H.R. No. 405
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, Country music lost a trailblazing legend with the
death of singer Charley Pride of Dallas on December 12, 2020, at the
age of 86; and
WHEREAS, The son of Tessie Stewart Pride and Mack Pride Sr.,
Charley Frank Pride was born on a sharecropping farm in Sledge,
Mississippi, on March 18, 1934; a promising athlete, he played
baseball in the Negro American League before completing his
military service; he began singing at social events in Helena,
Montana, while working at a smelting plant, and country artists Red
Sovine and Red Foley urged him to pursue a career in Nashville; in
1964, he scored the first of 52 Top 10 country hits with "Just
Between You and Me"; he hit No. 1 nearly 30 times over the next two
decades, and his classic "Kiss An Angel Good Mornin'" introduced
his rich baritone voice to pop music fans; and
WHEREAS, Named both Male Vocalist and Entertainer of the Year
by the Country Music Association Awards in 1971, he went on to break
a color barrier by cohosting the CMAs on television four years
later; the winner of three Grammy Awards, Mr. Pride was the first
African American to join the Grand Ole Opry, and in 2000, he became
the first African American inducted into the Country Music Hall of
Fame; he was a role model and mentor to many stars, among them Brad
Paisley, Darius Rucker, and Jimmie Allen, with whom he sang at the
CMA Awards in November 2020; at this final appearance, he accepted
the Willie Nelson Lifetime Achievement Award; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Pride also enjoyed success in business as a
majority owner of a bank, and he invested in real estate, founded a
booking and management company, and partnered in a music publishing
firm; devoted to his family, he shared a fulfilling marriage of 63
years with his wife, Ebby Rozene Cohran Pride; he took great pride
in his children, Carlton, Charles, and Angela, along with his five
grandchildren, Carlton, Malachi, Syler, Ebby, and Arrentino, and
two great-grandchildren, Skyler and Carlton; and
WHEREAS, Gracious and kind, as well as immensely gifted,
Charley Pride earned a special place in the hearts of innumerable
people, and his music will remain a source of joy and inspiration in
the years to come; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 87th Texas
Legislature hereby pay tribute to the life of Charley Pride and
extend sincere condolences to all who mourn his passing; and, be it
further
RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
prepared for his family and that when the Texas House of
Representatives adjourns this day, it do so in memory of Charley
Pride.
Turner of Dallas
______________________________
Speaker of the House
I certify that H.R. No. 405 was unanimously adopted by a
rising vote of the House on March 25, 2021.
______________________________
Chief Clerk of the House