Charlie Pride

‘Country Music Porch Thoughts’

One of the world’s most loved performers, three-time Grammy Award winner and most respected member of the Grand Ole Opry and Country Music of Hall of Fame, Charley Pride returns to Australia for a long overdue national tour.

Nestled between those of Gladys Knight and Leonard Bernstein, Charley’s star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame is something to be proud of, and, as part-owner of the Texas Rangers Baseball Team, his generosity has won the hearts of millions of baseball and music fans the world over.

From humble beginnings in his family’s home in Mississippi, USA, Charley’s legendary music career was launched ‘accidentally’ in the late 1950’s through his love of baseball, and has continued over many decades, with unsurpassed success in country music entertainment.

The launch of his new greatest hits collection ‘40 Years of Pride’ precedes a much-anticipated series of concerts, performed for both new and loyal long-time fans across Australia.

Charley’s energy, honesty and love for performing make him an unstoppable entertainer and whilst preparing for his Australian tour, he recalled having some of his greatest memories on his porch at his childhood home on a cotton farm in country Mississippi.

You grew up in a large family and enjoyed regular ‘me time’ on you front porch. Can you recall what you thought about?

I shared a very small space with 10 siblings, so sometimes I’d just go out on the porch and look at the clouds, and imagine I could walk on them, dreaming of what I would do with my life.

How do you imagine your musical life would be, had your early baseball playing plans gone the way you intended?

Like most American kids, my goal was to succeed as a Major League Baseball player by the time I was 35. I was doing pretty well as a Pitcher, before a badly-timed injury sent me down a different path. Instead of playing the game for The Rangers, I wound up off-field singing the national anthem, or entertaining the team while travelling between ballparks.

You’ve blazed a few trails with musical and other firsts over your 50+ year career. Is there anything else you wish you’d been first at, apart from music?

Well, I would love to have gone to Hollywood and become an actor like John Wayne. People now say my music was meant to be, ‘otherwise we may never have heard you sing’. I certainly wouldn’t have had much time for singing with a league baseball career. Industry emphasis has been placed on African-American musicians overcoming cultural barriers in their careers.

How has this affected the path your life has taken?

I was fortunate not to have any barriers, in music or baseball, thanks to people like Jackie Robinson. My music career started during the Civil Rights movement, so other entertainers before me had also helped to pave the way. During my career, I’ve had not one ‘hoot-call’ from the audience, or any issues playing with other musicians. Many people don’t believe it, but I explain that audiences thankfully focus on my accomplishments instead. I tell them, ‘well, maybe Martin Luther King had all the answers, but I don’t – I just keep singing and doing what I love and what audiences want me to do.’ You’re a great representative of gentlemen who hail from the Southern States.

Do you believe your strong spirituality and gospel roots were a good foundation to keep you ‘grounded’ despite the trappings of fame?

I don’t think Gospel was a major influence on my music, but I do feel my background had something to do with achieving that balance. Basically, we work with people’s feelings and emotions – and I like to do a good job at that.

The ‘Charley Pride Story’ was captured beautifully in your autobiography that was going to be adapted into a movie some years ago. Is that still going ahead?

I’d been working on its movie adaptation, before the Hollywood actors’ strike in 2008. Although Paramount took on the project, a change of management had it put on hold. The new studio mindset favoured more action ‘shoot-em-up’-type movies, rather than biographical productions similar to those of Loretta Lynn, Ray Charles and Johnny Cash. That was disappointing, but we’re working to get the movie back on track.

Your album sales are second only to Elvis Presley’s. What influence did Elvis’s music have on your early career?

I closely followed Elvis’s music and in 1971, after I won the CMA’s ‘Entertainer of the Year’ award, I told my manager I wanted to perform in Vegas. When he suggested a few of the smaller clubs there, I said I wanted to play where the ‘big acts’ play. I went to three of Elvis’s openings at the Hilton International in Las Vegas, and I loved it when he sang a line from one of my songs. My band and I were invited up to his suites, and ultimately returned to play at the Hilton.

What was your experience of country music appreciation in Australia when you were here last, and what are you expecting to see during your tour in November?

It’s been 17 years since I’ve toured Australia. We enjoyed every town we played back then, all over the country from Darwin to Alice Springs, Perth to Port Hedland, MacKay to Townsville, Melbourne and Hobart. Australian audiences seemed to appreciate our music. I am also hoping to come back to return with my movie completed, to help give me a boost’ for the next tour.

You do realise that you’ve never ‘needed a boost’ with Melbourne audiences?

Well, I can’t wait to see my Melbourne fans. It feels good to receive back so much from what I give to people.

What is the most notable change you’ve seen in country music, whether in the U.S., Australia or elsewhere in the world?

I’ve performed all over, including Canada, Sweden and Tokyo, but I remember my first tour of Australia, when your population was only 13 million people. Back then, someone had calculated that every household must have a copy of one of my albums! A lot has changed Down Under - including the population - but not your appreciation for great music.

What’s the next project in line for you after the Australian tour?

Once I’m back home, I’ll be going to Spring Training in Arizona with the Rangers’ baseball team. After that, I’ll be performing at some more venues closer to home.

What is your Porch Thought For The Day?

“Take time to look at the clouds. My best memory of doing that was years ago, but it wasn’t for musical inspiration - I sing other people’s songs. However, one time on my porch, I actually did write a song based on an old tale about what would happen to kids if they were awake when Santa Claus came at Christmas time: they’d get ashes thrown in their eyes! I knew that wouldn’t actually happen, but I wrote a song called ‘Santa and the Kids’. It was no ‘Help Me Make It Through The Night’, but it was a fun song!”