Charley Pride started playing music seriously when he was 14 years old, having just bought his first guitar (via the Country Music Hall of Fame). Still, Pride's path to music wasn't exactly linear. Pride, whose parents were sharecroppers, tried his hand at a few different careers before he ended up in music (via Britannica). Most prominently, Pride played minor league baseball for several years. He was also in the U.S. Army, according to Rolling Stone.

Then, when Pride was in his late 20s, he auditioned for a music producer in Nashville, Tennessee. Prior to this, he had lived in Montana. While he was working at his different jobs — including as a baseball player — Pride carried his music with him everywhere, even putting on musical numbers on the team bus between games (via Biography). The producer liked Pride's voice and signed him to RCA Records. Within two years, Pride's music had made it big, and he was establishing a career as a country artist.

At this same time, Pride had a strong family life. In 1956, Pride married his wife, Rozene, and they later had three kids together, according to Wide Open Country.

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