On the morning of June 16, 2000, the Country Music Hall of Fame announced its two newest members. One was Charley Pride, country music’s first Black superstar. The other was his old friend Faron Young, the honky-tonk star who had helped him find his way in the 1960s. Charley Pride was standing in the room when Brenda Lee called his name. Faron Young had been gone for three and a half years.
It was a day of celebration with a quiet ache running through it. And the most moving words did not come from the stage. They came from Faron Young’s son, Robyn, who had come to accept an honor his father never got to see.
A Son Standing In
Faron Young died in December 1996 at the age of 64. Robyn Young told reporters that his father would have loved the honor, and he shared a story that showed how overdue it felt.
The week his father passed away, Robyn spoke with Johnny Cash. Cash told him that he and June Carter Cash had been trying to remember what year Faron went into the Hall of Fame. Robyn had to tell him the truth. His dad was not in the Hall of Fame yet.
Then Robyn explained why the day meant so much to his family. Faron Young had wanted his ashes scattered on Old Hickory Lake, near Nashville. Robyn said he had thought about that for a long time, and he had come to a conclusion: the best headstone his father could ever have was a bronze plaque in the Country Music Hall of Fame.
On that June morning, Faron Young got it.
The Morning in the Hall of Fame Lobby
The announcement took place in the lobby of the Hall of Fame in Nashville, which was packed with press and country fans. Charley Pride was there with his wife, Rozene, and their grandsons, Carlton and Malachi.
Brenda Lee walked through the story of his career before she said his name. By the time she reached the end, he was already crying. When the name came, the lobby erupted in applause and cheers. Charley Pride wiped his eyes and walked to the podium, visibly shaken.
“I had no idea. I had no idea.” — Charley Pride
He was so overcome that he told the crowd he would talk to the press a little later. When he did, reporters asked how it felt to become the Hall of Fame’s first Black inductee. He answered in his own plain way, saying American culture was still caught up in what he called a “skin hangup,” and that he was simply glad to be in the Hall of Fame.
The two men were the 75th and 76th members ever voted into the Hall.
“One of the Very First”
To understand why Charley Pride was so glad to share the moment, you have to go back to the mid-1960s. Nashville was nervous about how the industry and the fans would react to a Black country singer. RCA had even sent his first records to radio without a photograph.
Faron Young was already a star by then, with hits like “Hello Walls” and “Live Fast, Love Hard, Die Young.” He did not keep his distance. He became one of Pride’s early champions, and Pride later credited him with helping break down barriers in the business.
At the press conference, Charley Pride said it was fitting that he would go in alongside Faron. “Faron was one of the very first artists to take me out touring,” he said.
A Week at a Time
Robyn Young remembered the friendship from inside the family home. It was not just a working relationship on the road.
“My dad loved Charley. Charley and Rozene stayed at our house for a week at a time. Charley and Dad loved each other.” — Robyn Young
Those few sentences said more than any career summary could. Two men from very different backgrounds, both shaped by hard beginnings and the same music, had found a real friendship at a time when that was not a small thing in Nashville.
October 4, 2000
The formal induction came that fall, during the 34th annual CMA Awards, broadcast on CBS from the Grand Ole Opry House on October 4, 2000. Charley Pride accepted his place in the Hall of Fame in person. Faron Young’s place was claimed by the family he left behind.
Their plaques now hang in the same Hall. One man got to hear his name and cry in front of his family. The other was represented by a son who believed a bronze plaque was the finest memorial his father could ever have.
Do you remember seeing Charley Pride or Faron Young perform? We would love to hear your memories.