Two days before Martin Luther King Day, country-music icon Charley Pride turned up as the guest of honor at a charity event in Dallas. Pride, the son of a Mississippi sharecropper and one of the few black C&W stars, didn’t want to talk much Saturday night. (The Dallas resident talked a whole lot more back in 2008 with Zac Crain, who wrote a great profile of Pride for D.) When I asked the pioneering singer Saturday what he thought of today’s country music, he said, “It’s a little different from what we did. I’d say it’s about 70 rock, 30 country.” He’s 71 now, and still performing more than 30 dates a year. And his attitude toward race still seems in keeping with the true spirit of Dr. King. “I don’t have no skin hang-ups,” Pride (pictured) once said. “I’m no color. I’m just Charley Pride, the man.” He can say that again.
Get the D Brief Newsletter
Dallas’ most important news stories of the week, delivered to your inbox each Sunday.
Related Articles
Government & Law
The Lawyer Who Landlords Don’t Want to See in Court
Attorney Mark Melton started helping people on Facebook during the pandemic. Before he knew it, he’d assembled the country’s only group of lawyers focused full time on stopping illegal evictions—and saving taxpayers millions.
By Matt Goodman
Home & Garden
Kitchen Confidential—The Return of the Scullery
The scullery is seeing a resurgence, allowing hosts and home chefs to put their best foot forward—and keep messes behind closed doors.
By Lydia Brooks