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SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 232
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In Memory |
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of |
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Charley Frank Pride |
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WHEREAS, The Senate of the State of Texas honors and |
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commemorates the life of Charley Frank Pride, a pioneering |
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country music legend, who died on December 12, 2020, at the age of |
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86; and |
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WHEREAS, A native of Sledge, Mississippi, Charley Pride |
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was born on March 18, 1934, as the fourth of 11 children in a |
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family of sharecroppers; he developed a love of baseball and |
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music at a young age, and his mother bought him his first guitar |
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when he was 14 years old; and |
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WHEREAS, Charley left home for Memphis to seek out a career |
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in professional baseball, and in 1952, he was signed by the |
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Memphis Red Sox, and he went on to become an All-Star pitcher in |
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the Negro American League; he was drafted into the United States |
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Army in 1956, and he married Ebby Rozene Cohrad, his best friend |
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and spiritual partner, while on leave that same year; after his |
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military service, he played baseball on several minor league |
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teams in Montana while also working as a smelter and performing |
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at clubs in a four-piece band, the Night Hawks; his rise to |
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musical stardom began in 1965, when he moved to Nashville and the |
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influential country music producer Chet Atkins signed him to the |
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RCA Victor record label; and |
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WHEREAS, Charley released his first single through RCA |
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Victor in 1966; he landed on the country music charts with his |
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third single, "Just Between You and Me," and he became the first |
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black performer to appear at the Grand Ole Opry since founding |
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member DeFord Bailey appeared there more than 25 years earlier; |
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in 1971, he released his biggest hit, "Kiss an Angel Good |
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Morning," a song that reached the pop music charts and was among |
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the Top-10 songs on the adult contemporary charts; he also earned |
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Grammy Awards in 1971 for Best Sacred Performance and Best Gospel |
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Performance and was named the Country Music Association's |
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Entertainer of the Year, and the following year, he won a Grammy |
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Award for Best Male Country Vocal Performance; and |
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WHEREAS, Over the next five decades, Charley amassed more |
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than 50 Top-10 country hits, including 30 Number-1 hits; he |
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routinely was sold out at American venues, and he developed a |
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strong and loyal following in Ireland and the United Kingdom, |
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which led to the sale of millions of albums worldwide; and |
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WHEREAS, Charley and his beloved wife, Rozene, settled in |
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Dallas during his music career, and he remained a treasured |
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honorary Texan for the rest of his life; he was a devoted father |
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to three children, Carlton Kraig, Charles Dion, and Angela |
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Rozene, and his five grandchildren and two great-grandchildren |
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enriched his life immeasurably; and |
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WHEREAS, A lifelong baseball fan, Charley often sang the |
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National Anthem at Texas Rangers games, and in 2021, the team |
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dedicated a baseball field in his name and established the |
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Charley Pride Internship for minority college students to train |
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for careers in baseball; and |
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WHEREAS, Charley was inducted into the Grand Ole Opry in |
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1993, and he was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame |
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in 1999; in 2000, he was inducted into the Country Music Hall of |
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Fame; his trailblazing contributions to country music's rich |
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heritage were recognized with the Willie Nelson Lifetime |
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Achievement Award in 2020; and |
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WHEREAS, Known for his smooth baritone voice and his |
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friendly, graceful demeanor, Charley Pride remained kindhearted |
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and humble, even after his remarkable talents brought him to the |
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height of celebrity; his gentle presence inspired all who were |
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blessed with his company, and his contributions to American music |
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will continue to be appreciated for generations to come; now, |
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therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the Senate of the State of Texas, 87th |
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Legislature, hereby extend sincere condolences to the bereaved |
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family of Charley Frank Pride; and, be it further |
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RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution be prepared for |
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his family as an expression of deepest sympathy from the Texas |
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Senate and that when the Senate adjourns this day, it do so in |
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memory of Charley Pride. |
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West |
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Bettencourt |
Hinojosa |
Paxton |
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Buckingham |
Johnson |
Schwertner |
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Campbell |
Kolkhorst |
Seliger |
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Patrick, President of the Senate |
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________________________________ |
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President of the Senate |
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I hereby certify that the |
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above Resolution was adopted by |
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the Senate on April 12, 2021, by a |
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rising vote. |
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________________________________ |
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Secretary of the Senate |
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________________________________ |
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Member, Texas Senate |