Born to sharecroppers in Mississippi, Pride dreamed of playing professional baseball. He played in the Negro Leagues before joining the Army. After being discharged, he moved to Montana where he worked in construction and continued to play minor league ball.

After moving to Nashville, he became a country sensation; between 1966 and 1984, 51 of his 54 singles cracked the country top 10. Although his achievements occurred during the civil rights movement, black America did not celebrate him and Pride struggled with the knowledge that many of his fans were white and racist.