Charley Pride, the legendary Dallas-based singer known for his velvet baritone and for breaking the color line in country music, died Saturday. He was 86.

Pride died in Dallas of complications from COVID-19, according to Jeremy Westby of the public relations firm 2911 Media.

From 1966 until 1987, Pride was one of the biggest stars in country music, scoring 52 Top 10 country hits, including 29 chart-toppers. More than a dozen of his songs crossed over to the pop charts, including “Kiss an Angel Good Mornin’” and “Is Anybody Goin’ to San Antone.” He was inducted into the Grand Ole Opry and the Country Music Hall of Fame, won four Grammys, and sold an estimated 70 million records — more than anyone at RCA not named Elvis.

Pride was an aspiring MLB pitcher in the 1950s and 1960s, per his official website. He suited up for the Negro American League's Memphis Red Sox and Birmingham Black Barons and signed a deal with the New York Yankees' Class C affiliate in Boise. However, a shoulder injury curtailed his Yankees minor league stint: He was sent down to Class D ball before being released.

Still, Pride kept his baseball dreams alive and even made the Negro American League All-Star team in 1956, winning 14 games for Memphis. Pride transitioned into a knuckleball pitcher during that year.

He was drafted into the U.S. Army and served for two years but returned to playing ball in 1958 and made the All-Star team once again. He pitched against MLB All-Stars Al Smith, Gene Baker and Ernie Banks.

Pride got a chance to try out for the Los Angeles Angels in 1961, but it did not work out. A failed tryout with the New York Mets in 1963 all but ended his baseball dreams, but he launched his phenomenal singing career shortly thereafter.

Many people extended their condolences and remembrances of Pride following news of his death, including country music legend Dolly Parton 먹튀사이트

The Texas Rangers did as well. Pride, who became a minority owner of the team in 2010, notably sang the national anthem before a September 2019 Rangers home game.

Pride had done so on many big stages before, becoming the first solo performer (and country music star) to sing the national anthem at a Super Bowl when he did so for the eighth edition of the game in January 1974. He also sang at numerous MLB postseason games, including the 2010 World Series.