fbpx
Wikipedia

Patsy Cline

February 15, 2024

For other uses, see Patsy Cline (disambiguation).

Patsy Cline (born Virginia Patterson Hensley; September 8, 1932 – March 5, 1963) was an American singer. She is considered one of the most influential vocalists of the 20th century and was one of the first country music artists to cross over into pop music.[8][9] Cline had several major hits during her eight-year recording career, including two number-one hits on the Billboard Hot Country and Western Sides chart.

Patsy Cline
Cline in 1960
Born
Virginia Patterson Hensley

(1932-09-08)September 8, 1932
Winchester, Virginia, U.S.[1][2]
DiedMarch 5, 1963(1963-03-05) (aged 30)
Camden, Tennessee, U.S.
Cause of deathPlane crash
Resting placeShenandoah Memorial Park, Winchester, Virginia, U.S.
Occupations
  • Singer
  • songwriter[3]
Years active1948–1963
Spouses
  • Gerald Cline
    ​
    ​
    (m. 1953; div. 1957)​
  • ​
    (m. 1957)​
Children2
Musical career
Genres
Instrument(s)
  • Vocals
Labels
Websitepatsymuseum.com

Cline's first professional performances began at local radio station WINC when she was fifteen. In the early 1950s, Cline began appearing in a local band led by performer Bill Peer. Various local appearances led to featured performances on Connie B. Gay's Town and Country television broadcasts. It also led to the signing of her first recording contract with the Four Star label in 1954. She had minor success with her earliest Four Star singles including "A Church, a Courtroom, Then Goodbye" (1955) and "I've Loved and Lost Again" (1956). In 1957 Cline made her first national television appearance on Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts. After performing "Walkin' After Midnight", the single became her first major hit on both the country and pop charts.

Cline's further singles with Four Star Records were unsuccessful, although she continued performing and recording. After marrying in 1957 and giving birth in 1958, she moved to Nashville, Tennessee, to further her career. Working with new manager Randy Hughes, Cline became a member of the Grand Ole Opry and then moved to Decca Records in 1960. Under the direction of producer Owen Bradley, her musical sound shifted and she achieved consistent success. The 1961 single "I Fall to Pieces" became her first to top the Billboard country chart. As the song became a hit, Cline was severely injured in an automobile accident, which caused her to spend a month in the hospital. After she recovered, her next single release "Crazy" would also become a major hit.

During 1962 and 1963, Cline had hits with "She's Got You", "When I Get Through with You", "So Wrong" and "Leavin' on Your Mind". She also toured and headlined shows with more frequency. In March 1963, Cline was killed in a plane crash along with country performers Cowboy Copas, Hawkshaw Hawkins, and manager Randy Hughes, during a flight from Kansas City, Kansas, back to Nashville.

Since her death, Cline has been cited as one of the most celebrated, respected, and influential performers of the 20th century. Her music has influenced performers of various styles and genres.[10] She has also been seen as a forerunner for women in country music, being among the first to sell records and headline concerts. In 1973, she became the first female performer to be inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame. In the 1980s, Cline's posthumous successes continued in the mass media. She was portrayed twice in major motion pictures, including the 1985 biopic Sweet Dreams starring Jessica Lange. Several documentaries and stage shows were released during this time, including the 1988 musical Always...Patsy Cline. A 1991 box set of her recordings was issued that received critical acclaim. Her greatest hits album sold over 10 million copies in 2005. In 2011, Cline's childhood home was restored as a museum for visitors and fans to tour.

