What Country Music Asked of Charley Pride
The singer put himself on the line to become the genre’s first Black superstar. He died on Saturday not long after performing at a largely mask-free awards ceremony.
Pride remembered being called slurs by performers who were his colleagues and friends; how George Jones and another man scrawled “KKK” on his car after a bender; and how he had to remind Webb Pierce — who told him it’s “good for you to be in our music” — that “It’s my music, too.”
So sad to learn of Charley Pride's passing. I was brought up on his music, as my mother was a fan; she played his live In Person (Panther Hall) so often and it's permanently ingrained in my consciousness. We once took a car trip to Amish country in Pennsylvania, and passed a theater that had "Charley Pride Tonight" on the marquee. I was able to purchase a ticket and attend the concert that evening. Made friends with the sweetest elderly couple I sat next to; we chatted about all the classic country performers. Charley was great that night (better in person than on records) and, as always, his rhythmic baritone bowled me over.
OccultHawk
12-15-2020 01:14 PM
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I was able to purchase a ticket and attend the concert that evening.
More sad news. I loved Babs as Peggy Mitchell on EastEnders - "Get outta mah pub!". The episodes leading up to her character's "death" on the show were heartbreaking as they mirrored her decline in real lifie. And of course she was legend in the Carry On films. Terrible how she suffered with Alzheimer's, but touching to witness how wonderful her husband was to her to the very end.
