Biography of Charley Pride

With 36 number one hits under his belt, Charley Pride, who is black, has helped prove how little race matters the majority of country music fans. It's taken a long time to understand that, though. His first single., "Snakes Crawl at Night," was released without puplicity photos, as some in the industry feared listeners would automatically reject a black country singer. Since then, according to the Book of Lists, Pride's 12 gold albums in the U.S., combined with 30 gold and 4 platinum internationally, place him in the top 15 all-time record sellers. His easygoing singing style and easy-to-listen-to voice show why these honors have come his way. From picking cotton in his native Mississippi, Pride ended up working in a smelting plant in Montana, after a stint as a semi-pro baseball player. At the suggestion of Red Sovine, Pride moved to Nashville, where he was signed by Chet Atkins of RCA. In 1966, "Just Between You and Me" brought Pride a Grammy nomination and national fame. At the end of the '60s and the early part of the '70s, he had five #1s in a row, including "All I Have to Offer Is Me" and "Is Anybody Goin' to San Antone?" Numerous awards came in 1971 and 1972, with many more hits following, among them "She's Too Good to Be True," "Kiss an Angel Good Mornin'," and "Night Games." Pride's warm baritone voice and relaxed style made him the highest-selling act for RCA since Elvis Presley. His #1 album in 1980, There's a Little Bit of Hank in Me, showed why he is called Country Charley. ~ David Vinopal