Charley Pride tired of being 'used' by ticket sellers

Country music legend Charley Pride says it was simply a matter of doing the right thing, when he flew into Edmonton last week to reimburse a fan who had been gouged by a company selling tickets to his concert.

Jacqueline Sharp, of Leduc, Alta., paid more than $1,200 for a pair of tickets to Pride's June 20 show in Edmonton.

They were worth about $133 but the price was inflated by the online ticket seller, abstix.com, that Sharp used to purchase the seats.

Sharp's son Jay Cole, angered by the massive bill that showed up on her credit card, sent an email to the company. When that failed to generate a response, he contacted Pride's office to explain what happened.

"It made me mad that someone would charge that much and take advantage of my mom, not knowing that was way too much to pay," Cole said.

When Pride got wind of what had happened, the Grammy award winner decided to personally step in, flying to Edmonton to pay Sharp back out of his own pocket, and give her floor seats to the show.

"I didn't do this so that it would snowball into anything, other than I sometimes get tired of being used as an artist in these kind of situations," Pride told CTV's Canada AM on Monday.

He added: "I've always wanted what I call a fair thing pertaining to me and my fans and how much they charge to come to my shows. I've always stated that to all of my people whom I have worked with."

Pride has fought piracy in the past and said he felt it was time to stand up for a fan who had been taken advantage of by a third-party ticket seller.

Cole said he was shocked when Pride himself came into town to right the wrong against his mother.

"Basically I was hoping he would dedicate a song to her or maybe he could meet her after the show or something, then that was it until last week when their office contacted me and it snowballed into this," Cole said.

His mother, a longtime fan of Pride's music, now has a personal connection to the artist.

"It was unreal. It was one of the better things that have ever happened to me in my life. It was just awesome, just wonderful," she said.

Comments are now closed for this story

Sharon, Calgary
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Charley Pride is a real class act.

roy
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Just when is the entertainment industry going to start selling the tickets for their own shows,I personally will not pay inflated prices for any performance no matter how much I would want to see it.

GG
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I think for those of you who obviously dont know how this works and are making dumb assertions about why people are upset at this gouging...here's the news flash..and wake up from under your rocks...these gougers have exclusive rights to the sale of tickets..they then unexplainably say the tickets are sold out and then re-direct people to their ' other' associated site which sells them for absurdly inflated prices..so the event consumer has NO choice where to purchase the tickets or the price they wish to pay...its either pay the inflated big bucks or dont go to the event. This practice has to stop. Now climb back under your rocks, obviously its too dark under there to see what the real world is facing.

maggie c
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Charlie Pride is a good person.

I've never been to a concert but my husband has.

Allye
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I think its awesome that Charlie did this! Way to go. I do believe the government should step in and regulate the fees these companies are charging.

Anne
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If people would stop buying outrageously expensive tickets to see shows, hockey games, etc., then perhaps these things wouldn't happen. Common sense seems to have flown out the window where event tickets are concerned. What is that phrase? "A fool and his money are soon parted."

Dave
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I think Charley Pride is a great man, He will do anything for a fan.

Cambob
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Selling a product for a high price is not immoral. If this was the case, there would be no holt renfrew, only wal mart.
Scalping is certainly not illegal in Canada. Just as prostitution is not illegal.

Consider this: If the government stepped into this situation, they would have to legislate thier own $1,500 a plate dinner parties.. and that is NOT going to happen.

Moral of the story: Jacqueline Sharp was willing to pay $1200 to see her favorite performer. She was not forced to buy tickets, she chose to do so of her own free will.

Carla
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Why can't all tickets just be sold through the venue box office, rather than having to go through ticketmaster? Why not just bypass ticketmaster altogether. I have also purchased tickets through the performer's website. Do performer's have a choice who can sell their tickets? Just wondering.

