Charley Pride was an American singer who, apart from the prowess of having ranked 52 songs in the Top 10 of the American Billboard Hot Country, also embraced the career of a professional baseball player !
This is how we find him at the age of 18 with the Memphis Red Sox, then later in other teams such as the Boise Yankees of New York, the Clippers of Louisville, the Red Sox of Memphis, the Missoula Timberjacks and finally the East Helena Smelterites.
And it is precisely with the latter that he stands out in terms of his ability to sing as well. A capacity that allows him to be paid to sing 15 minutes before each match.
While continuing to play baseball, he quickly got noticed by Country stars who encouraged him to start a musical career. A musical career that he will therefore pursue in parallel, in particular with a group called 'Night Hawks'.
It was the RCA Victor label that took him up a gear in 1966 by allowing him to release a first Single "The snakes crawl at night", a title that would go unnoticed to say the least...
He does it again the same year with the title "Just between you and me" and this time will be the good one since he obtains his first classified title. A performance that will not go unnoticed, far from it, since he thus becomes the first African-American Country singer !
The successes will then follow, as will the albums, culminating in obtaining his biggest success in 1971 on the Singles side with the title "Kiss an angel good mornin'".
A particularly brilliant career that will span the 70s but also the 80s with an impressive number of classified titles.
Singer who will leave us on December 12, 2020 at the age of 86 following complications related to Covid-19.
To discover or rediscover.
Discography (among others…) :
The snakes crawl at night 1966
Just between you and me 1966
I know one 1967
Does my ring hurt your finger 1967
The day the world stood still 1967
The easy part's over 1968
Let the chips fall 1968
Kaw-Liga 1969
All I have to offer you (Is me) 1969
(I'm so) Afraid of losing you again 1969
Wings of a dove 1969
Is anybody goin' to San Antone 1970
Wonder could I live there anymore 1970
I can't believe that you've stopped loving me 1970
I'd rather love you 1971
I'm just me 1971
Kiss an angel good mornin' 1971
All his children 1972
It's gonna take a little bit longer 1972
She's to good to be true 1972
A shoulder to cry on 1973
Don't fight the feelings of love 1973
Amazing love 1973
We could 1974
Mississippi cotton picking delta town 1974
The who am I 1974
I ain't all bad 1975
Hope you're fellin' me (Like I'm fellin' you) 1975
The hapiness of having you 1975
My eyes can only see as far as you 1976
A whole lotta things to sing about 1976
She's just an old love turned memory 1977
I'll be leaving alone 1977
More to me 1977
Someone loves you honey 1978
When I stop leaving (I'll be gone) 1978
Burger and fries 1978
Where do I put her memory 1979
You're my Jamaica 1979
Missin' you 1979
Honky tonk blues 1980
You win again 1980
You almost slipped my mind 1980
Roll on Mississippi 1981
Never been so loved (In all my life) 1981
Mountain of love 1981
I don't think she's in love anymore 1982
You're so good when you're bad 1982
Why baby why 1982
More and more 1983
Night games 1983
Ev'ry heart should have one 1983
The power of love 1984
Missin' Mississippi 1984
Down on the farm 1985
Let a little love come in 1985
The best there is 1985
Love on a blue rainy day 1986
Have I got some blues for you 1987
If you still want a fool around 1987
Shouldn't it be easier than this 1987
I'm gonna love her on the radio 1988
Where was I 1988
White houses 1989
The more I do 1989
Amy's eyes 1989
Moody woman 1990
Whole lotta love on the line 1990
Just for the love of it 1993
For today 1994
Except for you 2011
Clips :
1966...the very first steps. Impossible to imagine at this stage that this young singer will become a few years later the most famous African-American Country singer of all...
1966...the first classified title. What's crazy is that with this first success some fans still think the singer is white. This will create strong tensions when he will appear for the first time in public...
1967 ... it will take some time before the young singer is recognized at his true value and this apart from any racial consideration. Especially since the Country public is, to say the least, rural and therefore not very open to this kind of consideration...
1967...but deep America will get used to it given the certain talent of the artist. No matter the skin color in these cases, that's for sure...
1967...especially since this young artist was going to be anything but a shooting star. So people will have to get used to him because he has quite the level to play in the big leagues...
1968...he's gone to last a few years, even a few decades and at the highest level, at least on the Country side. The legend is now on...
