charley-pride

Charley Pride, country legend, dead at 86 from COVID-19

Country music icon Charley Pride, who was the genre’s first Black superstar, died Saturday in Dallas, TX from complications of COVID-19. He was ’86.

Charley scored dozens of country hits — including “All I Have to Offer You (Is Me),” “Is Anybody Goin’ to San Antone,” and “It’s Gonna Take a Little Bit Longer” — with 29 #1s. His 1971 single “Kiss an Angel Good Mornin'” was a crossover hit reaching #21 on the pop charts. At the time was RCA Records biggest seller since Elvis.

One of only three Black artists to become members of the Grand Ole Opry (DeFord Bailey and Darius Rucker being the others), Charley was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2000 and was just honored with the Willie Nelson Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2020 CMA Awards in November.

Rest in peace, Charley.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wxeC4M1sYb0

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