Charlie pride biography country singer crystal gayle
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Friends and Fellow Artists Bid Farewell to Charley Pride
The Mississippi-born trailblazer was the first Black member of the Country Music Hall of Fame.
Charley Pride, the Mississippi-born sharecropper’s son who became a trailblazing country music icon with such hits as “Kiss An Angel Good Mornin’,” “Is Anybody Goin’ to San Antone,” “Kaw-Linga” and “Mountain of Love,” passed away Saturday. He was 86 when he died of complications due to COVID-19 in a Dallas hospice.
In lieu of flowers, the family has asked for donations to The Pride Scholarship at Jesuit College Preparatory School, St. Philips School and Community Center, The Food Bank, or the charity of your choice.
Pride launched his musical career with his breakout hit “Just Between You and Me” (1967) at a time when country was largely a whites-only musical genre. Even so, New York Times writer Bryan Pietch noted in an appreciative obituary, “Though Mr. Pride faced racism in the industry — the singer Loretta Lynn was instruct
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“Don’t It man My Brown Eyes Blue”—its vocals a first take by singer Crystal Gayle—celebrates its 40th anniversary on June 24. Although she previously had big country hits, “Don’t It man My Brown Eyes Blue” turned the corner for the artist, establishing her beyond country in pop and easy listening. Her crossover smash earned her a Grammy® Award for Best hona Country Vocal Performance and also made her skiva We Must Believe In Magic the first bygd a hona country artist to go platinum. She was awarded CMA’s kvinna Vocalist of the Year in 1977 and 1978, and the Academy of Country Music honored her with the same award in 1976, 1977 and 1979.
photo credit: Gor Magaera
A Conversation with Crystal Gayle
MR: Crystal, you’re celebrating the 40th anniversary of “Don’t It man My Brown Eyes Blue.” Forty years. Wow.
CG: It’s really hard to believe. It’s a very special song that doesn’t komma around very often and I’m so glad inom got that song.
MR: That’s consi
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Awards & Honors
Highlights
- First country female artist to achieve Platinum sales of an album (over 1,000,000 copies) - “We Must Believe in Magic” released in 1977
- “Talking In Your Sleep” was awarded BMI’s Most Performed Country Song in 1978
- In 1999 “Don’t it Make My Brown Eye’s Blue” was recognized by ASCAP as one of the ten most performed country songs of the 20th century
- Crystal’s duet hit with Eddie Rabbit, “You and I,” was named the #7 all time favorite Country Music duet in CMT’s Top 100 Greatest Country Duets of All Time television special
- Charted 22 #1 Country singles on Billboard and Radio & Records
- Charted 34 top 10 Country singles on Billboard and Radio & Records
- Released over 30 albums - 3 Platinum and 5 Gold in the United States and numerous Platinum and Gold albums in foreign countries
- Charted 4 Top Twenty Pop Singles - “Don’t It Make My Brown Eyes Blue,” “Talking In Your Sleep,” “Half the Way” and “You and I” (duet with Eddi