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December 12, 2020 6:19 pm  #1


Charley Pride R.I.P.

Country music's first black superstar Charley Pride has passed at age 86

Pride who is probably best known for his hit "Kiss An Angel Good Morning"  was a victim of COVID-19

What a terrible year this has been

May he rest in peace

Last edited by unclefester (December 12, 2020 6:31 pm)

 

December 12, 2020 8:07 pm  #2


Re: Charley Pride R.I.P.

I had read about him receiving a Country Music Association lifetime achievement award last month, and had meant to post about this. Here's an obituary that also includes video of him receiving this award. 
https://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/charley-pride-pioneering-black-country-music-legend-dies/story?id=74693560
 

 

December 12, 2020 11:48 pm  #3


Re: Charley Pride R.I.P.

While I was at KMOR in Salt Lake City, we were among the first radio stations to play Charley Pride's records.  We always tried to boost any artist from the Rocky Mountain area, and Charley being from Montana at that time was all we needed to know.  I did meet Charley about 10 years ago when he was in concert at a local Indian casino.  I did get my picture taken with him and an album autographed.  He was very gracious to be around and I enjoyed our visit.  His career was highlighted by 60 hits in the C&W Top 40 and he really was a true Country Music artist.  Thanks Charley and R.I.P.

 

December 13, 2020 10:29 am  #4


Re: Charley Pride R.I.P.

"Get a gimmick like Charley Pride got and you’ll be a country star"

 

December 13, 2020 11:38 am  #5


Re: Charley Pride R.I.P.

Taz wrote:

"Get a gimmick like Charley Pride got and you’ll be a country star"

I wasn't familiar with where that came from, so I did a search and found out that it was from the Statler Brothers song How To Be A Country Star. The line was obviously intended to be tongue-in-cheek on their part, and by the time they recorded that song he was a huge star. However, I've long been impressed by the fact that he achieved such success in country music starting in the latter part of the 1960s, when every other significant performer was white. Here's an article that I found as a result of the search that I did that discusses this aspect of his career. 
https://www.theawl.com/2014/06/how-to-be-a-black-country-star/

 

December 13, 2020 5:21 pm  #6


Re: Charley Pride R.I.P.

I didn't think too much of the article.  I was at a Country Music radio station in 1966 and as I recall, we knew Charley was black about the time we got his first record in the mail.  It should be noted that by the time "Kiss An Angel..." was released, Charley was already an automatic add to every country station playlist.  The success it had for the pop charts was the result of a marketing push by RCA. Their success with pop hits for Country stars like Jim Reeves, Eddy Arnold, Skeeter Davis, Bobby Bare, Floyd Cramer and Hank Locklin showed that they were experts in that!  The main reason for Charley's overall success was that he was a true country music singer, not a cross over.  The country audience could sense that, so he didn't cause too much commotion as his stardom rose.  A great singer, a great guy and a Country Music Legend!

Last edited by Jim Southern (December 24, 2020 7:39 pm)

 

December 13, 2020 8:45 pm  #7


Re: Charley Pride R.I.P.

Taz wrote:

"Get a gimmick like Charley Pride got and you’ll be a country star"

and what gimmick would that be? he didn't, by and large, record novelty songs, and besides, little jimmy dickens and others had that covered already.

if it's in reference to pigmentation, if that's a gimmick then where are all the asian, middle eastern, native american, aboriginal or for that matter, albino, etc., country stars? what a load of hooey.
 

 

December 14, 2020 12:37 am  #8


Re: Charley Pride R.I.P.

The main reason I posted the second article was that, despite any deficiencies in it, it explained that the Statler Brothers' "gimmick" reference was indeed a reference to his skin colour. I think that this was an unfortunate attempt at humour on their part (another example in the song being "learn to stutter like M-Mel"), and I wanted to refocus this thread on honouring what a groundbreaking talent Pride was instead. For what it's worth, my searching also found a reference to him eventually appearing on the Statler Brothers' TV show, but that doesn't surprise me because he was a class act all the way. I also subsequently read an article at https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/charley-pride-trailblazing-country-music-superstar-dies-at-86 that had a paragraph that I found interesting with regards to the subject of Black country artists. 
"Other Black country stars came before Pride, namely DeFord Bailey, who was an Grand Ole Opry member between 1927 and 1941. But until the early 1990s, when Cleve Francis came along, Pride was the only Black country singer signed to a major label. In 1993, he joined the Opry cast in Nashville."

 

December 14, 2020 8:54 pm  #9


Re: Charley Pride R.I.P.

I didn't get this, either, because Charley certainly didn't have a gimmick.  But once you bring the Statler Brothers into it, I get it and it's OK. This may have been  pre-Road Hog, or not.  They trashed everyone there. In one of their routines, they were talking about the lineup of an upcoming show.- Kris Krisjefferson, Charlie Ritts, the White Fox (if he wants to sit down he should play steel guitar) and on and on it went with misaming everyone. And Charles Pride, the only n...n...name that isn't on my list, but he's gonna be there anyway.
 

 

December 21, 2020 5:56 pm  #10


Re: Charley Pride R.I.P.