1968...who could have imagined that an African-American singer would take the risk of venturing into such a distinctive musical field. He will go there in any case and in a very good way !
1969...in just a few years he will have become one of the flagship references of the Country, who would have believed it ? Especially when you see how it all started...
1969... an obvious talent that will even allow him to obtain a first title classified in the so-called Classic Charts. The fame of the artist now extends to all of North America and now even touches the general public. Mighty feat !
1969...a decade of the 60s that saw him blossom and grow in power in an impressive way. It remains to be seen what the 70s have in store for him...
1969...four titles just for this year 1969, everything is now going in an ideal way for the singer. Hope it lasts !
1970... he confirms from the beginning of this new decade 70 that he is surely not there by chance. The repeated successes he obtains prove it in a brilliant way...
1970 ... it is now on an average of 3 or even 4 titles per year and each title will know success, whether minor or larger. What talent !
1970...the singer now unrolls with disconcerting ease. He had to jostle to win but it is now done, it is clear !
1971...a beginning of the 70s decade equal to the end of the 60s decade, that is to say at the top. Nothing now hinders the artist's path and the sky is clear to say the least...
1971... he will have known how to impose himself in a musical register and especially with a public who were however far from being won over to him. This underlines all the more the performance achieved...
1971...then comes THIS title ! The title of consecration, the real one, the one that will offer him his direct ticket to posterity. He will have worked hard to have it but it is now done. HU-GE !
1972...as always, when you reach the top of the mountain, you can only go down. The advantage with him is that the descent will be smooth...
1972... it is clear that the Great Years are now behind him but the adventure is far, very far from over. Not too much to worry about for now...
1972 ... he will now only be ranked in the Country Charts but it doesn't matter to him since it is his favorite field. Everything else was just a bonus...
1973... what is certain is that in his chosen field, he is at the head of the race in any case. Isn't that the main thing...
1973... in terms of sound and style, we therefore imagine that nothing will change, at least for the moment. On the other hand, it could be that the following decade opens up other perspectives...
1973...a pretty ballad as we like them and so typical of the Country musical register. A musical domain reserved for an audience of insiders but not devoid of interest, that's for sure...
1974... he will have done very little in the luxury cover but this is one in any case. He revisits here the title of 'Little' Jimmy Dickens dating from 1955 and offers us a second high-caliber ballad. What more !
1974... he will succeed in making a furtive return to the classic Charts with this title. But this will be one of the last times this will happen...
1974...the entire 1970s was going to unroll in much the same way. His perfect mastery of Country fundamentals allows him to stay in his comfort zone without asking too many questions...
1975...sometimes certain titles go a little worse than the others. But everything is relative with him and the less well is very little noticeable on the Charts side...
1975 ... he very rarely and especially very temporarily moves away from 1st place in the Country Charts. His regularity in this place undoubtedly commands respect...
1975...in terms of the number of titles produced per year, it's not weakening either. What is all the more impressive is that there is 0 waste in addition...
1976 ... already 10 years of career and a particularly flattering prize list. And the adventure is far from over, so a prize list that will continue to grow significantly...
1976...we would like him to diversify his musical offer on the sound side but it is not his priority at first sight. As long as it works perfectly like that, why change anything...
1977...no major changes in prospect at this stage of the race. It must be said that very few Country singers will have deviated from their route at one time or another...
1977 ... it must be said all the same that at some point everything ends up looking the same. It is true that the Country offers few possibilities of variations...
1977...we will therefore go until the end of the 70s as we began, it is clear. Afterwards, it's simply the tempo of the titles that will fluctuate according to his desires...
1978...here he is revisiting here the title of Johnny Rodriguez dating from 1974. A pretty title full of finesse which only asks to be listened to...
1978...but what's going on ? We are witnessing here a very clear acceleration of the tempo which would almost make this title a pure Dance title. But what happens to him...?
1978... drive out the natural, it comes back at a gallop. We suspected that this slight difference in tempo would not last. Too bad because he was far from being ridiculous having accelerated it...
1979...the end of the 1970s that rhymes with finesse and lightness. He delivers here a pretty ballad of which he has the secret and which works very well...
1979... after the luxury ballad, here comes a small 100 % male duo to end the decade in style. It is true that at 2, it is so much better !
1979...the 60s will have seen him hatch and grow in power and the 70s will have consecrated him beyond its expectations. It remains to be seen what the 80s have in store for him...
