Country music pioneer Charley Pride has died at 86. According to reports, the singer passed away on Saturday, Dec. 12.
Corporate-owned news outlets immediately attributed his death to “complications from Covid-19.”
Normally media outlets will wait for an autopsy to determine the cause of death. A coroner’s report usually takes a week to 2 weeks.
But nowadays, media outlets rush to label celebrity deaths as Covid-19-related — particularly if the celebrity is Black.
Country music’s first black superstar enjoyed 29 number ones and multiple top 10 hits in the U.S. charts with songs like “Crystal Chandeliers”, “Is Anybody Goin’ to San Antone”, and “Mountain of Love.”
One of 11 kids, Pride was born in Mississippi and became a baseball prospect after serving in the U.S. Army. When his sports career didn’t pan out he moved to Nashville, Tennessee in the early 1960s with a dream of becoming a recording artist. Chet Atkins eventually signed him to a contract with RCA and his career took off.
Pride won the CMA Entertainer of the Year in 1971 and three Grammys the following year for his gospel songs “Let Me Live” and “Did You Think to Pray.”
In 1973, he picked up another Grammy for Best Male Country Vocal Performance for the album Charley Pride Sings Heart Songs.
In 2000 he was elected to the Country Music Hall of Fame.
Dolly Parton was among the first pay tribute to Pride following the news of his death – she wrote:
“I’m so heartbroken that one of my dearest and oldest friends, Charley Pride, has passed away. It’s even worse to know that he passed away from COVID-19. What a horrible, horrible virus. Charley, we will always love you.”
