ROOTS of Country Music

The Professional Work of Charley Pride 

(Mar. 18, 1938 ) 

Career Highlights

No. 15 Country Music Artist (1944 - 1993)

Grand Ole Opry Member 

Band Name: The Pridesman 

Barn Dance Affiliate:  Louisiana Hayride 

Film, Night Club, Radio & TV

• Austin City Limits, 4
• Ernest Tubb’s  Midnight Jamboree, 3
• Gilley’s Club, 2
• Hee Haw, 4
• Nashville Now, 4
• Pop Goes the Country, 4
• The Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour, 4
• The Johnny cash Show, 4
• The Porter Wagoner Show, 4
• The Wilburn Brothers Show, 4

1-Film, 2-Night Club, 3-Radio, 4-TV

Billboard Chart Data  

• No. 1 Singles:  29
• Top-10 Singles: 52
• Crossover Singles: 1
• Charted Singles: 67
• Chart Years Active: 1966-1989 

Awards 

Country Music Association

• Country Music Hall of Fame (2000)
• Entertainer of the Year (1971)
• Male Vocalist of the Year (1971, 1972) 

Grammy Award

Best Country Vocal Performance, Male (1972 ) Charley Pride Sings Heart Songs

Career Label

• RCA (1966-1986) 

Billboard Top-10 Singles

1. Just Between You And Me -1966
2. I Know One -1967
3. Does My Ring Hurt Your Finger
4. The Day The World Stood Still -1968
5. The Easy Part's Over
6. Let The Chips Fall
7. Kaw-Liga -1969
8. All I Have To Offer You (Is Me)*
9. (I'm So) Afraid Of Losing You Again*
10. Is Anybody Goin' To San Antone* -1970
11. Wonder Could I Live There Anymore*
12. I Can't Believe That You've Stopped...*
13. I'd Rather Love You* -1971
14. I'm Just Me*
15. Kiss An Angel Good Mornin'*#1, 2
16. All His Children -1972
17. It's Gonna Take A Little Bit Longer*
18. She's Too Good To Be True*
19. A Shoulder To Cry On* -1973
20. Don't Fight The Feelings Of Love*
21. Amazing Love*
22. We Could -1974
23. Mississippi Cotton Picking Delta Town
24. Then Who Am I*
25.  I Ain't All Bad -1975
26.  Hope You're Feelin' Me (Like I'm Feelin' You)*
27. The Happiness of Having You
28. My Eyes Can Only See As Far As You* -1976
29. A Whole Lotta a Things to Sing About
30. She's Just An Old Love Turned...* -1977
31. I'll Be Leaving Alone*
32. More to Me*
33. Someone Loves You Honey* -1978
34. When I Stop Leaving (I'll Be Gone)
35. Burgers and Fries
36. Where Do I Put Her Memory* -1979
37. You're My Jamaica*
38. Missing You
39. Honky Tonk Blues* -1980
40. You Win Again*
41. You Almost Slipped My Mind
42. Roll on Mississippi -1981
43. Never Been So Loved Before*
44. Mountain of Love*
45. I Don't Think She Loves Me Anymore -1982
46. You're So Good When You're Bad*
47. Why Baby Why*
48. More and More -1983
49. Night Games*
50. Ev'ry Heart Should Have One
51. The Power of Love -1984
52. Shouldn't It BNe Easier Than This -1987

*-No. 1 Chart Single

#-Crossover Single

1-Gold Record

2-Biggest Chart Single

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Pride of the Country: The Charley Pride Story

Charley Pride's smooth baritone voice was featured on fifty-two top-10 hits on the Billboard Hot Country Songs charts. His greatest success came in the early- to mid-1970s, when he became the best-selling performer for RCA Records since Elvis Presley.

Pride was born on Mar. 18, 1938, in Sledge, Miss. He grew up as one of 11 children to poor sharecroppers. Charley unofficially started his music career as a baseball player in the Negro American League with the Memphis Red Sox, singing and playing guitar on the team bus between ballparks. Self-taught on a guitar bought at age fourteen from Sears Roebuck, Pride would also join various bands on stage as the team crossed the country.

During a trip to Nashville, Pride was introduced to producer Jack Clement, who arranged a two-hour recording session for him. The result was a two-song demo that landed him a recording contract with RCA Records after producer Chet Atkins liked what he heard. In 1966, Pride's first single, The Snakes Crawl at Night, hit the airwaves.

His race was kept hidden from the fans through the release of his first three singles. Making one of his first big public appearances at a show in Detroit, Pride stepped on stage and was greeted with loud applause, which got lower and lower in volume until near silence as most of the audience began to make the realization that he was a black country singer. But Pride's music prevailed and, after the show, he was besieged with autograph seekers

Charley has topped the Billboard country singles chart 29 times, with hits like Kiss an Angel Good Mornin' and Is Anybody Goin' to San Antone. He was named the CMA's entertainer of the year and male vocalist in 1971, and in 1972. Pride became the first artist to win back-to-back male vocalist trophies. His RCA singles routinely reached the top-10 through 1984.

Pride's chart success and recordings since the late 1980s have been sporadic, but he continued touring successfully.

Charley is one of the few Black country musicians to have had considerable success in the largely caucasian country music industry and the only one to be inducted into the Grand Ole Opry. Charley is ranked the fifteenth most successful recording artist for the period 1944-1993.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Researched, written and compiled by Richard Bell. Roots of Country Music. Oct., 24, 2011