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

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.