Charley Pride

Charley Pride brought his intense, country voice and his six-piece band to Choctaw Casinos Friday night (Jan. 4) and with those, he also brought a corner of classic country music as it was, romantic, strong, with joy at its highest and pain at its lowest.

Pride also shared with his audience his own admiration of those who came before him, talking at times about having opened for those he considered legends while he was entering the music business. He first got the attention of Red Sovine by singing backstage  at a Red Sovine concert. He gave tribute to Jim Reeves, Conway Twitty, Glen Campbell.

At Sovine’s advice, he moved to Nashville, but it still took several years before Chet Atkins took a chance on Pride. It was in the late 60s, he said, when he finally hit the charts. Since then, he’s had three dozens No. 1 hits, and countless others that also charted. Classics all, which he performed on the Choctaw stage, and which the audience sang along with throughout it all.

One of his songs, early in the concert, brought the crowd to its feet. The new patriotic song, “America the Great,” Pride dedicated to the current troops and to the veterans in the crowd. He said, after the song and the standing ovation were over, that it was a Canadian who wrote the song.

Other crowd-pleasers were “Crystal Chandeliers,” You’re My Jamaica,” “Kaw-Liga,” and “Just Between You and Me.” And the crowd took his tales to heart, his stories those who influenced him in his music, about his mother and his life with 10 siblings, and his wife. He also is a master of facial expressions that could make Bill Cosby jealous! Some of those are in the photo album with this review.

A champion of country music, Charley Pride — nearing 75 years of age — brought his A-game to the stage.

For more photos, click here:  And — Thanks, Choctaw! Keep your eye on Scene In Town’s Live Music Calendar for a full schedule of music at the Grant and Durant facilities — 6 stages between them!