Q+A: CHARLEY PRIDE

Wednesday, Sept. 26, 2007 | 7:21 a.m.

Who: Charley Pride

When: 8 p.m. Saturday

Where: Texas Station's Dallas Events Center

Tickets: $24.95 to $54.95; 547-5300

Charley Pride is one of the most popular country artists of all time. Since stepping up to the mike in the early 1960s, he's had a string of No. 1 singles and albums and has sold more than 70 million records.

He has more than 400 songs to his credit. Even those that didn't make No. 1 are pretty good, songs such as "Kaw-Liga," "Burgers and Fries" and "Does My Ring Hurt Your Finger?"

Here are his singles that reached No. 1 on Billboard's country chart:

"I'm So Afraid of Losing You Again" (1969)

"All I Have to Offer You Is Me" (1969)

"I Can't Believe That You've Stopped Loving Me" (1970)

"Is Anybody Goin' to San Antone?" (1970)

"Wonder Could I Live There Anymore" (1970)

"I'd Rather Love You" (1971)

"I'm Just Me" (1971)

"Kiss an Angel Good Morning" (1971)

"It's Gonna Take a Little Bit Longer" (1972)

"She's Just Too Good to Be True" (1972)

"Amazing Love" (1973)

"Don't Fight the Feelings of Love" (1973)

"A Shoulder to Cry On" (1973)

"Hope You're Feelin' Me (Like I'm Feelin' You)" (1975)

"Then Who Am I" (1975)

"My Eyes Can Only See as Far as You" (1976)

"I'll Be Leavin' Alone" (1977)

"More to Me" (1977)

"She's Just an Old Love Turned Memory" (1977)

"Someone Loves You Honey" (1978)

"Where Do I Put Her Memory" (1979)

"You're My Jamaica" (1979)

"Honky Tonk Blues" (1980)

"You Win Again" (1980)

"Never Been So Loved (In All My Life)" (1981)

"Mountain of Love" (1982)

"You're So Good When You're Bad" (1982)

"Why Baby Why" (1983)

"Night Games" (1983)

Besides country music, one of Charley Pride's passions is golf.

"I'd play at night if I could see," he's fond of saying.

Another is baseball. He played pro ball in the 1950s in the Negro American League.

Pride, 69, lives in Dallas and is a Texas Rangers fan . For the past 34 years, the native of Sledge, Miss., has worked out with the Rangers at their spring training, following them from Florida to Surprise, Ariz.

During a recent telephone interview from a tour stop in Wisconsin, he was watching a telecast of Tiger Woods winning the FedEx Cup .

Pride talked about golf, baseball and music, which is still his favorite pastime.

"We just finished up outside of Toronto at the Casino Rama," he said, his Mississippi upbringing apparent in his accent. "We did two shows up there. Had 5,000 fans at both shows.

"They just went crazy."

You can see what all the fuss is about Saturday when he performs at Texas Station.

Q: Have you cut back on touring?

We cut back some, but we try to do 45 shows a year. That's kind of where we're trying to keep it.

Do you perform in Vegas much?

Yeah, Texas Station mostly. I used to play the Desert Inn (now site of Wynn Las Vegas). Me and T.G. Shepherd followed Elvis at the Hilton in 1971, the year I won (the Country Music Association's) male vocalist and entertainer of the year (for "Kiss an Angel Good Morning"). That was the first time I ever played Vegas.

Is it true that you pay your musicians even when you aren't touring?

Yes, it is. Even if I'm not working they get a check every first and 15th.

Can they work for someone else when they aren't with you?

Yes. They all have other interests. They're good musicians and they have time to do it. They can do their own thing. I'm probably the only one that still does that.

Why do you do it?

I think it's the right thing to do, first of all. And you get to keep good musicians that way. It's sort of like a family, too. It becomes that way. One guy has been with me 30 years. Another 14. One 11. The others 3 1/2 and 4 years.

Do they all live around Dallas?

