CLEVELAND, MS — Three-time GRAMMY® Award-winning, Mississippi-born country artist Charley Pride will be the inaugural recipient of GRAMMY Museum® Mississippi’s Crossroads of American Music Award at the Mississippi Museum’s 2019 Gala on Friday, Nov. 1. Established by the Museum’s Board of Directors, the Crossroads of American Music Award honors an artist who has made significant musical contributions influenced by the creativity born in the cradle of American music. Pride will appear at the Museum’s 2019 Gala to accept the award on Nov. 1 at GRAMMY Museum Mississippi.
“I’m honored to be the first recipient of this award from the GRAMMY Museum Mississippi,” said Pride. “And thankful to the many great American music artists before me that helped to pave the way for my success. I applaud the Museum for celebrating those artists and championing the importance of American music.”
“We are thrilled to recognize the great Charley Pride as the first-ever recipient of our Crossroads of American Music Award,” said Emily Havens, Executive Director of GRAMMY Museum Mississippi. “As a native of Mississippi, Charley has had a significant impact on American music with his uncompromising honky-tonk country music. Charley broke new ground in the ‘60s when he emerged as one of the most successful black country artists at that time. It’s an honor to recognize Charley Pride as the inaugural recipient of our Crossroads of American Music Award.”
“With the inauguration of the Crossroads of American Music Award, GRAMMY Museum Mississippi will recognize those artists who have been instrumental in building the foundation of American music,” said Bob Santelli, Founding Executive Director of the GRAMMY Museum. “Charley Pride had a profound influence on country music, so it’s fitting and an honor to celebrate him as the first recipient of this award.”
GRAMMY Museum Mississippi’s Red Carpet Guild, an organization of committed volunteers whose mission is to promote, support and sustain the Mississippi Museum, is currently developing plans for the Mississippi Museum’s 2019 Gala, with this year’s theme being “Girls, Guitars, & Rocktail Bars.” The Gala will celebrate the impact of women on music, and proceeds will benefit the music education initiatives of the Mississippi Museum. The event will take place on Friday, Nov. 1, at 6 p.m. at GRAMMY Museum Mississippi and will feature a reception, dinner and cocktails, live music, and a silent and live auction. Additional details regarding the 2019 Gala are forthcoming.
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Charley Pride is celebrating more than 50 years as a recording artist. He has enjoyed one of the most successful careers in the history of country music and is credited with helping to break color barriers by becoming the first black superstar within the genre. A true living legend, he has sold tens of millions of records worldwide with his large repertoire of hits. A three-time GRAMMY® award and Recording AcademyTM Lifetime Achievement Award winner, Pride has garnered no less than 36 chart-topping country hits, including “Kiss An Angel Good Morning,” a massive #1 crossover hit that sold over a million singles and helped Pride land the Country Music Association’s Entertainer of the Year award in 1971 and the Top Male Vocalist awards of 1971 and 1972. A proud member of the Grand Ole Opry, Pride continues to perform concerts worldwide and has toured the United States, Canada, Ireland, The United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand over the last several years. His latest album, Music In My Heart, was released in 2017 on Music City Records. For more information, visit CharleyPride.com.
Developed by the Cleveland Music Foundation—a nonprofit organization founded in 2011—the 28,000-square-foot GRAMMY Museum Mississippi is housed near the campus of Delta State University, home of the Delta Music Institute’s Entertainment Industry Studies program, which features the most unique audio recording facilities in the South. Affiliated with the Recording Academy™, GRAMMY Museum Mississippi is dedicated to exploring the past, present, and future of music, and the cultural context from which it emerges, while casting a focused spotlight on the deep musical roots of Mississippi. The Museum features a dynamic combination of public events, educational programming, engaging multimedia presentations, and interactive permanent and traveling exhibits, including a Mississippi-centric area that introduces visitors to the impact of Mississippi’s songwriters, producers, and musicians on the traditional and modern music landscape.
For more information, visit grammymuseumms.org, “like” GRAMMY Museum Mississippi on Facebook, and follow @grammymuseumms on Twitter and Instagram.
