Charley Pride now has his rightful place alongside the other country music icons outside of Nashville’s most iconic building.
The trailblazer was honored today with the addition of his statue on the Icon Walk outside of the historic Ryman Auditorium, joining fellow country music legends Loretta Lynn, Bill Monroe and Little Jimmy Dickens.
The Icon Walk recognizes legends who have paved the way for others in country music, with statues of Monroe and Dickens being added in 2017 before the addition of Lynn in 2020. The statues, created by sculptor Ben Watts, take a full year to create.
Sadly, Pride passed away in December 2020 from complications of COVID, but his wife Rozene and son Dion were on hand at the Ryman today for the statue’s unveiling.
During his legendary career, Charley Pride scored an astounding 41 chart-topping hits, along with three GRAMMY awards, two CMA Awards for Top Male Vocalist and a win for Entertainer of the Year in 1971.
Along the way, Charley helped to break the color barrier in country music, becoming the genre’s first black superstar.
They don’t make ’em like Charley Pride anymore, but it’s great to see him take his rightful place outside the Mother Church of Country Music alongside some of the other legends of the genre. I can’t think of anyone more deserving to be honored for their contributions to country music.