Rockstar Charlie Club and Anti- Gouger Society
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Alert ! Alert ! We have a case of rock abandonment...it appears a few of the commenters are missing from under their rocks and posing as Ticketgouger supporters....if you see any of them please alert the rock authorities so we can remove them back to their natural habitat..under a rock somewhere..preferably a rock relocation program outside of our country, where no mankind exists...let them roam under their rocks with the wildebeasts. Rock on Charlie ! and Rock away somewhere far- to you know who you are.

Jan
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Wow Louise
Telling someone who experienced a happy event to get a life? I truly am so very sorry about whatever happened in your own life to prompt such a bitter response. I hope good things happen to you and that they meet your standard of "wonderful" and "awesome".

Consumer
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Don't buy the tickets. They do it because there's a sucker born every minute, and because they can.

Ray in Chelsea
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Way to go, Charlie; shame on abstix.com!

So many terrible stories in the news, it's good to read positive ones.

While in a store last week, a person walked in with a hand full of bills found outside.

There are many good people in the world.

cmt
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WOW!!!

I am awe struck! Mr. Charlie Pride...God has sent an angel and you my friend, are it.

I have always been a fan of this man's music and always will be...just as you want to kiss an angel..we all had better beware of the "snakes that crawl at night"

God bless you Mr. Pride!!

GJ
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Thank you Mr.Pride for being an honest gentleman and doing the right thing. Corporate heads,companies and politicians alike should take note and follow this excellent example.

Mary
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Used to be ticket sellers wanted to make a little money AND fill the seats. Now, ticket sellers seem to want to retire from the proceeds of one concert. Start doing the right thing, Abstix, or face litigation and go the way of the dinosaur. Life is not just about obscene profits.

Proud to love Pride
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Charlie Pride is a credit to humanity.

These online scalpers need to be shut down.

Jimmy B - Perth Ont.
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You make my Proud Pride! Hopefully more artists will take a note from your music page and help eliminate this disgusting practice that happens every day.

kg1
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i thought scalping was against the law, either on line or standing in line. why is this allowed to continue. way to go charlie, your form of style will never go out of style

Mary in Calgary
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Some people have no choice... when i tried to buy some tickets for another concert, the cheapest I could find was for $513 when the tickets were only supposed to be a max of $120. This might be our only chance to see a legend so we are forced to pay. It not fair and the government should stand up for us.

Al in NS
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I don't like his music, but he is one h*ll of a performer.

I remember him at a concert at a rink in Ch'town in the '70s. some friends of mine were hanging out in the parking lot of the school next door when he showed up for the concert. He asked if he could take a spin on one of our bikes...let's see Glen Fry try that one.

I take it back, I don't think he's a good performer, his actions show that he's not performing, he's sincere. He is a good role model for Britney and her pals

Craig in Calgary
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Complain complain complain.

People need to do a little thinking for themselves.

1. Get to Ticketmaster early to buy your tickets. Get a Ticketmaster account and know what you want to buy before the on sale date.

2. If you don't get tickets, too bad but don't mope all over the place. It's just a concert that 20 thousand other people want to attend. They are trying to get tickets at the exact same time you are.

3. Shop around. If you can't get them the normal way, check eBay or go see a scalper. No one is forcing you to pay higher amounts and the price usually gets lower the closer to the concert date.

I've seen concert tickets go for below face value 10-15 min after the opening acts starts.

4. Check back with Ticketmaster often. Once the venue knows the stage set up and sightlines, the venue releases more tickets on or near the concert date.

I have almost never gotten the tickets I want to a show because I actually do the work rather than complain. I am on the internet at the opening time and I don't dilly daddle.

But it seems like people would rather moan and groan rather than take a little personal responsibility.

It's all well and good that Charlie Pride did this for the lady. What about everyone else? Squeaky wheel gets the grease. Shame.

darbruski
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Why not celebrate the whole week he is here to do his concert. We could call it 'Pride Week'.

jim
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jim in calgary,
Way to go Charlie. I believe more artists could have a stronger following if they thought the same way!! Other artists remember the fans are the ones who help support you!