Early life edit

 
Cline's house on South Kent Street in Winchester, Virginia where she lived from age 16 to 21.[11]

Virginia Patterson Hensley was born in Winchester, Virginia, on September 8, 1932, to Hilda Virginia (née Patterson) and Samuel Lawrence Hensley.[1] Mrs. Hensley was only 16 years old at the time of Cline's birth. Sam Hensley had been married before; Cline had two half siblings (aged 12 and 15) who lived with a foster family because of their mother's death years before. After Cline, Hilda Hensley gave birth to Samuel Jr. (called John) and Sylvia Mae.[12][13] Besides being called "Virginia" in her childhood, Cline was referred to as "Ginny".[14]

She temporarily lived with her mother's family in Gore, Virginia, before relocating many times throughout the state. In her childhood, the family relocated where Samuel Hensley, a blacksmith, could find employment, including Elkton, Staunton, and Norfolk. When the family had little money, she would find work. This included an Elkton poultry factory, where her job was to pluck and cut chickens.[15] The family moved often before finally settling in Winchester, Virginia, on South Kent Street.[16] Cline would later report that her father sexually abused her.[17] When confiding about the abuse to friend Loretta Lynn, Cline told her, "take this to your grave." Hilda Hensley would later report details of the abuse to producers of Cline's 1985 biopic Sweet Dreams.[18]

At age 13, Cline was hospitalized with a throat infection and rheumatic fever. Speaking of the incident in 1957 she said, "I developed a terrible throat infection and my heart even stopped beating. The doctor put me in an oxygen tent. You might say it was my return to the living after several days that launched me as a singer. The fever affected my throat and when I recovered I had this booming voice like Kate Smith's."[19][20] It was during this time she developed an interest in singing. She started performing with her mother in the local Baptist choir. Mother and daughter also performed duets at church social events.[19] She also taught herself how to play the piano.[21]

With the new performing opportunities, Cline's interest in singing only grew further and at the age of 14, she told her mother that she was going to audition for the local radio station. Her first radio performances began at WINC in the Winchester area. According to WINC's radio disc jockey Joltin' Jim McCoy, Cline appeared in the station's waiting room one day and asked to audition. McCoy was impressed by her audition performance, reportedly saying, "Well, if you've got nerve enough to stand before that mic and sing over the air live, I've got nerve enough to let you."[22] While performing on the radio, Cline also started appearing in talent contests and created a nightclub cabaret act similar to performer Helen Morgan.[17]

Cline's parents had marital conflicts during her childhood and by 1947 her father deserted the family. Author Ellis Nassour of the biography Honky Tonk Angel: An Intimate Story of Patsy Cline reported Cline had a "beautiful relationship" with her mother. In his interviews with Hilda Hensley, he quoted Cline's mother as saying they "were more like sisters" than parent and child.[23] Upon entering the ninth grade, Cline enrolled at John Handley High School in Winchester, Virginia.[18] However, the family had trouble sustaining an income after her father's desertion. Therefore, Cline dropped out of high school to help support the family. She began working at Gaunt's Drug Store in the Winchester area as a clerk and soda jerk.[23]

Career edit

1948–1953: Early career edit

At age 15, Cline wrote a letter to the Grand Ole Opry asking for an audition. She told local photographer Ralph Grubbs about the letter, "A friend thinks I'm crazy to send it. What do you think?" Grubbs encouraged Cline to send it. Several weeks later, she received a return letter from the Opry asking for pictures and recordings.[24] At the same time, Gospel performer Wally Fowler headlined a concert in her hometown. Cline convinced concert employees to let her backstage where she asked Fowler for an audition.[25] Following a successful audition, Cline's family received a call asking for her to audition for the Opry. She traveled with her mother, two siblings, and a family friend on an eight-hour journey to Nashville, Tennessee. With limited finances, they drove overnight and slept in a Nashville park the following morning. Cline auditioned for Opry performer Moon Mullican the same day. The audition was well-received and Cline expected to hear from the Opry the same day. However, she never received news and the family returned to Virginia.[26]

