Mountain of Love: The Relationship between Harmon Killebrew and Charley Pride

[David Youngs]

The music world came to a stop last Sunday when country music legend Charley Pride passed away at the age of 86 from COVID complications. Pride was a remarkable trailblazer in the music world but also had deep baseball roots and a unique relationship with Harmon Killebrew.The corners of Harmon Killebrew’s smile widened as he jovially tapped his hand along to the beat of the music. Not from Paul Schaeffer’s band, but to the soulful voice of Charley Pride singing into David Letterman’s phone, live on national television.

 

When a 1986 docuseries for The Late Show that was supposed to feature Killebrew fell through, Letterman couldn’t let his childhood hero slip through the cracks. The solution? An entire evening of The Late Show dedicated to “Hammerin Harmon,” tabbed as “Harmon Killebrew Night.”

 

The program packaged together 45 minutes of pure bliss, featuring an appearance from Bob Allison, a live mural painting of Harmon, and the official retirement of Killebrew's ‘very expensive’ suit coat.

 

A humble and earnest man, Killebrew was hesitant in agreeing to have an entire show to himself with the greatest late night host to ever grace the planet.

 

The deal breaker? Harmon’s favorite musician Charley Pride performing on the show.

 

Charley Pride was no stranger to the game of baseball. In addition to being an avid Texas Rangers fan, Pride had multiple stints in the Negro League and MLB affiliates thoughout the 1950’s. A crafty right handed pitcher with a strong curveball, Pride pitched for the Memphis Red Sox of the Negro League in 1952.

Pride’s talent took him to the Boise Yankees in 1953, the Class C affiliate of the New York Yankees; just an hour drive from Killebrew’s hometown of Payette, Idaho.

 

The following duration of Pride’s baseball career consisted of go-abouts with other minor league affiliates and Negro League teams, spliced in half by service in the US Army from 1956-1958. When it appeared that professional baseball wasn’t his career calling, Pride turned to country music. The rest is history.

 

Charley had planned to perform in person for Harmon on that brisk February evening in 1986. Unfortunately, poor weather stalled Pride’s flight to New York. That didn’t stop him from singing to Harmon, over the phone, from his bathroom.

 

In perfect synchrony with Paul Schaffer’s band (whom were all wearing Twins caps), Pride sang “Mountain of Love” into the dial-up phone. Watch it and you’ll smile as Harmon shows a rare glimpse of pure joy and emotion as Pride sings.

 

That February evening wouldn’t be the last time that Pride would sing for Harmon, the second performance on a much more somber note.

 

After Harmon passed away in 2011 following a courageous battle with cancer, Pride joined family and a number of Twins legends to honor an incredible man. Pride performed Precious Lord Take my Hand, I’ll Fly Away, and Harmon’s favorite tune, Mountain of Love, just as he did back in 1986.

 

Following the service, Twins great Michael Cuddyer was quoted saying he strived to be like Harmon Killebrew.

 

Cuddyer’s words couldn’t be more fitting for Harmon..and Charley. Harmon and Charly lived vastly different lives but both had traits that we can all learn from. Both men executed their crafts to perfection, treated everyone around them with love and respect, and left smiles on the faces of people across the globe.

 

Hopefully the two are playing a game of pickup ball up in the field of dreams with a few country songs in between.

 

 

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[IndianaTwin]

Just Between You and Me, thanks for pulling this out of the vault.

[AceWrigley]

Harmon Killebrew: one of my earthly heroes.

[Huskertwin]

Thanks for the article and I watched the YouTube video as well. I've watched many times over the years on a fuzzy VHS tape.

 

Harmon was my hero growing up and I was able to meet him six times or so over the years. He was always so nice to me and my twin brother. First met him at an autograph show in Cedar Rapids, Iowa and we gave him one of his signature model gloves and the old gas station giveaway metal can. He appreciated that and would always remember me when I saw him other times over the years in Nebraska and Minnesota. And we even exchanged Christmas cards for a few years until his way too early passing. 

 

He was a Hall of Fame baseball player and also a Hall of Fame person!

[Seth Stohs]

I love this article. Absolutely fantastic!!

[twinstalker]

Great article. Not to be that guy, but in 1986 Letterman was the host of Late Night on NBC. The Late Show wasn't a thing until maybe seven years later. And obviously you meant it wouldn't be the last time Pride sang for Killer.

 

One of my earlier memories, for whatever reason, is that of Charlie Pride (because he stood out as a black man in country music), and as I was listening to the Twins game on radio with Harmon on 1B and Bert pitching vs Nolan Ryan, I also then leaned that Pride had played baseball. I may be making up the exact game I learned that, but I do remember the frustration of listening to that matchup, because Bert would pitch well and the Twins still had no chance. Rinse and repeat during those years.

 

In honor of Late Night's David Letterman's Top 10 lists, here are the things I remember learning from listening to Twins radio after going to bed in the early '70s in Iowa:

 

1. Charlie Pride played baseball but never made the majors.

2. Nolan Ryan threw over 100 mph (and Twins couldn't touch him).

3. Wilbur Wood (SP, ChA) killed the Twins with his knuckleball.

4. Aurelio Rodriguez (3B, Det) was tough against the Twins, Dick Allen (ChA) was phenomenal.

5. Disney World was in Florida.

6. Freddie Patek (SS, KC) was 5'4". He later grew an inch.

7. David Clyde (Texas) was a phenom who would go straight from high school to pitching against the Twins. Later in the season, the Twins would send Eddie Bane against him in a promotion touting two pitchers who never pitched in the minors. It was a frustrating game to listen to. Clyde was better.

