Pride services slated for this week; CMT special coming Wednesday

In lieu of flowers, the family asks for donations to The Pride Scholarship at Jesuit College Preparatory School, St. Phillips School and Community center, any local food bank, or the charity of your choice.

CMT will host a tribute to the country music great on Wednesday, "CMT Remembers Charley Pride."

Featuring three decades of interviews and commentary from Pride himself, blended alongside archival footage of his greatest hits and performances, the half-hour event follows the Country Music Hall of Famer from his humble beginnings in Mississippi to his rise to CMA Entertainer of the Year with a long string of hits. Despite facing pervasive racism throughout this career, Pride's perseverance and unmatched talent transcended generations, broke down barriers and blazed a new path for black country artists.

The special will include appearances and footage including Darius Rucker, Loretta Lynn, Merle Haggard, Tim McGraw and Shania Twain plus his wife Rozene, son Dion, sister Maxine and his brother Joe.

This will air Wednesday at 8 p.m. eastern on CMT. The special will receive two encore presentations: Thursday, Dec. 17 at 9 a.m. eastern and Saturday, Dec. 19 at noon eastern.