It had always been our philosophy to live in the same area - that's what we asked for. But the one who's been with me 30 years, now he lives mostly in Oakridge, Tenn., where he grew up. My sound man lives in Florida. As long as we can get them together, if it works that's fine. I'm not so strict on that anymore. But most live close by.

When you aren't touring or playing golf, what do you do?

I always wanted to be as good a businessman as an artist, and I've done pretty well. What we're trying to do now is, I want to make enough to pay my band and my office staff and have a little left over after Uncle Sam is finished with me. I'm not trying to re-create another career or nothing , but I do still love to do what I'm doing.

You've had a lot of hit songs, sold a lot of records. Do you have any favorites?

No, not really. I get asked that a lot. The best way I can put it is I love what I'm singing at the moment.

Any regrets about being a musician instead of a baseball player?

No, no. I look at it now as I've got the best of both worlds. I've been going to spring training with the Texas Rangers for about 34 years now. They look at me and say, "Man, how old are you?" I still can hit. My thing was, my plan was to go to the major leagues and break all the records and set new ones and by the time I was 35, 36 years old, then go sing. That was my plan. Every kid has a dream. My dream was - "Who hit the most home runs? Not Babe Ruth. Not Hank Aaron. (It was) Charley Pride. Who was the last .400 hitter? Not Ted Williams. Charley Pride. " That was my intention. I love the game. I don't run as fast, but I go out there (to spring training) and do everything they do. But I do it at my own pace. I feel good about it.

Were you actually a professional baseball player?

When I started out I played with the old Negro (American) League's Memphis Red Sox. I came along right behind Ernie Banks and Hank Aaron. These guys could play (single) A and double-A ball and go all the way to the majors. Ernie never went to the minors. I'm not saying I did it exactly that way, but I was close. I was with the Angels in '61. I got there (to the majors) I just didn't stay. Part of it was due to injuries. I don't like to sound like I'm making excuses , but I had a broken ankle and cracked elbow. My fastball was in the 90s. I was good. I'm not bragging. I was good.

Do you still spend time in the studio?

We cut a gospel album last year ("Pride and Joy"). We're going to do another regular release when I start getting my material together in the next six months.

Are you happy with the state of country music today?

What I say onstage to my fans - and this is in my act when I'm talking - "There's a song I do called 'The Chain of Love.' It's a pretty song. It was done by one of the younger fellas (Clay Walker)." I say, "Reporters and others are always asking, 'What do you think about the younger singers?'" A lady the other night said, 'There ain't any.' I said, " Now, now. I like them all, mostly all of them. I'm gonna sing this song I heard recorded by one of the younger fellas, a guy came from around where George Jones come from (Beaumont, Texas). I loved him , too. I used to work with George. He was one of the first I ever worked for. I don't do an imitation, but this young fella had a record called 'Chain of Love' and I'd like you to listen to it. It's in my latest album. It's a pretty song." I say to them, "They don't quite do it the way we did it, but I don't have nothing against the singers. It's the moguls who say what you're going to hear, what you're not going to hear."

Do the changes in the business bother you?

You know, used to be I'd be driving along, have my new single, and I'd say , "Let's stop here at this radio station and see what they think about my new single. " Sometimes they couldn't believe it was me. You can't do that now. You've got to go through the consultant of the consultant of the consultant. And you've got the consultant consulting the consultant consulting with the (station's) music director who then says, "Well, this is what we'll play."

How have you managed to maintain your enthusiasm for 45 years?

I love what I do and I think it's obvious to my fans. They say, a lot of times, "Are you really enjoying yourself as much as you look like you are?" Yes, I am. I really enjoy what I do. My wife (Rozene) tells people I have a thing about retiring. She asks them if they've ever heard of Bob Hope and George Burns. "Just put my husband in that category," she says. "People in that category don't really retire. They just die." People say I'm singing better than I ever did. It might be true. I'm more comfortable. I feel more competent and everything. The fans, they want to see me now more than they did when I was younger.

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