Charley Pride Offers Special Screening Of ‘American Masters’ PBS Special

Pictured (L-R): Billy Yates, Dickey Lee, Shane Owens, Tanya Tucker, Charley Pride, Sylvia, J.D. Shelburne, Jimmie Allen

Country Music Hall of Fame member Charley Pride offered a special premiere screening of his upcoming PBS, American Masters – Charley Pride: I’m Just Me, on Wednesday night (Jan. 30) at Belmont University. Billy Yates, Dickey Lee, Shane Owens, Tanya Tucker, Sylvia, J.D. Shelburne, Jimmie Allen and many more were present to get a first look at the documentary that’s due out Friday, Feb. 22.

Pictured (L-R): Robert K. Oermann, Charley Pride, Peter Cooper, Barbara Hall

The man of the hour was in attendance at the premiere, and he joined esteemed music journalist Robert K. Oermann, the Country Music Hall of Fame’s Peter Cooper, and the film’s Director and Executive Producer Barbara Hall for a Q&A panel after the screening.

American Masters – Charley Pride: I’m Just Me traces Pride’s journey, from his humble beginnings as a sharecropper’s son on a cotton farm in segregated Mississippi to his career as a Negro League baseball player and his meteoric rise as a trailblazing country music superstar. Pride arrived in Nashville in 1963, while the city was in the thick of civil rights demonstrations and racial violence. But with boldness, perseverance and undeniable musical talent, he managed to grow his career into a legacy of hit singles, a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award and a place in the Country Music Hall of Fame.

The film features original interviews with country music stars, including Garth Brooks, Dolly Parton, Brad Paisley, Darius Rucker and Marty Stuart, as well as on-camera conversations between Pride and special guests, including Rozene Pride (his wife of 61 years), Willie Nelson and fellow musicians.

“At a time when African-American singers were more notable for R&B hits, Charley Pride followed his passion for country music, overcoming obstacles through determination and raw talent to make a lasting impact on the genre and create a legacy that continues today,” said Michael Kantor, executive producer of American Masters. “We are honored to share the inspiring, and largely untold, story of this barrier-breaking performer with viewers nationwide.”

Pictured (L-R): Jimmie Allen and Charley Pride

American Masters was launched in 1986 on PBS, and has earned 28 Emmy Awards, 13 Peabodys, an Oscar, three Grammys, two Producers Guild Awards, and many other honors.

American Masters – Charley Pride: I’m Just Me will air Friday, Feb. 22 at 9 p.m. on PBS (check local listings) and will stream Saturday, Feb. 23 via pbs.org/americanmasters and PBS apps.