Charley Pride: Country World Shocked by Legend's Death

The country music world is in mourning Saturday following the death of Charley Pride, the genre's first Black superstar who was known for a rich baritone singing voice. Pride died Saturday in Dallas from complications of the coronavirus at age 86. His death comes almost a month to the day after he was honored at the Country Music Association Awards, where he received the Willie Nelson Lifetime Achievement Award and performed his signature song "Kiss an Angel Good Mornin'" with Jimmie Allen.

Pride was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2000, and he recorded dozens of hit singles during a six-decade career. Some of his biggest hits include "All I Have to Offer You (Is Me)," "(I'm So Afraid of Losing You Again," "Is Anybody Goin' to San Antone," "I Can't Believe That You've Stopped Loving Me," "I'm Just Me" and "Honky Tonk Blues." He recorded an astonishing 52 Top 10 country hits between 1967 and 1987. Pride also played baseball in the Negro Leagues during the 1950s and briefly served in the Army.

Although Pride was the second Black Grand Ole Opry member following DeFord Bailey, he was a major influence on other Black country artists. "If there was no Charley Pride, there wouldn't be Darius (Rucker), me, Kane (Brown), Mickey (Guyton), Cowboy Troy and any other Black country artist that's on their way right now," Allen said recently, notes the Associated Press. Allen joined Pride and Rucker, the third Black member of the Grand Ole Opry, for the 2020 single "Why Things Happen." Scroll on for a look at how other members of the country music world remembered Pride.