elected to the Country Music Hall of Fame .
Charley Frank Pride was born on March 18, 1938, in Sledge, Mississippi. He taught himself to play guitar at age 14. In 1955 and 1956, Pride played professional baseball in the Negro American League . He served in the United States Army for two years before briefly playing minor league baseball in 1960. He tried out for several major league baseball teams in the early 1960’s but was not offered a position on any of them.
In 1963, the American country stars Red Sovine and Red Foley heard Pride sing. They suggested Pride come to Nashville , the center of the country music industry. In 1965, the American country star Chet Atkins , an executive with RCA Records, signed Pride to a recording contract.
At first, Pride was billed as “Country Charley Pride.” His first single, “Snakes Crawl at Night,” was released in 1966. Later that year, Pride’s single “Just Between You and Me” became a hit. His first album, Country Charley Pride (1966), was a best seller. In 1969, he had his first number-one country hit, “All I Have to Offer You (Is Me).” In 1971, his single “Kiss an Angel Good Morning” became a crossover hit with pop music audiences as well as country music fans. Pride’s other country hits include “Is Anybody Goin’ to San Antone” (1970), “Mountain of Love” (1982), and “Every Heart Should Have One” (1983).
Pride won numerous awards for his music, including the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2017 and the Country Music Association’s Lifetime Achievement Award in 2020. His memoir, Pride: The Charley Pride Story, was published in 1994. Pride died on Dec. 12, 2020, from complications of the respiratory disease COVID-19 .
