Charlie Pride, a barrier-breaking country music legend, has passed away in Dallas due to complications from Covid-19 according to a New York Times article published on December 12th. In it they say:
“Charley Pride, the son of a Mississippi sharecropper who went on to become the first Black superstar in country music, died on Saturday in hospice care in Dallas. He was 86. His publicist Jeremy Westby said the cause was complications of Covid-19. A bridge-builder who broke into country music amid the racial unrest of the 1960s, Mr. Pride was one of the most successful singers ever to work in that largely white genre, placing 52 records in the country Top 10 from 1966 to 1987.”
Pride has a number of known country hits to his name from decades of success in the industry according to a Dallas Morning News article published on December 12th. In it they say:
“From 1966 until 1987, Pride was one of the biggest stars in country music, scoring 52 Top 10 country hits, including 29 chart-toppers. More than a dozen of his songs crossed over to the pop charts, including “Kiss an Angel Good Mornin’” and “Is Anybody Goin’ to San Antone.” He was inducted into the Grand Ole Opry and the Country Music Hall of Fame, won four Grammys, and sold an estimated 70 million records — more than anyone at RCA not named Elvis. Former President George W. Bush was among those saluting Pride on Saturday. In addition to loving his music, Bush got to know Pride during the years the former president served as managing general partner of the Texas Rangers, of which Pride was a major fan.”
Charlie Pride had an impressive oeuvre and has left behind an impressive legacy on the industry and will leave an indelible mark on country music.
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