By the early 1950s, Cline continued performing around the local area. In 1952, she asked to audition for local country bandleader Bill Peer. Following her audition, she began performing regularly as a member of Bill Peer's Melody Boys and Girls.[22][25] The pair's relationship turned romantic, continuing an affair for several years. Nonetheless, the pair remained married to their spouses.[25][27] Peer's group played primarily at the Moose Lodge in Brunswick, Maryland where she would meet her first husband, Gerald Cline. Peer encouraged her to have a more appropriate stage name. She changed her first name from Virginia to Patsy (taken from her middle name "Patterson"). She kept her new last name, Cline. Ultimately, she became professionally known as "Patsy Cline".[17][18]

In August 1953, Cline was a contestant in a local country music contest. She won 100 dollars and the opportunity to perform as a regular on Connie B. Gay's Town and Country Time.[28] The show included country stars Jimmy Dean, Roy Clark, George Hamilton IV and Billy Grammer,[17] and was filmed in Washington D.C. and Arlington County, Virginia. She was not officially added to the program's television shows until October 1955.[29] Cline's television performances received critical acclaim. The Washington Star magazine praised her stage presence, commenting, "She creates the moods through movement of her hands and body and by the lilt of her voice, reaching way down deep in her soul to bring forth the melody. Most female country music vocalists stand motionless, sing with monotonous high-pitched nasal twang. Patsy's come up with a throaty style loaded with motion and E-motion."[30]

1954–1960: Four Star Records edit

In 1954, Bill Peer created and distributed a series of demonstration tapes with Cline's voice on it. A tape was brought to the attention of Bill McCall, president of Four Star Records.[31] On September 30, 1954, she signed a two-year recording contract with the label alongside Peer and her husband Gerald Cline.[32] The original contract allowed Four Star to receive most of the money for the songs she recorded.[33] Therefore, Cline received little of the royalties from the label, totaling out to 2.34 percent on her recording contract.[34][18] Her first recording session took place in Nashville, Tennessee on January 5, 1955. Songs for the session were handpicked by McCall and Paul Cohen. Four Star leased the recordings to the larger Decca Records. For those reasons Owen Bradley was chosen as the session's producer, a professional relationship that would continue into the 1960s.[35] Her first single release was 1955's "A Church, a Courtroom, Then Goodbye". Although Cline promoted it with an appearance on the Grand Ole Opry, the song was not successful.[36][17]

 
"Walkin' After Midnight"
Cline's first major hit as a recording artist, released in 1957 on Decca Records.
Problems playing this file? See media help.

Cline recorded a variety of musical styles while recording for Four Star. This included genres such as gospel, rockabilly, traditional country, and pop.[37][25] Writers and music journalists have had mixed responses on Cline's Four Star material. Robert Oermann and Mary Bufwack of Finding Her Voice: Women in Country Music called the label's choice of material "mediocre". They also commented that Cline seemed to have "groped for her own sound on the label".[25] Kurt Wolff of Country Music the Rough Guide commented that the music was "sturdy enough, but they only hinted at the potential that lurked inside her.[38] Richie Unterberger of Allmusic claimed it was Cline's voice that made the Four Star material less appealing: "Circumstances were not wholly to blame for Cline's commercial failures. She would have never made it as a rockabilly singer, lacking the conviction of Wanda Jackson or the spunk of Brenda Lee. In fact, in comparison with her best work, she sounds rather stiff and ill-at-ease on most of her early singles."[39]

 
Publicity photograph, March 1957

Between 1955 and 1956, Cline's four singles for Four Star failed to become hits. However, she continued performing regionally, including on the Town and Country Jamboree.[17] In 1956, she appeared on ABC's Country Music Jubilee, Ozark Jubilee.[40] It was at one of her local performances that she met her second husband, Charlie Dick.[41] In 1956, Cline received a call to perform on Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts, a national television show she had auditioned for several months prior. She accepted the offer, using her mother Hilda Hensley as her talent scout for the show.[42] According to the show's rules, talent scouts could not be family members. For those reasons, Cline's mother lied in order to appear on the show. When Arthur Godfrey asked if Hensley had known Cline her entire life, she replied, "Yes, just about!"[43]