1980...and here he is, proudly beginning his 3rd decade of career. Always in the same style and the same sound, no notable developments to be expected for the moment...
1980...and still these ballads of which he has the secret. Another constant that varies little but with him, we know that change is not for now...
1980...on the production side of titles, we are still at particularly high levels. We could have envisaged a start of deceleration from this new decade but this will absolutely not be the case...
1981...the musical world evolves all around him and knows profound upheavals but he doesn't care. Rightly or wrongly, that's something else...
1981 ... we feel like a semblance of evolution, finally. Admittedly, the basics remain Country but the artist seems to have become aware of the fact that at some point, you have to know how to adapt...
1981...he revisits here the title of Harold Dorman dating from 1960. A nice version, certainly, but which repositions him directly in his comfort zone...
1982...the semblance of evolution observed previously did not last long. Here he is back at the same level as the previous decades in terms of style, a refusal to evolve which de facto marginalizes him...
1982 ... he will still have to take risks at some point, otherwise the rest of the adventure risks becoming more and more complicated. To meditate...
1982 ... it's a festival of covers that we have been attending for some time. He revisits here the title of George Jones dating from 1955 without bringing in anything a semblance of renewal. Shame...
1983 ... and it continues in the covers with this time this revisited version of the title of Webb Pierce dating from 1954. Not much originality in all that, it is clear ...
1983...from time to time he agrees to step out of his comfort zone but only to come back to it later. Will this time finally be the right one in terms of notorious evolution ? Good question...
1983... there is really better in this year 1983, he finally starts to stick somewhat to the last musical evolutions of the moment. Hope it lasts !
1984...a nice title with finesse on a Country base but still in tune with the times. He finally understood that Country and modern sounds are totally compatible and so much the better !
1984...this one, on the other hand, is pure Country. He wants to try to evolve a minimum but not too quickly anyway...
1985... his refusal to evolve in depth will begin to cost him dearly on the Charts in the mid-1980s. A beginning of deceleration which will only increase title after title, year after year...
1985... it was foreseeable that with such a significant delay on the competition, the sanction was going to fall at one time or another. It is now done...
1985... suddenly, when he tries to raise his head with titles more in tune with their time, they go unnoticed to say the least. Hard law of the trade...
1986...rare event concerning him, only one title in this year 1986. Definitely, nothing is going well on the planet Pride and things are not going to get any better, that's for sure...
1987 ... all the lights are red but he does not take it into account in any case. He continues his adventure as he sees fit and regardless of the - few - results in the Charts...
1987...the main thing for him is to still appear in the Charts, after whatever rank. On the other hand, he is the only master on board and especially to decide his career choices, for good or for bad...
1987...he will save a minimum of the furniture with this title but nothing more. It will surely be one of the last at this level of success and he will have to get used to it later...
1988...new luxury cover this time on David Allan Coe's title dating from 1985. The end of the decade saw him gradually disappear from the radar without it disturbing him more than that...
1988...an adventure that continues more and more freely. We suspect that at this rate, the adventure will not continue for decades and decades...
1989...he will end the 80s without changing anything again. On the other hand, when you see the extent of his prize list, he can still boast of having been a size in his chosen field...
1989...we will therefore have to be content with it until the end. A busy career, certainly, but which could have been even more brilliant if he had accepted to take risks even a little...
1989...the last classified title. This time the loop is complete and the artist will not return the race or very punctually. And especially outside of any major success...
1990... he will still try the transition to the 90s, just to see. Unfortunately, the return to favor will not take place because what no longer worked during the previous decade is not likely to work during this new decade...
1990...come on, another little luxury cover for the road. He revisits here the title of Aaron Tippin dating from 1994...! And yes, because it is Tippin by covering his own title written in 1990 four years later which will make it a success to the detriment of Pride which will not have succeeded...
1993 ... he will deliver a few titles here and there but the heart is no longer there, that's clear. We suspected that the adventure would not last for years and years...
1994...he said to himself that with 2, it might be better, might as well try everything to the end. But even getting into it with 2 won't change anything, when it doesn't want anymore, it doesn't want anymore...
2011...we thought the case was definitely over in the mid-1990s and here he is again, unexpectedly to say the least, in this decade of 2010. Stealthy return but which unfortunately will not reverse the course of time...
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Greatest Hits :
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