DWAYNE ‘THE ROCK’ JOHNSON TO PLAY CHARLIE PRIDE

Sean Eyre just called from Rocklands Entertainment in Peterborough to say that Gerry’s column about Charlie Pride and “THE ROCK” portraying him in Charlie Pride’s life story has been picked up by 150 newspapers and radio station across North America and as far away as Australia. His column was the breaking news about the movie , the information was given to him by telephone by Charlie himself.  CT  (added Thur 5 May, 2011)  added May 16, on the night of the concert, the 14th, Brian told Gerry there were over 300 different media using the Telegraph article.

Charlie Pride in Saint John May 14th, 2011

There’s many a slip between the cup and the lip. Charley Pride knows the truth of that old proverb When last he visited Saint John’s Harbour Station…a venue he’ll be performing at again on May 14… the celebrated African heritage actor Terrence Howard, in the wake of film successes Ray and Walk The Line, was to play Charley in a Hollywood take on of his life.

“But then the ball got fumbled. New management took over the studio that was ready to begin site work on it,” Charley said recently by phone, “ and a decision was made to put all their resources behind thrillers…fast actioners. They felt that was where the big box office money was then. So my film, being readied by director Craig Brewer, got shelved.

“Now it’s back on track again but with action and comedy star Dwayne Johnson portraying me in the title role. Terrence it seems is tied up on other involvements for a few years.”

“Wow!” I exclaimed, “Johnson, the Rock! He’ll do a way more forceful job playing you! A pro-athletic background like yours and a lot of the same charisma! That’s really exciting!”

“I think so now,” he said. “Terrance is no doubt a more in depth actor academically but Dwayne is such a force on screen. It startled me a little at first but he flew down to Dallas and spent a day with me just sitting, talking recently. And when he left it was like parting with an old friend. We had such similar views on so many things.”

Dwayne Johnson for anyone who might not know, was born in Hayward, California on May 2, 1972. He’ll be 39 next Monday. And into those years he has packed more accomplishments than even Jack Benny did in all the 30 years he claimed to be 39. And he’s got a couple of bonafide Canadian connections to boot.

His father, ‘Soulman’ Rocky Johnson is of Black Nova Scotian, Canadian origin, and Dwayne, began his pro-football career with the Calgary Stampeders in Alberta. He had attended the University of Miami on a full athletic scholarship and was an important part of their national football championship team in 1991. He graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in criminology and physiology.

Dwayne’s mother Ata Fitisemanu is of Samoan royal blood. For a brief period of his childhood Johnson lived in Auckland, New Zealand with his mother’s family. He spent his grade 10 year at a Honolulu, Hawaii high school and began playing football a year later at Freedom High School in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.

In 1995 he became a professional wrestler, like his father and grandfather, with World Wrestling Entertainment. Johnson won 16 wrestling championships.

Charlie Pride, born in Sledge, Mississippi in 1938 rose from extremely humble beginnings to have a very promising semi-professional baseball career. He was returning home from a try-out with a major league team when a chance visit to Nashville led to an RCA recording contract and a series of number one country hits that placed him next to Elvis Presley in overall record sales with that label. And although RCA now is just a part of recording history, Charley continues to place hits on country and cross-over charts. A new song of his, America The Great, written by Ed Gowens and Canadian Larry Mercey has caused a big stir recently. The song was inspired by a movement in the U.S. to remove the word ‘God’ from schools, courts and other aspects of American life. Much the same as here in Canada.

Larry Mercey was at Charley’s first live performance of the song in Plant City, Florida a couple of weeks ago, and reported: “Before he finished, the audience was standing, wildly applauding.” That should do a lot to relieve Music City Records, his current label’s fears. The first selection on Charley’s new CD Choices released in March they were stressed that it would raise hackles among the politically correct in the U.S. and certainly in Canada.

So to help further prove how wrong they are on the Canadian reaction, get your tickets now to Charley Pride Live In Concert, May 14, 7 p.m. at Harbour Station! Visit their box office , call 657-1234 or 1-800-267-2800. Charley’s son Dion will open for his father again. He received thunderous applause when he came on stage last time wearing an Ottawa Senator’s sweater. Hockey was his favourite game, he said, and the Senators his favourite team.

...after the concert