Despite rumors, the manager of the late country music singer insists the recently-deceased star did not contract the coronavirus at the Country Music Association Awards.
- Dec 18, 2020
AceShowbiz - Country star Charley Pride's manager has assured fans the late singer did everything he could to avoid contracting COVID-19.
The "Crystal Chandeliers" hitmaker lost his battle with the virus on Saturday (12Dec20), prompting many devotees to suggest he picked up COVID at the 2020 CMA Awards, where he performed and accepted a Lifetime Achievement honour, but his manager insist that's not the case.
Kevin Bailey has no idea how Pride contracted the coronavirus, but says the Country Music Association officials took every precaution, adding Pride, 86, tested negative on at least two occasions after the show on 11 November.
"This COVID thing, it's impossible to know where it came from, where you got it," Bailey tells the Dallas Morning News. "My understanding is that when Charley went into the hospital, we thought he had pneumonia. Somebody decided to do another test, and then they put him in the COVID unit."
"Charley was the best of anybody I knew with staying isolated. He and his wife were home all the time. And every time I went and had a meeting with him, we were both masked and sitting across the room from each other. Every precaution was taken."
CMA officials also denied the allegations. "Everyone affiliated with the CMA Awards followed strict testing protocols outlined by the city health department and unions. Charley was tested prior to traveling to Nashville," they said in a statement. "He was tested upon landing in Nashville, and again on show day, with all tests coming back negative."