Cline and Mrs. Hensley flew into LaGuardia Airport in New York City on January 18, 1957. She made her debut appearance on the program on January 21.[17][44] The day of the show, she met with the show's producer Janette Davis. Cline had chosen "A Poor Man's Roses (Or a Rich Man's Gold)" to perform on the program, but Davis preferred another song she had recorded, "Walkin' After Midnight". Cline initially refused to perform it, but ultimately agreed to it.[45] Davis also suggested Cline wear a cocktail dress instead of the cowgirl outfit created by her mother.[43] She performed "Walkin' After Midnight" and won the program's contest that night.[44] The song had not yet been released as a single. In order to keep up with public demand, Decca Records rush-released the song as a single on February 11.[46] The song ultimately became Cline's breakthrough hit, peaking at number 2 on the Billboard Hot Country and Western Sides chart. The song also reached number 12 on the Billboard pop music chart.[17] The song has since been considered a classic in country music since its release.[39]

Music critics and writers have positively praised "Walkin' After Midnight". Mary Bufwack and Robert Oermann called the song "bluesy".[25] Richie Unterberger noted "it's well-suited for the almost bemused aura of loneliness of the lyric."[47] The success of "Walkin' After Midnight" brought Cline numerous appearances on shows and major networks. She continued working for Arthur Godfrey over the next several months. She also appeared on the Grand Ole Opry in February and the television program Western Ranch Party in March.[48] The money she had earned from her numerous engagements totaled out to ten thousand dollars. Cline gave all the money to her mother, which she used to the pay the mortgage on her Winchester house.[43] In August 1957, her debut studio album was released on Decca Records.[49]

Cline's follow-up singles to "Walkin' After Midnight" did not yield any success.[17] This was partially due to the quality of material chosen for her to record.[50] Cline was dissatisfied with the limited success following "Walkin' After Midnight". Bradley recounted how she often came to him saying, "Hoss, can't you do something? I feel like a prisoner."[45] Around the same time, Cline was fired from her regular slot on Town and Country Jamboree. According to Connie B. Gay, she ran late for shows and "showed up with liquor on her breath."[51] In September 1957, Cline married Charlie Dick and he was soon sent to Fort Bragg, North Carolina on a military assignment.[52] Cline also gave birth to her first daughter Julie. In hopes of restarting her career, Cline and her family moved to Nashville, Tennessee.[17]

1960–1961: New beginnings and car accident edit

 
Billboard advertisement, May 22, 1961

Cline's professional decisions yielded more positive results by the early 1960s. Upon moving to Nashville, she signed a management deal with Randy Hughes.[17] She originally wished to work with Hubert Long, however, he was busy managing other artists. Instead, she turned her attention to Hughes.[45] With the help of Hughes, she began working steadier jobs. He organized fifty dollar bookings and got her multiple performances on the Grand Ole Opry.[17] In January 1960, Cline officially became a member of the Opry.[52] When she asked general manager Ott Devine about a membership he replied, "Patsy, if that's all you want, you're on the Opry."[53] Also in January 1960, Cline made her final recording sessions set forth in her contract with Four Star Records. Later that year, her final singles with the label were released: "Lovesick Blues" and "Crazy Dreams". Leaving Four Star, Cline officially signed with Decca Records in late 1960, working exclusively under Bradley's direction.[54] Insisting on receiving an advance, she received $1,000 from Bradley once she began at the label.[18]

