Charley Pride
Singer · Baseball
Charley Pride was an American country singer and former professional baseball player who became country music’s first Black superstar. Between 1969 and 1983, he had 29 number-one country singles, won the Country Music Association’s Entertainer of the Year award in 1971, and was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2000. Before his music career, he played professional baseball in the Negro American League and minor leagues. [2][3]
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Career and work
Pride first pursued a career in professional baseball, playing in the Negro American League and later in minor-league organizations before injuries and military service helped bring that path to an end. He then turned increasingly toward music, eventually signing with RCA Victor in the 1960s. [1][3]
He became one of country music’s most successful performers, with hits including “Kiss an Angel Good Mornin’,” “Is Anybody Goin’ to San Antone” and “All I Have to Offer You (Is Me).” Pride won the Country Music Association’s Entertainer of the Year award in 1971 and Male Vocalist of the Year in both 1971 and 1972, and he was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2000. [2]
What has been publicly discussed
“I finally came to terms with manic depression and lithium. I’ve taken lithium regularly for the past few years and have had no further bouts with manic depression.”
— Charley Pride [1]
