Episode re-airs Nov 5th
Charley Pride is the subject of PBS’ American Masters docu-series set to re-air this week on NPT-HD. American Masters – Charley Pride: I’m Just Me traces the improbable journey of Charley Pride, from his humble beginnings as a sharecropper’s son on a cotton farm in segregated Sledge, Mississippi to his career as a Negro League baseball player and his meteoric rise as a trailblazing country music superstar. The new documentary reveals how Pride’s love for music led him from the Delta to a larger, grander world. In the 1940s, radio transcended racial barriers, making it possible for Pride to grow up listening to and emulating Grand Ole Opry stars like Ernest Tubb and Roy Acuff. The singer arrived in Nashville in 1963 while the city roiled with sit-ins and racial violence. But with boldness, perseverance, and undeniable musical talent, he managed to parlay a series of fortuitous encounters with music industry insiders into a legacy of hit singles, a Recording Academy “Lifetime Achievement Award” and a place in the Country Music Hall of Fame.
The film includes original interviews with country music royalty, including Garth Brooks, Dolly Parton, Brad Paisley, Darius Rucker, and Marty Stuart. It also includes several on-camera conversations between Pride and special guests, including Rozene Pride (his wife of 61 years), Willie Nelson, and other fellow musicians. The film also features many songs from his repertoire of classic country hits, along with more modern cuts like “Standing In My Way,” from his latest album Music In My Heart, released in 2017.
“At a time when African-American singers were more notable for R&B hits, Charley Pride followed his passion for country music, overcoming obstacles through determination and raw talent to make a lasting impact on the genre and create a legacy that continues today,” states Michael Kantor, executive producer of American Masters. “We are honored to share the inspiring, and largely untold, story of this barrier-breaking performer with viewers nationwide.”
American Masters – Charley Pride: I’m Just Me re-airs on NPT-HD Thursday, November 5th at 9 pm ET and midnight ET, Monday, November 9th at 9 am ET, Tuesday, November 10th at 2 pm ET, December 5th at 1 am and 5 am ET.
American Masters – Charley Pride: I’m Just Me is a production of Corridor Group Productions Inc in association with THIRTEEN’s American Masters and ITVS. The film is directed by Barbara Hall, who is also an executive producer. Co-executive producers are Greg Hall, Suzanne Kessler, and Ed Lanquist. Jon Schouten is the producer. Editors are Matthew Walsh and Chris Windings. The writer is Jon Schouten. Michael Kantor is American Masters series executive producer.
Charley Pride will receive its 2020 Willie Nelson Lifetime Achievement Award at the 54th Annual CMA Awards, broadcasting live from Nashville’s Music City Center Wednesday, November 11th on ABC. He will also be featured on “Where the Cross Don’t Burn” on Garth Brooks’ upcoming FUN album, available November 20th.