Her first release on Decca was 1961's "I Fall to Pieces".[38] The song was written by newly established Nashville songwriters Hank Cochran and Harlan Howard. "I Fall to Pieces" had first been turned down by Roy Drusky and Brenda Lee before Cline cut it in November 1960. At the recording session, she worried about the song's production, particularly the background vocals performed by The Jordanaires.[55] After much arguing between both Cline and Bradley, they negotiated that she would record "I Fall to Pieces" (a song Bradley favored) and "Lovin' in Vain" (a song she favored).[56] Released as a single in January 1961, "I Fall to Pieces" attracted little attention upon its initial issue. In April, the song debuted on the Hot Country and Western Sides chart. By August 7, the song became her first to top the country chart. Additionally, "I Fall to Pieces" crossed over onto the Billboard Pop chart, peaking at number 12.[55] Billboard ranked it as the No. 2 song for 1961 in the end of year charts.[57]

 
Cline promotional photograph shortly before her 1961 life-threatening car accident

On June 14, 1961, Cline and her brother Sam Hensley Jr. were involved in an automobile accident.[58] Cline had brought her mother, sister and brother to see her new Nashville home the day before. On the day of the accident, Cline and her brother went shopping to buy material for her mother to make clothing. Upon driving home, their car was struck head-on by another vehicle.[59] The impact threw her directly into the car windshield, causing extensive facial injuries. Among her injuries, Cline suffered a broken wrist, dislocated hip and a large cut across her forehead, barely missing her eyes. Friend Dottie West heard about the accident via the radio and rushed to the scene, helping to remove pieces of broken glass from Cline's hair.[58] When first responders arrived, Cline insisted the driver in the other vehicle be treated first.[58] Two of the three passengers riding in the car that struck Cline died after arriving at the hospital. When she was brought to the hospital, her injuries were life-threatening and she was not expected to live. She underwent surgery and survived. According to her husband Charlie Dick, upon waking up she said to him, "Jesus was here, Charlie. Don't worry. He took my hand and told me, 'No, not now. I have other things for you to do.'" She spent a month recovering in the hospital.[60]

1961–1963: Career peak edit

Cline returned to her career six weeks after her 1961 car accident. Her first public appearance was on the Grand Ole Opry where she assured fans she would continue performing.[58] She said to the audience that night, "You're wonderful. I'll tell you one thing: the greatest gift, I think, that you folks coulda given me was the encouragement that you gave me. Right at the very time I needed you the most, you came through with the flying-est colors. And I just want to say you'll just never know how happy you made this ol' country gal."[61]

Cline's follow-up single to "I Fall to Pieces" was the song "Crazy".[38] It was written by Willie Nelson, whose version of the song was first heard by Dick. When Dick brought the song to Cline she did not like it.[62] When Dick encouraged her to record "Crazy", Cline replied, "I don't care what you say. I don't like it and I ain't gonna record it. And that's that." Bradley liked the song and set the date for its recording for August 17.[60] When Cline got to Bradley's studio, he convinced her to record it.[63] She listened to Nelson's version of "Crazy" and decided she was going to perform it differently. Nelson's version included a spoken section that Cline removed.[62] She cut additional material on August 17 and when she got to "Crazy", it became difficult to perform. Because Cline was still recovering from the accident, performing the song's high notes caused rib pain. Giving her time to rest, Bradley sent her home while musicians laid down the track without her.[64] A week later she returned and recorded her vocal in a single take.[65][62]

 
"Crazy"
In 1961, "Crazy" was released as a single and became one of country music's best-known crossover recordings.
Problems playing this file? See media help.

"Crazy" was released as a single in October 1961, debuting on the Billboard country charts in November.[63] It would peak at number 2 there and number 9 on the same publication's pop charts.[52] "Crazy" would also become Cline's biggest pop hit.[66] Her second studio album Patsy Cline Showcase was released in late 1961. The album featured both major hits from that year and re-recorded versions of "Walkin' After Midnight" and "A Poor Man's Roses (Or a Rich Man's Gold)".[67]

