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| 3 | 4 | | |
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| 4 | 5 | | R E S O L U T I O N |
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| 5 | 6 | | WHEREAS, Country music lost a trailblazing legend with the |
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| 6 | 7 | | death of singer Charley Pride of Dallas on December 12, 2020, at the |
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| 7 | 8 | | age of 86; and |
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| 8 | 9 | | WHEREAS, The son of Tessie Stewart Pride and Mack Pride Sr., |
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| 9 | 10 | | Charley Frank Pride was born on a sharecropping farm in Sledge, |
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| 10 | 11 | | Mississippi, on March 18, 1934; a promising athlete, he played |
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| 11 | 12 | | baseball in the Negro American League before completing his |
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| 12 | 13 | | military service; he began singing at social events in Helena, |
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| 13 | 14 | | Montana, while working at a smelting plant, and country artists Red |
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| 14 | 15 | | Sovine and Red Foley urged him to pursue a career in Nashville; in |
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| 15 | 16 | | 1964, he scored the first of 52 Top 10 country hits with "Just |
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| 16 | 17 | | Between You and Me"; he hit No. 1 nearly 30 times over the next two |
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| 17 | 18 | | decades, and his classic "Kiss An Angel Good Mornin'" introduced |
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| 18 | 19 | | his rich baritone voice to pop music fans; and |
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| 19 | 20 | | WHEREAS, Named both Male Vocalist and Entertainer of the Year |
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| 20 | 21 | | by the Country Music Association Awards in 1971, he went on to break |
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| 21 | 22 | | a color barrier by cohosting the CMAs on television four years |
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| 22 | 23 | | later; the winner of three Grammy Awards, Mr. Pride was the first |
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| 23 | 24 | | African American to join the Grand Ole Opry, and in 2000, he became |
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| 24 | 25 | | the first African American inducted into the Country Music Hall of |
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| 25 | 26 | | Fame; he was a role model and mentor to many stars, among them Brad |
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| 26 | 27 | | Paisley, Darius Rucker, and Jimmie Allen, with whom he sang at the |
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| 27 | 28 | | CMA Awards in November 2020; at this final appearance, he accepted |
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| 28 | 29 | | the Willie Nelson Lifetime Achievement Award; and |
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| 29 | 30 | | WHEREAS, Mr. Pride also enjoyed success in business as a |
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| 30 | 31 | | majority owner of a bank, and he invested in real estate, founded a |
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| 31 | 32 | | booking and management company, and partnered in a music publishing |
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| 32 | 33 | | firm; devoted to his family, he shared a fulfilling marriage of 63 |
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| 33 | 34 | | years with his wife, Ebby Rozene Cohran Pride; he took great pride |
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| 34 | 35 | | in his children, Carlton, Charles, and Angela, along with his five |
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| 35 | 36 | | grandchildren, Carlton, Malachi, Syler, Ebby, and Arrentino, and |
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| 36 | 37 | | two great-grandchildren, Skyler and Carlton; and |
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| 37 | 38 | | WHEREAS, Gracious and kind, as well as immensely gifted, |
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| 38 | 39 | | Charley Pride earned a special place in the hearts of innumerable |
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| 39 | 40 | | people, and his music will remain a source of joy and inspiration in |
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| 40 | 41 | | the years to come; now, therefore, be it |
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| 41 | 42 | | RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 87th Texas |
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| 42 | 43 | | Legislature hereby pay tribute to the life of Charley Pride and |
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| 43 | 44 | | extend sincere condolences to all who mourn his passing; and, be it |
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| 44 | 45 | | further |
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| 45 | 46 | | RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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| 46 | 47 | | prepared for his family and that when the Texas House of |
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| 47 | 48 | | Representatives adjourns this day, it do so in memory of Charley |
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| 48 | 49 | | Pride. |
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