Charley Pride’s Wife, Rozene Cohran
Before pursuing a career in music, Charley Pride had big dreams to become a professional baseball player. And that dream turned into a reality in 1952 as soon as he started pitching for the Memphis Red Sox, which paved the way to more opportunities for him to play for various teams over the next couple of years.
While playing in Memphis, fate stepped in when Charley met his future wife, Rozene Cohran. Rozene was working as a cosmetologist in Mississippi, and the two connected quickly! The happy couple then tied the knot in 1956.
Charley and Rozene worked together in building a strong family, being each other’s support system. Rozene even became Charley’s business manager; however, it would take another decade before he would find success in country music.
After Charley’s stint in the Army, the couple settled in Helena, Montana. Charley then started singing in bars and places around town, at the same time, pursued baseball as he worked in a smelting plant.
Eventually, Charley decided to say goodbye to his baseball dreams of becoming a part of a Major League. He then turned his attention to a career in country music. There was no denying that he had all the makings of an excellent country music star that Chet Atkins signed him to RCA Records.
Rozene went on playing huge supporting roles in her husband’s career. She would advise him behind the scenes at the same time, she would mingle and socialize with industry insiders with the goal of helping Charley get ahead in country music.
And just when Charley’s career started to thrive, his family started to grow as well. Charley and Rozene welcomed three incredible children throughout the late 1950s up to the mid-’60s. The family also decided to move from Montana to a sprawling home in North Dallas, where they settled all through Charley’s life.
In addition to its bigger airport and apparently being more progressive, the decision of where to live came in part from the racism Charley and Rozene experienced in different cities where they had lived in the past.
Rozene opened up in one interview about an incident where they were denied service in a restaurant and another instance when a realtor declined to show them homes.
“We picked out what we thought was the best place for the kids and also for traveling around the world,” Charley said. “And you couldn’t find a better place for that than Dallas.”