"Crazy" has since been called a country music standard.[68] Cline's vocal performance and the song's production have received high praise over time. Cub Koda of AllMusic noted the "ache" in her voice that makes the song stand out: "Cline's reading of the lyric is filled with an aching world weariness that transforms the tune into one of the first big crossover hits without even trying hard."[69] Country music historian Paul Kingsbury also highlighted her "ache," saying in 2007, "Cline's hit recording swings with such velvety finesse, and her voice throbs and aches so exquisitely, that the entire production sounds absolutely effortless."[68] Jhoni Jackson of Paste Magazine called the recording "iconic", highlighting the emotional "pain" Cline expressed in her voice.[70]

"Crazy" and Cline's further Decca recordings have received critical praise. Mary Bufwack and Robert Oermann noted "Her thrilling voice invariably invested these with new depth. Patsy's dramatic volume control, stretched-note effects, sobs, pauses and unique ways of holding back, then bursting into full-throated phrases also breathed new life into country chestnuts like "San Antonio Rose", "Blue Moon of Kentucky", and "Half as Much". [61] Richie Unterberger of AllMusic commented that her voice "sounded richer, more confident, and more mature, with ageless wise and vulnerable qualities that have enabled her records to maintain their appeal with subsequent generations."[39] Kurt Wolff of Country Music the Rough Guide reported that Owen Bradley recognized potential in Cline's voice and once he gained studio control, he smoothed arrangements and "refined her voice into an instrument of torch-singing glory."[38]

 
Patsy Cline in front of the Merri-Mint Theatre in Las Vegas, Nevada, late 1962

In November 1961, she was invited to perform as part of the Grand Ole Opry's show at Carnegie Hall in New York City. She was joined by Opry stars Minnie Pearl, Grandpa Jones, Jim Reeves, Bill Monroe, Marty Robbins, and Faron Young. Despite positive reviews, New York Journal-American columnist Dorothy Kilgallen commented, "everybody should get out of town because the hillbillies are coming!" The comment upset Cline but did not affect ticket sales; the Opry performance sold out. By the end of year, Cline had won several major industry awards including "Favorite Female Vocalist" from Billboard Magazine and Cashbox Magazine's "Most Programmed Female Artist".[71]

Also in 1961, Cline was back in the studio to record an upcoming album. Among the first songs she recorded[72] was "She's Got You". Written by Hank Cochran, he pitched the song to Cline over the phone. Insisting that Patsy hear it in-person, Cochran brought the recording over to her house, along with a bottle of alcohol. Upon listening to it again, she liked the song and wanted to record it.[73] Owen Bradley also liked the song and she recorded it on December 17, 1961.[74] "She's Got You" became her third country-pop crossover hit by early 1962.[75] "She's Got You" would also be her second number 1 hit on the Billboard country chart.[52] It was also Cline's first entry in the United Kingdom singles chart, reaching number 43. The cover by Alma Cogan, one of Britain's most popular female artists of the 1950s, performed notably as well.[76]

In 1962, Cline had three major hits with "When I Get Through with You, "So Wrong", and "Imagine That".[75] Cline's career successes helped her become financially stable enough to purchase her first home. She bought a ranch house located in Goodlettsville, Tennessee, a suburb of Nashville. The home was decorated by Cline and included a music room, several bedrooms and a large backyard. According to Dottie West, "the house was her mansion, the sign she'd arrived."[77] Cline called it her "dream home" and often had friends over to visit.[78] After her death, the house was sold to country artist Wilma Burgess.[79]

In the summer of 1962, manager Randy Hughes got her a role in a country music vehicle film. It also starred Dottie West, Webb Pierce and Sonny James. After arriving to film in DeLand, Florida, the producer "ran off with the money," according to West. The movie was never made. In August, her third studio album Sentimentally Yours was released. It featured "She's Got You", as well as several country and pop standards. According to biographer Ellis Nassour, her royalties "were coming in slim" and she needed "financial security." Therefore, Randy Hughes arranged Cline to work at the Merri-Mint Theatre in Las Vegas, Nevada for 35 days. Cline would later dislike the experience. During the engagement, she developed a dry throat. She also was homesick and wanted to spend time with her children.[80] By appearing at the engagement, Cline became the first female country artist to headline her own show in Las Vegas.[33]