Tom
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This is a great thing, we need more personalities to show this type of class.

Good news, I was at Seal on the weekend in Toronto, I tried to buy 2 of 3 front row seats that were available from a ticket agent. He refused to see the 2 seats. GREAT NEWS come show time they were empty so he obviously was stuck with the seats.
Seal being a class act moved some people up form the back to fill the front row seats.

Wyso Mizrable in ON
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@Louise

Louise suggested that Ms. Sharp should "Get a Life" after she expressed some genuine feelings about what the singer did for her.

Hey Louise, Your rock called, it wants you back under it.

R.J. - Calgary
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In Canada, scalping is not illegal unless your city has a by-law against it. Ticketmaster has a sister website called TicketsNow. They super-inflate tickets beyond belief. This kind of gouging has got to stop. We need legislation to put these companies and other individuals in their place.

Tim
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"Kiss an angel good morning" The man has class.

Carolyn, not in Winnipeg
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I don't know. Why is it Mr. Pride's problem that these people are silly enough to 1. buy tickets from a third party, and 2. pay that much? Consumers need to educate themselves a little better.

I'm a fan now
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Things like this I can only say we wait a life time to see a good man do some thing- right I can say I can see the lord himself with a hand in this. Thank you for helping a little old lady across the street.Thank you charlie for doing this maybe the media can publish a few good people so we can turn society around.God Bless You Charlie

Louise
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"...It was one of the better things that have ever happened to me in my life. It was just awesome, just wonderful..."

This story brings a whole new meaning to the expression "GET A LIFE".

Bob
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Charlie Pride, you make us proud.

Common Sense in Revelstoke
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I thought scalping was illegal? Just because it is a business doing it instead of someone scalping outside the venue shouldn't make any difference. Time to do your job and shut this practice down boys...

korie
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wow, chivalry is not dead. and neither is the desire to right a wrong!

abstix.com should be ashamed and let's hit them where it hurts, don't buy tickets from them! if it were a stand of unity not to buy inflated tickets from sites such as these, then they would have to change their tune, no pun intended! think about it???

purchasers get their tickets for cost, from 1 site like ticketmaster (once they clean up their act too) and not from the inflation sites. what happens is all these tickets are left un purchased, the 'rockstar' gets pissy because they are not making enough money because their shows are not sold out! the rockstar decides to help out and demands that inflation sites be banned because, like pirating, someone is getting screwed (in this case the rockstar and not the site) so something will get done about it!
it's a stretch but it could work!?!

charlie pride is a gentleman and he rocks!

Gary
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This kind of gouging by any ticket resellers including Ticketmaster demand regulation and/or legislation to bring these losers to their knees...or how about we start up a new competitor that plays it straight up...now there's a thought ! If we contacted every event venue and entertainment businesses and tell them to use this 'new' entity...ALL the customers will follow.

R D
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Why is it that it takes soooooo loooong for Governments to "LOOK INTO" this on-line scalping? It's sickening really.

Mark
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Quick check on abstix reveals $55 ticket at ticket master are $315 at abstix.com for the same orchestra seats at the same venue ... Wow ..... Buyer beware

Joyce DeMaere
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I always knew Charlie Pride was a down to earth person. Now I know he is much more than that. He is a wonderful human being.

calgary wende
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What can one say except: Charley Pride, a real gentlemen and an honest man and he cares about his fans. This is the first time I have ever heard of this happening. Most artists do not really think much of thier fans. Charley Price has real class. Maybe other artist might follow his example and push to have the government step in with regulations to stop this form of ticket scalping.

River
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I hope that the action Charlie Pride took will be a start of theing to come. Everyone should have the opportunity to go to a concert and afford it.
Way to go Charlie...

Joe Sanity
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The world needs more class guys like Charlie Pride!