As Charley Pride found success topping the country music charts decades ago, many recall the country music star was rarely seen performing without what his team would refer to as Pride’s “constant companion;” his Fender Coronado guitar. Pride was well-known to strum on the iconic guitar as he crooned his country music hits back in the day.
However, one day the Fender disappeared after a performance. The instrument was sent to the wrong address after a concert. And, despite searching exhaustively to recover Pride’s beloved Fender Coronado, the country star, and his team was never able to track it down; the Fender seemed to be lost forever.
Years would pass and Pride moved on from the guitar he loved so much. Then, in 2019, he got an unexpected surprise. Fellow country music star Marty Stuart was able to track the Fender down, returning it to Pride, months before the country music legend’s unexpected passing.
Marty Stuart’s Meaningful Search
After quite a bit of searching, country singer Marty Stuart was able to track down the Fender Coronado. The same one that went missing after Pride’s concert all those years ago.
To make sure he had tracked down the right instrument, Stuart spent some time researching the guitar’s history. It wasn’t long Marty Stuart confirmed that yes, this Fender Coronado was in fact the very same instrument that was lost years before.
Marty Stuart met Charley backstage at a concert on January 24, 2020, with the Fender Coronado in tow.
The duo took a photo together to remember the moving moment. And Charley Pride’s team shared the moving story on a Facebook post.
The story detailed the guitar’s journey. And, Marty Stuart, who has said he has long been a fan of Charley Pride, even had the country singer autograph the instrument during the reunion.
A Piece Of Charley Pride’s Legacy
While this was no doubt a moving moment; Marty Stuart had no idea at the time exactly how special it would end up being. In December 2020, just months after Stuart presented the country music legend with the recovered guitar, Charley Pride passed away due to complications with COVID-19.
Since Pride’s unexpected death, the country singer’s team has announced the iconic Fender guitar will be one of the featured items in the Museum of Mississippi History’s upcoming “The World of Marty Stuart” exhibit.
Charley Pride blazed a unique trail in the country music scene when he rose to country-music stardom in the 1960s. Pride’s timeless music, unique style, and soulful delivery have inspired many other artists over the years. He was one of the first singers of color to break through to stardom within the genre.
Charley Pride’s exemplary country music career has become an inspiration to generations of would-be country singers. The country star’s memorable tunes have been covered time and time again by a variety of performers.
During his career, Charley Pride recorded nearly thirty number one hits. Songs such as “Kiss an Angel Good Mornin,’” and “Roll on Mississippi,” have become some of country music’s most well-known songs.