"Other Black country stars came before Pride, namely DeFord Bailey, who was a Grand Ole Opry member between 1927 and 1941. But until the early 1990s, when Cleve Francis came along, Pride was the only Black country singer signed to a major label.

This isn't true.  Stoney Edwards was signed to Capitol, O.B. McClinton was on several labels, but eventually wound up on Epic.  Big Al Downing was on Warner Brothers, as was Howdy Glenn.  To go back further, somewhere between DeFord Bailey and Charley, Bobby Hebb (of Sunny fame) played spoons in Roy Acuff's band on the Opry!! 

There were several women, but none of them caught on.  (The thing we must remember about Charley Pride is this  - there are a lot of things that go into making a star, and he may be the only one who had them.  The looks, the personality, the charisma, the access to great material),  Though I still maintain  Al had them, too.  He was just great.)

There werer women   Ruby Falls, Linda Martell, Jjoann Sweeney (interesting story here)

And then there was LaMelle Prince!!!   She is probably one I would have dismissed if I didn't know anything about her.  I found an old LP of crazy stuff from Cheapo, and on it I saw a song by Lamelle Prince.  From a long time ago.)   But there was this.  And they try to tell us this wasn't even the A side of the record.  Well Ralph Emery played it every night on his WSM show, (and that other song was just so dull and uninteresting)  She was so beautiful and such a great singer. 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HVS1VveXKOY

I have always been somewhat interested, but have found lately I'm even more interested.  As a teenager, I grew up listening to WLAC (in Nashville) and didn't get into country til about 66 (the British Invasion drove me to it)  My subsequent endeavors brought me to a lot of things that many have never heard or accepted,

This has a long way to go, but I'm not doing it now.  I have been going through this in my mind lately.  just looking at the cross polinization of music in NASHVILLE,  Most people won't even acknowledge it, but oh what riches it brought to us!!
 

 

December 22, 2020 3:53 am  #11


Re: Charley Pride R.I.P.

Flo wrote:

"Other Black country stars came before Pride, namely DeFord Bailey, who was a Grand Ole Opry member between 1927 and 1941. But until the early 1990s, when Cleve Francis came along, Pride was the only Black country singer signed to a major label.

This isn't true.  Stoney Edwards was signed to Capitol, O.B. McClinton was on several labels, but eventually wound up on Epic.  Big Al Downing was on Warner Brothers, as was Howdy Glenn.  To go back further, somewhere between DeFord Bailey and Charley, Bobby Hebb (of Sunny fame) played spoons in Roy Acuff's band on the Opry!! 

There were several women, but none of them caught on.  (The thing we must remember about Charley Pride is this  - there are a lot of things that go into making a star, and he may be the only one who had them.  The looks, the personality, the charisma, the access to great material),  Though I still maintain  Al had them, too.  He was just great.)

There werer women   Ruby Falls, Linda Martell, Jjoann Sweeney (interesting story here)

And then there was LaMelle Prince!!!   She is probably one I would have dismissed if I didn't know anything about her.  I found an old LP of crazy stuff from Cheapo, and on it I saw a song by Lamelle Prince.  From a long time ago.)   But there was this.  And they try to tell us this wasn't even the A side of the record.  Well Ralph Emery played it every night on his WSM show, (and that other song was just so dull and uninteresting)  She was so beautiful and such a great singer. 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HVS1VveXKOY

I have always been somewhat interested, but have found lately I'm even more interested.  As a teenager, I grew up listening to WLAC (in Nashville) and didn't get into country til about 66 (the British Invasion drove me to it)  My subsequent endeavors brought me to a lot of things that many have never heard or accepted,

This has a long way to go, but I'm not doing it now.  I have been going through this in my mind lately.  just looking at the cross polinization of music in NASHVILLE,  Most people won't even acknowledge it, but oh what riches it brought to us!!
 

well said, flo! while i'd almost forgotten about him, i certainly do remember stoney edwards, and o.b. mclinton's name rings a bell also, though i can't recall if i ever heard his records or encountered him on the radio. others you cite (with the exception of bobby hebb; how he ended up on the opry with acuff must be quite a story), particularly the ladies, apparently passed me by though i am indeed prepared to investigate them.

regardless, i'm wondering... i first saw and heard herb jeffries on the "showtime at the apollo" series which was broadcast on the night-flight program that usa network aired late 70's-early 80's. he had one of the most distinctive and greatest voices i'd ever heard, along with a commanding stage presence i thought, immediately upon discovering him.

while he was generally a crooner in an m.o.r. jazz style who probably fit best on an easy listening format for the most part i'm guessing, i jater learned his initial claim to fame was as an actor in many cowboy movies and some of his songs certainly had western themes. so, i was wondering if you (or maybe jim southern) might know if he ever got, or attempted to get, any traction as a country artist, or found airplay on country radio?.
 

Last edited by gopher (December 22, 2020 4:47 am)

 

December 22, 2020 11:49 am  #12


Re: Charley Pride R.I.P.

About as much as I know about Herb Jeffries is that I've heard of him, in his cowboy persona.  But I've never heard him.

 

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