By Donna Hopper
SooToday.com
Wednesday, July 08, 2009

It was a modest 1,500 souls that ventured out last night to see legendary country artist Charley Pride at the Essar Centre.

But all 1,500 loved the dickens out of him.

Pride's remarkably unchanged baritone voice resonated through the arena as he belted out many of his 36 Number 1 hits including Mississippi Cotton Picking Delta Town, All I Have to Offer You (Is Me), Is Anybody Going to San Antone, Kiss an Angel Good Morning, Amazing Love, The Happiness of Having You, Mountain of Love and his version of Hank Williams' Kaw-Liga.

"I never did meet this fella, but he's one of the finest singers that ever did live," Pride told the audience before performing Jim Reeves' I Love You Because.

He also paid tribute to the four colleagues he said he was closest to - Marty Robbins, Conway Twitty, Waylon Jennings and Johnny Cash.

Between songs, Pride mugged for the camera, joked with fans and band members, and told tales of his life on the road.

He recounted one conversation he had with Johnny Cash in the late 60s during which Cash revealed that he had missed his flight to none other than Sault Ste. Marie.

At the age of 71, Pride's voice was amazingly spot-on, and the performance overall was tight, bright and extremely amusing.

Pride's son Dion opened the evening with a short set of covers and originals of his own.

He proudly announced to the Sault crowd that while he was waiting backstage, he received a text message stating that his first single, We All Gotta Live Here, had just charted.

Not only does Dion bear an eerie resemblance to his father, he may just enjoy the same career success as well.

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