Charley Pride and Jackie Robinson
Determined that talent was what counted, Pride placed every discrimination he was thrown at to silence, just as Jackie Robinson was breaking the color line in big-league baseball. However, Pride was not the Jackie Robinson of music. Robinson opened opportunities for black players in baseball.
While Pride established a name for himself, no other black country singers came anywhere near his commercial achievements during his hit-making years and had a track record that is unmatched.