Janie Fricke began singing in church and later turned that talent into a career that began as one of the marketing industry's most successful jingle singers. Long before her success as a country artist, millions of people became familiar with Fricke’s voice through ads for United Airlines, Coca-Cola, 7-Up, McDonald's, and Red Lobster.
Charley Pride has joined the heavenly choir which must have more stars than it can cope with now. We have been robbed of so many lifelong friends in 2020, and Charley was that and more.
I first met Charley Pride at the Country Music Awards show in Nashville 1972. It was a brief meeting. Read More
He was a massive star on RCA records, second only to Elvis Presley, and I was a star-struck fledgling journalist visiting America for the first time. He was surrounded by heavy security everywhere he went. White racists didn t want a black man singing their music. Some of the black community were angry with him for singing country songs. It seemed he couldn t win.