8. Jim Kaat won the Gold Glove every year.

9. Frank Howard (1B, Was/Tex) was the largest man who will ever wear a major league baseball jersey.

10. Ray Christensen, Herb Carneal and Halsey Hall.

[mikelink45]

How fun - I loved the Liberace segment - it was so out of the spirit of the evening and thus a good laugh.  Wish Bob Allison had been on longer.  But overall a wonderful fun video and I am so thankful that you posted it for all of us to enjoy

[David Youngs]

No worries, always appreciate the feedback! What a great top 10 list. Despite being a bit younger, we didn't have Cable TV so I grew up listening to the Twins on the radio as well. Jon Gordon's voice will also be engrained in my head and memories!

Great article. Not to be that guy, but in 1986 Letterman was the host of Late Night on NBC. The Late Show wasn't a thing until maybe seven years later. And obviously you meant it wouldn't be the last time Pride sang for Killer.

 

One of my earlier memories, for whatever reason, is that of Charlie Pride (because he stood  out as a black man in country music), and as I was listening to the Twins game on radio with Harmon on 1B and Bert pitching vs Nolan Ryan, I also then leaned that Pride had played baseball. I may be making up the exact game I learned that, but I do remember the frustration of listening to that matchup, because Bert would pitch well and the Twins still had no chance. Rinse and repeat during those years.

 

In honor of Late Night's David Letterman's Top 10 lists, here are the things I remember learning from listening to Twins radio after going to bed in the early '70s in Iowa:

 

1. Charlie Pride played baseball but never made the majors.

2. Nolan Ryan threw over 100 mph (and Twins couldn't touch him).

3. Wilbur Wood (SP, ChA) killed the Twins with his knuckleball.

4. Aurelio Rodriguez (3B, Det) was tough against the Twins, Dick Allen (ChA) was phenomenal.

5. Disney World was in Florida.

6. Freddie Patek (SS, KC) was 5'4". He later grew an inch.

7. David Clyde (Texas) was a phenom who would go straight from high school to pitching against the Twins. Later in the season, the Twins would send Eddie Bane against him in a promotion touting two pitchers who never pitched in the minors. It was a frustrating game to listen to. Clyde was better.

8. Jim Kaat won the Gold Glove every year.

9. Frank Howard (1B, Was/Tex) was the largest man who will ever wear a major league baseball jersey.

10. Ray Christensen, Herb Carneal and Halsey Hall.

 

[David Youngs]

That is incredible! What a great ambassador for the game. Do you have a picture of the gas station metal can?

Thanks for the article and I watched the YouTube video as well. I've watched many times over the years on a fuzzy VHS tape.

 

Harmon was my hero growing up and I was able to meet him six times or so over the years. He was always so nice to me and my twin brother. First met him at an autograph show in Cedar Rapids, Iowa and we gave him one of his signature model gloves and the old gas station giveaway metal can. He appreciated that and would always remember me when I saw him other times over the years in Nebraska and Minnesota. And we even exchanged Christmas cards for a few years until his way too early passing. 

 

He was a Hall of Fame baseball player and also a Hall of Fame person!

 

[DocBauer]

Fantastic. Just fantastic.

[Longdistancetwins]

Charley Pride’s death prompted me to watch the Letterman segment for the first time. I really came to appreciate Letterman for doing it in his way.  Still I felt some sadness, knowing that suffering was ahead for Allison and that Harmon’s life was actually going to pieces at that time.

 

Sorry to be a downer...

[chinmusic]

That was great!   Don't know how I was never aware of that Letterman show.

Thanks, David Youngs!

[Huskertwin]

 

That is incredible! What a great ambassador for the game. Do you have a picture of the gas station metal can?

It was an Amoco Certicare can for oil or such, but all of the cans were empty that I've seen.

Here's a link to an Ebay auction someone has up that will show you the different sides of the can. I hope it's OK to post the link for copy and paste use.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Harmon-Killebrew-Vintage-Amoco-Certicare-Metal-Oil-Can-Unopened-Minnesota-Twins-/133022822932

[Melissa]

I just loved this article and the Letterman show! Brought me back in lots of ways.

 

I grew up in Milwaukee as a Braves fan, then we didn't have MLB for several years before the Pilots moved from Seattle to become the Brewers. I was in high school at the time and caught a few Brewers games at the old County Stadium, though I was never much of a Brew Crew fan. A few times the Twins were in town, and somehow, as I now remember it, it seemed that The Killer came up to bat late in every game and blasted that ball out of the park, sending the Twins to victory.

 

Also: watching Dave L. in his prime was a real treat. Never saw this episode before. The band was so rockin' - I always wished I could hear more than the intro and outro of the music they played during commercial breaks.  The cigar came out toward the end of the show. All so fine.

 

Thanks, David Youngs!