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Charley Pride accepted the coveted Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2020 Country Music Association Awards on Wednesday night.
“With all of the people who have been influenced by my life, what my life has been influenced by, I have to say something about some of them,” said Pride, 86, in his acceptance speech before thanking a host of people including Jack Clement, a renowned country producer, engineer and songwriter who produced Pride’s first 13 RCA albums.
Pride was named CMA Artist of the Year in 1971 and inducted into the CMA Hall of Fame in 2000. During his career, starting in 1966 and into the 1980s, he achieved 52 top 10 hits. top of the Billboard Country Song Chart. , 30 of which were No. 1. Pride is one of the few black artists to become a member of the Grand Ole Opry, Nashville’s esteemed weekly country music event.
The Pride Award comes at a time when some black country performers have said they have been overlooked when it comes to the opportunities and recognition given to their white counterparts. Seeing him win is a proud moment in the industry, as many credit Pride for paving the way for country music that black artists can follow.
Singer Jimmy Allen has said that without Pride there wouldn’t be himself, Darius Rucker, Kane Brown, Mickey Guyton, Cowboy Troy, or “any other black country artist that’s on the way right now,” according to the ‘Associated Press. Allen added that Pride’s accomplishments are even more remarkable given that he earned them in the civil rights era while facing discrimination and breaking down barriers.
Allen joined Pride on stage at the CMAs to perform the 1971 veteran’s classic “Kiss an Angel Good Morning”. After the heartfelt duet, Allen presented his “hero” with the Willie Nelson Lifetime Achievement Award.
“So grateful to have been able to play with Charley Pride tonight”, Allen tweeted. “Tonight was really special for me.
Allen discussed what the opportunity meant to him in a video diary shot before the awards show.
In a separate interview, Allen cried as he spoke of the impact of Pride and other black country artists on his development.
Joshua Taylor, a “country music enthusiast,” said in a series of tweets: “For those who may not realize how much of an achievement this is: Charley Pride’s early hits came out without an image of him. He first took the stage in Detroit to great applause only to silence the crowd, realizing he was black. The applause returned once he made an opening joke and started singing.
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