Charley Pride Dead: Reba McEntire Mourns Late Country Legend and His ‘Big Heart’

Reba McEntire was among the many country music stars mourning the death of Charley Pride. The Country Music Hall of Famer died on Saturday in Dallas from complications of the coronavirus. He was 86. Pride only performed at the Country Music Association Awards, where he accepted a lifetime achievement award, just last month.

“Charley Pride will always be a legend in Country music,” McEntire shared on Twitter, alongside a photo of Pride. “He will truly be missed but will always be remembered for his great music, wonderful personality, and his big heart. My thoughts are with his wife Rozene and their family. RIP, Charley.” McEntire co-hosted the CMA Awards on Nov. 11 with Darius Rucker. Pride, Rucker, and DeFord Bailey are the only three Black members of the Grand Ole Opry.

Rucker has not commented on Pride’s death, but in an interview with Color Me Country with Rissi Palmer before the CMAs, the “Beers and Sunshine” singer noted the importance of Pride’s music. “It overwhelmed me because I’ve really started to study the history of all this stuff and country music,” Rucker said of co-hosting the show. “I remember Charley [Pride] getting to do it back in the day and how big of a deal that was and how huge of a thing that was in the business.”

Pride’s influence on today’s country artists was on full display during the ceremony when Jimmie Allen presented Pride with the 2020 Willie Nelson Lifetime Achievement Award. Allen also joined Pride for a performance of his signature song, “Kiss an Angel Good Mornin.’” Allen, Rucker, and Pride also recorded the single “Why Things Happen” earlier this year.

During an episode of Southern Living‘s Biscuits & Jam podcast in November, Allen said Pride was an inspiration to him. “In a time where people were still publicly hanging … Black people on the streets, he’s putting on concerts, being called tons of crazy names, keeping his cool, still putting on a show,” Allen said at the time. “He showed them that people didn’t really care what you look like — because if that’s the case, you wouldn’t have thousands of White people going to see this Black dude on stage, and paying money to see him.”

Pride’s remarkable career began in the 1960s, and he continued racking up hit after hit into the 1980s. Some of his biggest singles include “Is Anybody Goin’ to San Antone,” “I Can’t Believe That You’ve Stopped Loving Me,” “I’m Just Me,” “It’s Gonna Take a Little Bit Longer,” “Don’t Fight the Feelings of Love,” “Then Who Am I,” and “Honky Tonk Blues.” Pride is survived by his wife Rozene, sons Kraig and Dion and daughter Angela.