On This Day in 1969, Charley Pride Was Making Country Music History With His First Run at No. 1

On this day (August 12) in 1969, Charley Pride was at No. 1 on the Hot Country Songs chart with “All I Have to Offer You (Is Me).” It was the first of more than two dozen career chart-toppers. Moreover, it made him the first Black artist to top the country chart in 25 years. Pride was only the third Black artist to achieve the feat.

Pride found chart success quickly. He released his first two singles–“The Snakes Crawl at Night” and “Before I Met You”–in 1966. They failed to chart. Then, “Just Between You and Me” peaked at No. 9 later that year. Except for his gospel and Christmas songs, every single he released for the next 18 years landed in the top 10. Twenty-nine of those songs reached the top of the chart.

Charley Pride Fought an Uphill Battle

The level of commercial and critical success that Charley Pride earned would have been impressive for any artist. It’s more notable here because he came into the country music industry at a disadvantage. Segregation had legally ended in most facets of life. However, it was alive and well in the music industry. The line between “Black music” and “white music” had been established and held for decades.

Despite having the backing of Cowboy Jack Clement and Chet Atkins, among others, Pride was still limited early in his career. For instance, his label, RCA, wanted him to steer clear of love songs because they didn’t want people to think he was singing about white women. More specifically, they wouldn’t allow him to record “Green, Green Grass of Home.” They worried that a Black man singing about Mary, with her “hair of gold and lips like cherries,” wouldn’t go over well.

[RELATED: On This Day in 1972, Charley Pride Was on an Unprecedented Chart-Topping Run That Illustrates How Much Country Fans Loved His Music]

While he still dealt with racism from country artists and fans alike, he was able to break through the barriers that had held for so long. Through sheer will and immense talent, he became country music’s first Black superstar.

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