Pride, Charley (Charley Frank Pride),
1934–2020, American country singer, the first African-American
country-music superstar, b. Sledge, Miss. He initially sought success as a
baseball pitcher, playing in the Negro and minor leagues, and also served
in the army before he began singing in local bars in Helena, Montana, where
he worked in a lead smelter. In 1966, Chet Atkins convinced RCA to record him, and
his single Just between You and Me (1966) soon reached
number 10 on the country charts. The first advertisements for the singer did
not feature his photograph, and many country fans thought that Pride was
white. The number-one singles All I Have to Offer You Is
Me (1969) and Is Anybody Goin' to San Antone
(1970) followed, and in 1971 Kiss an Angel Good Mornin'
topped the country charts and reached the Top 40 on the pop charts. His
warm, resonant baritone and mostly upbeat and positive songs contributed to
his popularity; he had 30 number-one country singles and 12 gold albums. In
1993 he joined the Grand Ole Opry, the first African American to do so since
harmonica player DeFord Bailey left in 1941.
See his autobiography (with J. Henderson, 1994).
The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2024, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.
See more Encyclopedia articles on: Music: Popular and Jazz: Biographies
