The country's first black superstar has passed away at the age of 86 after suffering from complications as he was diagnosed with the deadly coronavirus.
- Dec 13, 2020
AceShowbiz - Country music pioneer Charley Pride has died at 86.
The singer passed away on Saturday (12Dec20) of complications from COVID-19.
Country's first black superstar enjoyed 29 number ones and multiple top 10 hits in the U.S. charts with songs like "Crystal Chandeliers", "Is Anybody Goin' to San Antone", and "Mountain of Love".
One of 11 kids, Pride was born in Mississippi and became a baseball prospect after serving in the U.S. Army. When his sports career didn't pan out he moved to Nashville, Tennessee in the early 1960s with a dream of becoming a recording artist. Chet Atkins eventually signed him to a contract with RCA and his career took off.
Pride won the CMA Entertainer of the Year in 1971 and three Grammys the following year for his gospel songs "Let Me Live" and "Did You Think to Pray". In 1973, he picked up another Grammy for Best Male Country Vocal Performance for the album "Charley Pride Sings Heart Songs".
In 2000, 33 years after he became the first black performer to appear at the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville in more than a quarter of a century, he was elected to the Country Music Hall of Fame.
Just last month (Nov20), he performed "Kiss an Angel Good Mornin' " when he received the Country Music Association's Lifetime Achievement Award at Nashville's Music City Center.
Dolly Parton was among the first pay tribute to Pride following the news of his death - she wrote, "I'm so heartbroken that one of my dearest and oldest friends, Charley Pride, has passed away. It's even worse to know that he passed away from COVID-19. What a horrible, horrible virus. Charley, we will always love you."
Pride becomes the latest country star to succumb to the coronavirus, which also claimed the lives of John Prine and Joe Diffie while Lee Brice, Florida Georgia Line's Tyler Hubbard, Laine Hardy, Jennifer Wayne, and Joe Benson have all battled COVID this year.
