There's Only One Charley Pride

In 1966, Charley Pride's debut country single, "The Snakes Crawl at Night," was deliberately mailed out to radio stations without a photo of him. That way, his label strategized, his voice alone would inform the industry's first impression before Pride's African American identity was widely known. On the one hand, this oft-repeated tale underscores the blatant racism of the 1960s country music business and, on the other, the belief that his singing could nonetheless sell itself. Within months, his anonymity had ended and his hits had begun, initiating a phenomenal run of commercial success that would stretch into the mid-'80s, across massive stylistic and cultural upheaval.

In the midst of it, Pride was recognized as the all-around best in his field, winning the male vocalist and entertainer of the year trophies at the 1971 CMA Awards. His was one of the great country music careers. Eventually, he received the level of institutional recognition that he deserved: induction into the Country Music Hall of Fame, though that didn't come until he'd been eligible for nearly a decade, and lifetime achievement awards from the Grammys in 2017 and the CMAs before he on Dec. 12.