Charley Pride
Charley Frank Pride ( born March 18, 1938 in Sledge, Mississippi ), is one of the most successful American country singer, who during his career was able to place 29 number-one hits on the country charts.
Childhood and youth
Charley Pride, the most successful dark-skinned country singer, grew up in a typical Southern family with many children. In early youth he worked as a cotton picker. At 14, he bought of his wages a guitar. Unlike his ethnic environment, he did not feel drawn to the blues or gospel, but for country music. But first, his main interest was the baseball sport. He played for the Detroit Eagles and the Memphis Red Sox; but it was not enough for a professional career. Pride spent two years in the army, got married, and earned his living as a laborer.
Career
1963 Pride got the chance to audition the established Country artists Red Sovine and Red Foley. The two were impressed and gave him a first contact to Nashville. It was not easy at first to get a foothold in the local country scene. With the support of producer Jack Clement a demo tape was created, which eventually came into the hands of Chet Atkins, the boss of the RCA plate division. Atkins took Pride immediately under contract. In 1966, the first single was produced, The Snake Crawls at Night. The record company waived the usual promotion. One was not sure how the radio stations would react to a black country singer.
In the same year he succeeded with Just Between You and Me, the breakthrough. Just one year later, he appeared at the Grand Ole Opry. There was a long series of number-one hits, including songs like Kiss an Angel Good Mornin ', Please Help Me I'm Falling or Is Anybody Going to San Antone? . Often he could also be placed in the pop charts. Charley Pride's success continued until the 80s. After decline in sales and problems with the record company, he joined the label in 1986. Despite some minor hits it no longer, he managed to build on its previous successes.
The black singer with 29 number - one hits one of the most commercially successful country music artists of all time. Charley Pride leads by a scandal- free life and has three children. In 2000, he received the highest honor of country music, he was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame.
Along with Dave Dudley and Hank Snow, he has become known in Germany in 1977 by a truck -stop song: " I'd like ' so much Dave Dudley hör'n, Hank Snow, and Charley Pride ... "