Charley Pride on November 11, 2020 in Nashville -
Ford Fairchild / Country Music Association Inc / Shutterstock / SIPA
A pioneer of country music, American singer Charley Pride died on Saturday in Texas at the age of 86 from Covid-19 disease, his family said in a statement.
Born in 1934 in the then segregated Mississippi (South), Pride had its heyday in the 1970s with hits like
Kiss an Angel Good Mornin '
.
He had become for his label RCA Records the performer achieving the best sales in the United States since Elvis Presley.
He was also the first black admitted to the Country Music Hall of Fame.
Tributes immediately poured in, the legendary Dolly Parton saying she was "heartbroken".
“Charley, we will love you forever,” she tweeted.
A "true pioneer"
For his part, country singer Billy Ray Cyrus hailed a "true pioneer", believing that "he has brought down the walls and the barriers erected to divide".
Former President George W. Bush also praised Charley Pride, referring to a "refined man with a formidable voice".
His passing comes a month after attending the Country Music Association's 54th Annual Awards ceremony in Nashville, Tennessee, where he received an award for his extraordinary career.
Organizers said he tested negative before the awards ceremony.
In a statement posted to his Facebook page, his family said he "felt happy to have had so many wonderful fans all over the world" and wished they "took this virus very seriously" .
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