The couple wed in Mississippi right before Pride’s two-year stint (1956-’58) in the Army.
After years of trying to see out his Major League dreams with the Boise Yankees and other clubs and working construction and at a smelter in Helena, Montana, Pride turned his attention to country music.
His groundbreaking run with RCA Records began with the 1966 single “Snakes Crawl at Night” and proved itself permanent when “All I Have to Offer You (is Me)” topped the country charts in 1969.
By the end of the ’70s, Pride was a three-time Grammy award winner, his label’s best-selling performer since Elvis Presley and a former CMA Entertainer of the Year and two-time Male Vocalist of the Year.
In 1993, Charley Pride became the second African-American member of the Grand Ole Opry. His long list of hit country songs earned him a spot in the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2000 and a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2017.
Rozene’s maturity and self-assurance came in handy once Pride’s career reached new heights. Much like Earl Scruggs’ wife Louise, Rozene always played a huge behind-the-scenes role in her husband’s success.
