Charley Pride Recalled Making a “Pathway” for Black Country Singers One Month Before His Death

Charley Pride, who died on Dec. 12 of coronavirus complications at age 86, recalled breaking barriers as one of the most prolific Black country artists backstage at the Country Music Awards on Nov. 11. 

The “Kiss the Angel Good Mornin'” singer, who was joined onstage by Jimmie Allen, spoke to E! News in the virtual press room at the awards show about how he wasn’t the only groundbreaking Black artist at the time paving the way in the music genre.

“People say, so how does it feel to make a pathway for country music Black singers? I said, well, it’s fine with me. But they’ve been saying it to me like that, but we had big Al Downings, we had Stoney Edwards. A guy came, and he was a doctor, he started when I first got out…what was his name?  Cleve Francis! I worked with him,” explained Pride. “So, I have been given credit for breaking paths for the people that look like one of us.”