Charley Pride Bio, Wiki
Charley Pride was an American country singer, author and performer, baseball player, and guitarist. He was considered the first Black country music singer and lovingly known as “Jackie Robinson of country music” by the press. Pride was a member of the Country Music Hall of Fame and the Grand Ole Opry.
In 1967, he became the first African American to sing at the venue. Pride held three Grammy Awards and had at least 43 No.1 country singles and multiple albums. He died on Saturday, December 12, after battling Covid-19 disease. Pride was last seen on November 11, 2020, when he received the Willie Nelson Lifetime Achievement Award.
He was the second best-selling performer on RCA Records after Elvis for many years. Pride was also one of the very few African-American performers to find success in country music. He won the Country Music Association’s entertainer of the year award in 1971. Some of his greatest hits include “Kiss an Angel Good Mornin” and “Is Anybody Goin’ to San Antone”.
Charley Pride Age
He was born as Charley Frank Pride on March 18, 1934, in Sledge, Mississippi, United States. Pride was 86 years old at the time of his death in December 2020.
Charley Pride Height
He was a man of above-average stature. Pride stood at a height of 6 ft 1 in (Approx. 1.85 m).
Charley Pride Family
Pride was born as Charley Frank Pride in Mississippi on March 18, 1934, to Mack Pride Sr and Tessie Stewart Pride. His father wanted to name him Charl Frank Pride, but owing to a clerical error on his birth certificate, his legal name was Charley Frank Pride.
Pride was the fourth of eleven children of poor sharecroppers and cotton-picking parents. He had seven brothers and three sisters, and his elder brother, Mack Pride, played Negro league baseball before entering the ministry. At the age of 14, Pride’s mom gave him his first guitar (Sears Roebuck) as a gift and learned to play it by himself by listening to the radio.
On Saturday, after the 86-year-old pride died, the family requested his fans and mourners to make donations. These donations were to be made either to The Pride Scholarship at Jesuit College Preparatory School, St Philips School and Community Center, The Food Bank, or the charity of their choice in lieu of flowers.
Charley Pride Wife
Pride met his wife, Ebby Rozene Cohran while playing baseball in Memphis, and wed in 1956. They have since settled down, and recently resided in Dallas, TX. Together, Pride and Rozene have raised three children, two sons Kraig and Dion, and a daughter Angela, all of who have followed in their father’s footsteps. During their earlier days of marriage, Pride and his wife made a good living in the Helena area.
Soon after he rose to fame he moved his wife and son Kraig to Helena until 1967 when he bought their first home, Dion and Angela’s birthplace. As Pride’s music career took off, the family moved to Great Falls, Montana, in 1969 to be closer to the airport, the family then moved to Texas.
Pride and his wife Rozene shared a strong love and close bond for each other. His wife has been on his side for 63 years. He once said that she was there for him even before his fame and everything.
Charley Pride Children
Together, Pride and Rozene have raised three children, two sons Kraig and Dion, and a daughter Angela, all of who have followed in their father’s footsteps. Kraig also known as Carlton, founded the band Carlton Pride and Zion reggae band in 1995.
Dion has been known to cover his father’s songs and performed on the stage with his iconic father. Pride also had five grandchildren Carlton Kraig Pride, Jr, Malachi Pride, Syler Pride, Ebby Pride, and Argentino Vassar. Nevertheless, he also had two great-grandchildren, Skyler Pride and Carlton Kraig Pride, III.
Kiss An Angel Good Mornin
In 1971, Pride released ‘The Kiss an Angel Good Mornin‘ the biggest hits and a million-selling crossover single. He won the Country Music Association’s entertainer of the year award The same year, as well as its top male vocalist award in 1971 and 1972. The hitmaker revealed a secret behind Pride and his wife’s happiest, most powerful, and long-lasting marriage.
It became Pride’s signature tune. Besides being a five-week country number one in late 1971 and early 1972, it was also his only pop top-40 hit, hitting number 21, and reaching the top 10 of the Adult Contemporary charts, as well. On November 11 during the CMA, Pride gave his very last performance to all his fans, as he sang ‘Kiss An Angel Good Mornin’ at Nashville’s Music City Center with Jimmie Allen, a modern-day hitmaker who consider Pride one of his heroes.
Charley Pride Songs
Pride started singing while he was still playing baseball but didn’t relocate to Nashville right away. He signed with RCA in 1965 and his debut studio album “Country by Charley” was released in 1966. In 1967 Pride released “Just Between You and Me.” The song became his first country music top 10 hits on the Billboard country singles chart which made him go on to rack up more than 60 altogether over the next decade and a half.
Other greatest hits of Pride include:
Crystal Chandeliers
Mountain Of Love
Roll On Mississippi
The Snakes Crawl At Night
Burgers And Fries
Did You Think To Pray
I’m Just Me
Where Do I Put Her Memory
Charley Pride Death | Cause Of Death
Pride died on December 12, 2020, in Dallas, Texas at the age of 86 from COVID-19 complications. His cause of death was announced to COVID 19 complications according to Jeremy Westby of the public relations firm 2911 Media. A few weeks earlier he received the Country Music Associations Lifetime Achievement Award.
It was later pointed out that some people in attendance at the ceremony were not wearing masks and that Pride likely contracted COVID at the event. His last performance came on November 11, 2020, when he sang “Kiss An Angel Good Mornin’” during the CMA Awards show at Nashville’s Music City Center with Jimmie Allen. Jimmie is a modern-day hitmaker who considered Pride one of his heroes.
On Twitter, Dolly Parton paid her tribute and called Pride one of her dearest and oldest friends. Other country music celebrities like Tanya Tucker, The Chicks, and Darius Rucker, who co-hosted the recent Country Music Awards show, shared their thoughts too.
Charley Pride Albums
Pride released dozens of albums and sold more than 25 million records during his career that started in the mid-1960s. The hits besides “Kiss an Angel Good Morning” in 1971 were “Is Anybody Goin’ to San Antone,” “Burgers and Fries,” “Mountain of Love,” and “Someone Loves You, Honey.” Pride’s final and 47th album, “Music in My Heart”, was released in 2017.
Charley Pride Net Worth
He was an American country music singer, musician, and former baseball player. Pride had an estimated net worth of $40 million at the time of his death in December 2020.
Is Charley Pride Still Living | Dead
Pride died on December 12, 2020, in Dallas, Texas at the age of 86. from COVID-19 complications.
How Old Is Charley Pride
Pride was 86 years old at the time of his death in December 2020.