Chris Young, Scotty McCreery Pay Tribute to Charley Pride During Grand Ole Opry Concert

Chris Young, Scott McCreery, and several others paid tribute to the late Charley Pride during their Grand Ole Opry performances on Saturday. Their appearances came just hours after Pride died. The legendary country singer reportedly passed away on Saturday at the age of 86 due to COVID-19 complications.

On Saturday evening, Young gave a rousing and emotional performance of “Kiss an Angel Good Mornin” to pay tribute to Pride, per Music Mayhem Magazine. The track was originally written by Ben Peters and was recorded by Country Music Hall of Famer Pride. The song became one of Pride’s most well-known singles after it was released as the first single from his album, Charley Pride Sings Heart Songs. During Young’s performance of the track, the Opry showcased photos of Pride in a slideshow that played in the background. Young said during the program, “Sadly, today we learned of the passing of a true country icon, Mr. Charley Pride. Country music has truly lost a legend and we’d like to honor him with one of his songs tonight.” He ended his performance by saying, “We’re gonna miss you buddy.” The “Raised On Country” singer previously paid tribute to Pride on social media following the news of his passing. He wrote, “I had the honor of meeting Charley Pride several times over the years… absolutely gutted to hear of his passing.” (Young performs the song at the 57:06 mark in the video below.)

Not only did Young pay tribute to Pride, but many of the other singers who performed during the special, including McCreery, also paid their respects to the late legend. The American Idol alum dedicated his performance of “5 More Minutes” to Pride, ending his performance by saying, “We love you, Charley.” Actor Dennis Quaid also performed during the course of the night, dedicating his rendition of “On My Way To Heaven” to Pride.

Pride, who was the first Black country superstar, reportedly died on Saturday. His publicist, Jeremy Westby, confirmed that the singer died in Dallas, Texas, due to complications from COVID-19. He was one of only three Black members of the Grand Ole Opry (with the two other performers being DeFord Bailey and Darius Rucker). Pride most recently appeared at the CMA Awards on Nov. 11 to accept the Willie Nelson Lifetime Achievement Award. During the ceremony, he also performed the track “Kiss an Angel Good Mornin.”