Top 5 Great Athletes Who Became Great Musicians

He was an All-SEC quarterback for Ole Miss, a backup for an undefeated Ole Miss Team in the early sixties. After college he turned to songwriting. This songwriter wrote one of the most iconic songs ever. “Midnight Train to Georgia” was a number one song for Gladys Knight and the Pips. It was voted #29 of the 365 best songs of the Century. His story of the song is more outrageous than the song’s success. (Supposedly, He was hanging out with Lee Majors and his girlfriend Farrah Fawcett, and she said she’s taking “the midnight plane to Houston). Other extraordinary hits for them were “You’re the Best Thing that ever happened to me.,” and “Neither One of Us (wants to be the First to Say Goodbye)”… for many, their favorite Gladys Knight song.

Besides that, he wrote songs for dozens of artists, including an amazing 38 recorded by Ray Price. Weatherly is a member of the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame, where there’s only 253 members.

Mike Reid

This is listed as third on the list, but undoubtedly the best athletic career. Reid won the Maxwell Award as the NCAA’s best football player. He was one of only 3 defensive players to win it. The others, Travis Hunter 2024 (who played offensive snaps) and then Charles Woodson, won the Heisman as a DB. So elite company as a college player, then became a dominant linebacker for the Cincinnati Bengals. 

According to mikereidmusic.com/bio He was the first-round draft pick of the Cincinnati Bengals that year and at the end of his first season in the NFL, was named Defensive Rookie of the Year. Reid’s success continued when he was voted NFL All-Pro in 1972 and ‘73.

In 1975, he retired from the NFL to pursue songwriting in Nashville. His first big break was Stranger in My House,” which won Reid a Grammy for Best Country Song. It went to #5 on the Country Charts. His most lasting song is “I can’t make you Love Me” which is identified with Bonnie Raitt. However, there’s also marvelous cover versions by George Michael and Kenny Rogers, among others. Reid is in the Nashville songwriter’s Hall of Fame.

Sam Hunt

Sam Hunt was a three-year backup QB for MTSU, and a starter for UAB. Once he changed to a music career, he was a hit right out of the gate. He’s the only country singer to have four number one singles on his first country album. His first smash single was a number one hit on three charts, which hadn’t happened in two decades.

Though young, Hunt deserves to be on this list for his biggest single. The country anthem Body like a Back Road is a huge hit, and a polarizing song for Country Radio. The article points out it had 34 weeks at number one on the Country Radio chart. It was the longest streak at that time. It also hit the mainstream Billboard top 100 at number six, a top single since eight years ago Cruise by Florida Georgia Line (which was a duet with Nelly, a huge pop star on his own). He’s not an everyday name yet, but he’s still young and touring constantly.

Charley Pride

This well-known country singer had a significant career in minor league baseball. Signed in 1953 with the New York Yankees farm system. After being released later, he returned to the Negro Leagues, but faced challenges there, including being released from Birmingham, supposedly for singing at night in clubs, which disturbed his teammates.

He signed in 1956 with the Memphis Red Sox, winning 14 games, playing in the East-West game in Chicago, throwing a knuckleball. He played again in 1958 for Memphis and started for the West in the East-West game, shutting the East out for the first 3 innings. His last significant season was in 1960 with the East Helena Smelterites in the Montana State League, batting .424. 

Pride turned his efforts to music after injuries and the decline of the Negro leagues happened. He had a string of hits, including “All I Have to Offer You is Me”, “Is Anybody Goin’ to San Antone” and the ballad “Kiss an Angel Good Mornin’”. He recorded 50 singles that reached the top 10 on the country charts and 12 albums that reached number one. You can read a great summation of Pride’s thoughts about his career here where he talks about his country music journey and his wish not to be categorized. Probably to call Charley Pride a country music icon is not overstating it. Pride received numerous accolades, including Entertainer of the Year and Male Vocalist of the Year from the Country Music Association. He was inducted into the Grand Ole Opry in 1993 and the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2000. 

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