Charley Pride Recalled Making a “Pathway” for Black Country Singers

Charley Pride, that passed away on Dec. 12 of coronavirus difficulties at age 86, remembered damaging obstacles as one of one of the most respected Black nation musicians backstage at the Country Music Awards on Nov. 11. 

The “Kiss the Angel Good Mornin'” vocalist, that was signed up with onstage by Jimmie Allen, talked to E!’s Spencer Lubitz in the online press space at the honors reveal concerning exactly how he had not been the only groundbreaking Black musician at the time leading the way in the songs category.

“People say, so how does it feel to make a pathway for country music Black singers? I said, well, it’s fine with me. But they’ve been saying it to me like that, but we had big Al Downings, we had Stoney Edwards. A guy came, and he was a doctor, he started when I first got out…what was his name?  Cleve Francis! I worked with him,” described Pride. “So, I have been given credit for breaking paths for the people that look like one of us.”