Pride, Charley

Pride, Charley , one of the best-selling country performers of the 1960s and 1970s, and one of the few African-Americans to score success in this style, b. Sledge, Miss., March 18, 1938. Pride is noteworthy for being one of the few African-Americans to break through to true country stardom. Pride’s interest in country music reflects the fact that in the rural South traditional country (and blues) audiences crossed racial lines; and his success reflects both the slickness of Pride’s recordings and the smooth-as-silk quality of his vocals.

Pride was born one of 11 children to poor, tenant farmers. Like many other black families in rural Miss., they made their living picking cotton, for which they were paid $3.00 for each hundred pounds picked. Early on, Pride became a fan of country radio, particularly emulating the bluesy sounds of Hank Williams, and taught himself the guitar. At the same time, an early talent for athletics manifested itself, and he began playing baseball in the old Negro league in the late 1950s.

After serving in the military, Pride was hired to play for a minor-league team in Helena, Mont. He continued to perform in local bars in his free time, while he also worked off-season for Anaconda Mining as a smelter. In 1963, Red Sorvine was passing through the region and heard Pride perform; he encouraged Pride to come to Nashville to audition for RCA. Pride stalled for a year, while pursuing his dreams of big league baseball as a member of the N.Y. Mets’ farm team. In 1964, he traveled to Nashville to audition for famed country producer Chet Atkins who signed him to RCA.

Pride’s recording career was blessed with early success. His first single, “Snakes Crawl at Night,” was an immediate Top Ten country hit, and was followed by another hit, “Just between You and Me.” Within a year of the release of his first single, he was invited to join the Grand Ole Opry, where he became immediately one of the most popular performers. Atkins smothered Pride’s vocals in the blend of echoey guitars and girly choruses that Nashville was becoming (in)famous for, and the country audience ate it up. Little emphasis was placed on Pride’s racial identity by RCA, and no one in the audience seemed to mind that he was a lone black star among a white (and relatively conservative) group of musicians.

Pride enjoyed his greatest success in the late 1960s and early 1970s, winning numerous Grammy, CMA, and gold record awards. In addition to the standard songs of lovin’ and losin’, Pride also was a popular gospel recording artist, bringing the same smooth, pop delivery to his gospel recordings that he did to his songs of heartache.

A long-time resident of Dallas, Pride pretty much retired from performing in the 1980s, although he continues to record sporadically, issuing a couple of albums late in the decade for the small 16th Avenue label. He made an attempt at a comeback in 1993 with the single, “Just for the Love of It.” It was typical 1960s Nashville in its conservative message and Pride’s voice still sounds smooth-as-silk, even though the backing was simpler than on his earlier recordings, reflecting the influence of new country. Since then, he has been only performed irregularly.

Discography

Country Charley Pride (1966); The Pride of Country Music (1967); The Country Way (1967); Make Mine Country (1968); Songs of Pride…Charley, That Is (1968); Charley Pride-In Person (1968); The Sensational Charley Pride (1969); The Best of Charley Pride (1969); Just Plain Charley (1970); Charley Pride’s Tenth Album (1970); Christinas In My Home Town (1970); From Me to You (To All My Wonderful Fans) (1971); Did You Think to Pray? (1971); I’m Just Me (1971); Charley Pride Sings Heart Songs (1971); The Best of Charley Pride, Vol. 2 (1972); A Sunshiny Day with Charley Pride (1972); Songs of Love By Charley Pride (1973); Sweet Country (1973); The Incomparable Charley Pride (1973); Amazing Love (1973); Country Feelin’ (1974); Pride of America (1974); Charley (1975); The Happiness of Having You (1975); Sunday Morning with Charley Pride (1976); She’s Just an Old Love Turned Memory (1977); The Best of Charley Pride, Vol. 3 (1977); Someone Loves You Honey (1978); Burgers and Fries (1978); You’re My Jamaica (1979); There’s a Little Bit of Hank In Me (1980); Roll On Mississippi (1981); Greatest Hits (1981); Charley Sings Everybody’s Choice (1982); Live (1982); Night Games (1983); The Power of Love (1984); After All This Time (1987); I’m Gonna Love Her on the Radio (1988); Moody Woman (1989); Amy’s Eyes (1990); Classics with Pride (1991); My 6 Latest & 6 Greatest (1993); The Very Best Of…(1995); Just for the Love of It (1996); Super Hits (1996); The Essential Charley Pride (1997); The Masters (1998).

—Richard Carlin