The situation in America was so tense in 1965 that RCA issued his first few singles without the customary picture sleeves and promotional information, hoping to get country audiences hooked before they realized his race. Racial relations have come a long way since Pride emerged as country music’s top star and its first African-American superstar. Clement eventually persuaded Chet Atkins to add Pride to RCA. Clement did everything within his power to get Pride recorded and on a label, going so far as to self-producing the singer’s early recording sessions and shopping the masters.
Pride did just that after his hopes of a career in baseball were gone, and soon he came to the attention of legendary producer Jack Clement. While pitching in semi-pro baseball in Montana, Pride was “discovered” by Red Sovine, who urged him to try his luck in Nashville. For whatever reason, Pride’s taste in music leaned towards country. Originally planning on a career in Major League Baseball, Pride grew up in the cotton fields near Sledge, Mississippi, where he listened to the Grand Ole Opry on Saturday nights. All he had going for him was a sincere love for country music, a terrific ear for great songs and, of course, one of the best male voices to ever sing country music. His forty-one #1s ranks him behind only Merle Haggard, Conway Twitty and George Strait.Ĭharley achieved his great success despite that fact that he does not write his own material and is not an especially talented instrumentalist. “Kiss An Angel Good Morning” released in 1971, would, of course become his signature song. After the streak ended, Charley would have another six songs that were #1 on either Billboard and/or Cashbox.
Starting with 1969′s “Kaw-Liga” and ending with 1980′s “You Almost Slipped My Mind”, every Charley Pride single (except the 1972 gospel record “Let Me Live”/”Did You Think To Pray” and the 1979 “Dallas Cowboys” NFL special souvenir edition) reached #1. So successful was Pride that an incredible string of 35 consecutive secular songs reached #1 on the Billboard and/or Cashbox Country Charts (virtually all of these songs also reached #1 on Record World’s charts). Our July Spotlight shines on one of the true giants of the genre, a Country Music Hall of Famer whom Cashbox rated as the top country artist of the quarter century 1958-1982 despite the fact that his recording career did not begin until 1965.Ĭharley Pride was the first commercially successful African-American country music star.
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