The award I am most looking forward to see presented at tomorrow night’s Country Music Association (CMA) Awards is the Willie Nelson Lifetime Achievement Award to Charley Pride. No offense to any of the nominees or winners in the other categories – those achievements are remarkable in themselves. But I have a personal interest in Charley’s award.

But first, some numbers. Of the 67 singles Charley Pride has had on the Billboard Country Music chart, 29 of them have been #1 hits – that’s an astounding 43% of his singles reaching the top of the chart! Those 29 #1 hits stayed at the top for a combined total of 49 weeks – that’s almost an entire year!

My mom was and is a huge Charley Pride fan. That’s how I first became aware of him, by listening to my mom’s albums (and 8-tracks). And I would see him on TV, on award shows and shows like “Hee Haw” and “The Tommy Hunter Show.” I loved his voice, how rich and deep it was, and I appreciated how positive most of his music was (in 1988, for example, he recorded a single called “I’m Gonna Hurt Her on the Radio,” the song telling how the singer was going to hurt an ex-flame by requesting and dedicating certain songs to her – but Charley had the song changed to “I’m Gonna Love Her on the Radio,” putting his unique positive spin on the song). There were no fancy production techniques. It was simple and straight-forward country music.

What I didn’t know about Charley was that he was the first solo artist and the first country artist to sing the American national anthem at the Super Bowl (Super Bowl VIII in 1974). I did know that for a time during the 20 years he was on RCA Records, only one other artist on the label outsold him…Elvis Presley. That’s pretty remarkable for a country artist!

I never imagined I would meet such a big star. But I did. October 4, 1983 at Hamilton Place in Hamilton, Ont. I still have my ticket stub from that show. I was only three years into my radio career and I was to interview Charley backstage before the show. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but what I found amazed me. In spite of all his huge success, he was so down-to-earth, so warm and friendly. And his eyes lit up when I asked him about an interest of his…astrology. I could tell he hadn’t been asked about that too many times.

A few years later, I moved from my hometown of Welland to Kitchener for a new job at CKGL radio. And the opportunity to meet Charley happened again a few more times when he would perform at the Centre in the Square. And again, he impressed me.

It had been a few years since I had seen him last and I was to take some station contest winners backstage to meet him. He remembered me. And when I said I should go get the listeners, he said, “Well, wait a few minutes. Let’s catch up.” He asked me if I was still in touch with some of the announcers back in Welland. His amazing memory impressed me. Charley asked me how I was doing. I said, “Well, I’m a little older and a little heavier,” as I put my hands on either side of my stomach. To my complete surprise, he said, “Me, too,” and pulled up his sweater to show me his bare gut! I couldn’t believe what I was seeing! Here was a country music superstar, award winner, even a Grammy award winner, treating me like an old friend and sharing a special impromptu bonding moment that only friends would share. And it made me realize how so human and real he was away from the trappings of stardom.

Many years later, I moved to Tillsonburg to work at Country 107.3 and the opportunity to talk to Charley on the phone came up. I had heard there was talk about turning Charley’s autobiography into a full-length feature film and the talk was professional wrestler and actor Duane “The Rock” Johnson was interested in playing Charley. Obviously, it hasn’t happened but I cracked a simple, silly joke and Charley’s reaction surprised me. I let him know I had some acting experience and could contribute to the film. At first, he was a bit surprised and said, “Oh.” I then told him I was in a school play in Grade 3 and played a tree. He laughed. But what surprised me was that he laughed for a long time and that he wasn’t doing it just to make me feel good. He really thought it was very funny.

Charley often said to me and to others that he was in the business of selling feelings and emotions with his music. He succeeded. There are so many of his songs that are so easy to relate to. It’s hard to find any song that captures who Charley Pride is than his 1971 hit “I’m Just Me.”

(with Larry Mercey)

I last saw Charley three years ago at a concert of his in Kitchener, again at the Centre in the Square. Backstage, I pointed out a nearby room and reminded him that was where he had flashed his stomach to me so many years ago. It was great to just reminisce. It was also special to see Charley greet some very special and mutual friends, like Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame member Larry Mercey. Charley had recorded a song Larry had written. And Canadian country music icon, Tommy Hunter, who was walking with the aide of a cane, drove himself all the way from London to Kitchener to see Charley.

(with Tommy Hunter)

So, tomorrow night I’ll be watching. Under normal circumstances, I would expect to see the TV image flash to a quick shot of the audience giving Charley a much-deserved standing ovation as I try to catch sight of his wife of 64 years, Rozene. But I expect the presentation will be different due to Covid restrictions. Still, I expect the presentation will include some amazing facts about his incredible accomplishments as a country music icon and may even mention his love of baseball. And while he will be recognized for his legendary status in the history of country music and beyond its borders, I’ll think not of the legend but of the man, the man who impressed me more with how real, how humble and how down-to-earth he remained throughout the amazing heights his career has taken him.

Congratulations, my friend. Thank you for such an astounding catalogue of music. Thank you for touching and bringing together so many millions of people with your songs. Thank you for being just you.