Dion Pride, son of legendary Country Music Hall of Famer, Charley Pride and beloved wife Rozene, is a committed singer, songwriter, musician and stage performer who creates a memorable live performance with his dynamic show, “A Tribute to Charley Pride.” His studio recordings and original songs are also solid proof that he is gifted with the tools needed to sustain his place in the hearts of Country Music fans all over the world.
“As difficult as it is, I still see it as a blessing because he accomplished so many good things,” the 60-year-old entertainer told Country Music News International in 2013, referring to obvious comparisons to his revered father. “And immediately, there is the name recognition. People will take me in and embrace me because of his success, and I’m grateful for that. But the greatest challenge is to establish my own mark.”
A multi-talented instrumentalist, he plays guitar, piano, drums and bass. At 14, he was already performing.
“From an early age, I knew I wanted to do this,” he told writer Tricia Despres in a 2021 interview.
Pride attended North Texas State Music College and engineered for Cecca Sound recording studio for four years. “His demos are legend, playing and singing all of the parts himself,” according to opry.com .He played lead guitar and keyboards for his father, and opened his father’s show for five years, including entertaining American troops on USO tours in Panama, Honduras, Guantanamo Bay and the island of Antigua.
While touring with his dad he began to incorporate some of his own material. The audiences were so responsive that Pride decided to strike out on his own and has not looked back. His father was a supporter of his songwriting as well as his performance talents. One of the songs Pride penned, “I Miss My Home,” was recorded by his father and released on Charley Pride’s “Choices” album in 2011.
With his father and as a solo performer, he has sung and performed for audiences around the world in countries like England, Ireland, Scotland, Canada and all the continental United States, often entertaining crowds of 10,000 or more. In a 2021 interview with People magazine, Pride discussed how much he missed his legendary father who died in 2020 at age 86.
“There was nothing I didn’t say to him that I wanted to,” Dion Pride told People. “We always said what we felt every time we talked to each other. So that part is comforting, but it was hard being with him through that month while he was in hospice. That was the toughest part.”
When asked, “What was the most important thing you learned from your father?” Pride summed it up in one word, “Humbleness.” He has taken that lesson to heart. He has a genuine enthusiasm and excitement for country music that is rarely seen today, and although his success continues to grow, he remains humble and grateful – always giving his fans the performance of a lifetime. With his impressive talent, honest heart and dedication, he is leaving his own mark on country music as his father did.
By Claudia Johnson