During this period Cline was said to have experienced premonitions of her own death. Dottie West, June Carter Cash, and Loretta Lynn recalled Cline telling them she felt a sense of impending doom and did not expect to live much longer.[81] In letters, she would also describe the happiness of her new career successes. In January 1963, her next single "Leavin' on Your Mind" was released and debuted on the Billboard country chart soon after. In February, she recorded her final sessions for Decca Records. Among the songs recorded were "Sweet Dreams", "He Called Me Baby", and "Faded Love". Cline arranged for friends Jan Howard and Dottie West to come and hear the session playbacks. According to Howard, "I was in awe of Patsy. You know, afterward you're supposed to say something nice. I couldn't talk. I was dumbfounded."[78]

Personal life edit

Friendships edit

"At one time or another, she must have helped all of us girl singers who were starting out...Patsy was always giving her friends things [like] the scrapbook of clippings and mementos Patsy gave me weeks before she was killed...when I got home I was leafing through it, and there was a check for $75 with a note saying, 'I know you have been having a hard time'...there'll never be another like Patsy Cline."

— Dottie West on her friendship with Cline[82]

Cline had close friendships with several country artists and performers. Her friendship with Loretta Lynn has been the subject of numerous books, songs, films and other projects.[83] The pair first met when Lynn performed "I Fall to Pieces" on the radio shortly after Cline's 1961 car accident. Cline heard the broadcast and sent her husband to pick up Lynn so they could meet. According to Lynn, the pair became close friends "right away."[84] Lynn later described their friendship in detail, "She taught me a lot about show business, like how to go on a stage and how to get off. She even bought me a lot of clothes...She even bought me curtains and drapes for my house because I was too broke to buy them...She was a great human being and a great friend."[85] Lynn also noted they became so close that Cline even gave her underwear. Lynn still has the underwear in storage, saying it was "well-made".[86]

Dottie West was another female country artist with whom Cline became friends. They first met backstage at the Grand Ole Opry. West wrote Cline a fan letter after hearing her first hit "Walkin' After Midnight". According to West, Cline "showed a genuine interest in her career" and they became close friends. The pair often spent time at their homes and worked on packaged tour dates together.[87] West also stated Cline was a supportive friend who helped out in times of need.[82]

Jan Howard was a third female artist with whom Cline had a close friendship. The pair first met when Cline tried starting an argument with Howard backstage at the Grand Ole Opry. She said to Howard, "You're a conceited little son of a bitch! You just go out there, do your spot, and leave without saying hello to anyone." Howard was upset and replied angrily back. Cline then laughed and said, "Slow down! Hoss, you're all right. Anybody that'll stand there and talk back to the Cline like that is all right...I can tell we're gonna be good friends!"[88] The pair remained close for the remainder of Cline's life.[89] Other friendships Cline had with female artists included Brenda Lee, Barbara Mandrell and pianist Del Wood.[82] She also became friends with male country artists including Roger Miller, who helped Cline find material to record. Faron Young was another male artist whom Cline befriended from working on tour together. While on tour, the pair would spend time together, including a trip to Hawaii where the pair saw a hula show.[90]

Family edit

Cline's mother Hilda Hensley continued living in Winchester, Virginia, following her daughter's death. She rented out the family's childhood home on South Kent Street and lived across the street.[91][92] Following Cline's death, Hensley briefly spent time raising her two grandchildren in Virginia. Hensley maintained a closet full of her daughter's stage costumes, including a sequined dress Cline wore while performing in Las Vegas in 1962.[93] She worked as a seamstress and made many of her daughter's stage costumes.[94] Hensley died from natural causes in 1998.[91]

