Country music star Charley Pride is being spotlighted in a new film produced by Dennis Quaid’s new company.
Pride, who lived in Preston Hollow and died of COVID-19 in 2020, is the subject of the biopic, American Pride.
The film is the first project from Quaid’s production company, Bonniedale.
Hollywood trade publication Deadline reported the script is being written by Empire‘s Dianne Houston, and Craig Brewer will direct. Quaid will play “Cowboy” Jack Clement, who wrote and recorded with Pride.
“Charley Pride was the Jackie Robinson of country music,” the actor told Deadline. “He became a star at a time when that didn’t seem possible. It is a very interesting story of a man getting his dreams, the relationship with he and his wife over 50 years, and how difficult it was for Pride to be regarded by people of his own color who gravitated to other forms of music, much less C&W fans in the South who were resistant to welcoming a Black singer into the fold.”
Deadline reported that Quaid met with Pride and his wife Rozene to discuss the film before Pride died.
In June, we reported that Tyler Pride, Charley’s son, planned to contest his father’s will in court. The will listed Charley’s other children — Carlton, Dion and Angela — but not Tyler, a police officer in Tyler, Texas.
