George Strait, Darius Rucker Pay Tribute to Charley Pride on ‘CMT Giants’ Special

On Wednesday, CMT aired the concert special CMT Giants: Charley Pride, a musical tribute to the late, great Country Music Hall of Fame member, who died in late 2020 from complications related to Covid-19. The all-star list of performers included George Strait, Darius Rucker, and Gladys Knight.

Strait, who recently returned to the stage for his ongoing “Strait to Vegas” residency, gave a standout performance with his rendition of Pride’s 1970 Number One “In Anybody Goin’ to San Antone.” In true Strait fashion, he didn’t make any drastic updates to the arrangement and instead let his buttery-smooth croon speak for itself. Likewise, Darius Rucker turned in a great cover of “Someone Loves You Honey” — one of his personal favorites from Pride’s catalog — dipping into his lower register for the song’s heartfelt expressions of devotion.

Also in the program, Jimmie Allen (whose 2020 EP Betty James features a collaboration with Rucker and Pride) sang “All I Have to Offer You (Is Me)”; Mickey Guyton offered up “I’m Just Me”; Luke Combs joined up with Robert Randolph and Reyna Roberts to perform “Kiss an Angel Good Morning,” and Wynonna took on “Just Between You and Me.”

Other artists taking the stage included Pride’s son Dion (“Mountain of Love”), Gladys Knight (“Roll On Mississippi”), Alan Jackson (“Where Do I Put Her Memory”), Lee Ann Womack (“Crystal Chandeliers”), and Garth Brooks (“When I Stop Leaving [I’ll Be Gone]”).

CMT Giants: Charley Pride will re-air on CMT Sunday, August 29th at 12 p.m. ET.