Cline's father Samuel Hensley died of lung cancer in 1956. Hensley had deserted the family in 1947. Shortly before his death, upon learning that he was gravely ill, Cline said to her mother, "Mama, I know what-all he did, but it seems he's real sick and may not make it. In spite of everything, I want to visit him." Cline and her mother visited him at a hospital in Martinsburg, West Virginia.[95]

Cline's mother died in 1998, 35 years after Cline's death. Both of Cline's surviving siblings fought in court over their mother's estate. Because of legal fees, many of Cline's possessions were sold at auction.[96]

Cline had two surviving children at the time of her death: Julie Simadore and Allen Randolph "Randy".[97][98] Julie has been a significant factor in keeping her mother's legacy alive. She has appeared at numerous public appearances in support of her mother's music and career. Following the death of her father in 2015, she helped open a museum dedicated to Cline in Nashville, Tennessee. Julie has few memories of her mother due to Cline's death while she was young. In an interview with People Magazine, Julie discussed her mother's legacy, "I do understand her position in history, and the history of Nashville and country music...I'm still kind of amazed at it myself, because there's 'Mom' and then there's 'Patsy Cline,' and I'm actually a fan."[98]

The present-day American female blues, swing, and rock and roll singer, songwriter and record producer Casey Hensley is a distant relation of Cline's.[99]

Marriages edit

Cline was married twice. Her first marriage was to Gerald Cline, on March 7, 1953.[17] His family had owned a contracting and excavating company in Frederick, Maryland. According to Cline's brother Sam, he liked "flashy cars and women." The two met while she was performing with Bill Peer at the Moose Lodge in Brunswick, Maryland. Gerald Cline said, "It might not have been love at first sight when Patsy saw me, but it was for me."[100] Gerald Cline often took her to "one-nighters" and other concerts she performed in. Although he enjoyed her performances, he could not get used to her touring and road schedule. During their marriage, Patsy told a friend that she didn't think she "knew what love was" upon marrying Gerald. The pair began living separately by the end of 1956 and divorced in 1957.[101]

Cline married her second husband Charlie Dick on September 15, 1957.[102] The pair met in 1956 while Cline was performing with a local Virginia band. At the time, Dick was a linotype operator for a local newspaper, The Winchester Star. According to Dick, he had asked Cline to dance, and she replied, "I can't dance while I'm working, okay?" They eventually started spending time together, and Cline told close friends about their relationship. Cline told Grand Ole Opry pianist Del Wood in 1956, "Hoss, I got some news. I met a boy my own age who's a hurricane in pants! Del, I'm in love, and it's for real this time."[103] The pair had children Julie and Randy together.[98] Their relationship was considered both romantic and tempestuous. According to Robert Oermann and Mary Bufwack, Cline and Dick's marriage was "fueled by alcohol, argument, passion, jealousy, success, tears, and laughter."[104]

According to biographer Ellis Nassour, the pair fought often but remained together. They had gained a reputation as "heavy drinkers", but according to Dick himself, they were not "drunks".[105] During one particular fight, Cline had Dick arrested after they became physical with one another.[106] Following Cline's death in 1963, Dick married country artist Jamey Ryan in 1965. The pair divorced in the early 1970s after having one child together. Dick helped keep Cline's legacy alive for the remainder of his life. He assisted in producing several documentaries about Cline's career, including Remembering Patsy and The Real Patsy Cline. He became involved with Hallway Productions in the 1990s and helped produce videos on other artists, including Willie Nelson and The Mamas and the Papas. Dick died in 2015 and was laid to rest next to Cline.[102]

Death edit

Main article: 1963 Camden PA-24 crash
 
Patsy Cline aircraft crash site, Camden, Tennessee

On March 3, 1963, Cline performed a benefit at the Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Hall, Kansas City, Kansas, for the family of disc jockey "Cactus" Jack Call; he had died in an automobile crash a little over a month earlier. Also performing in the show were George Jones, George Riddle and The Jones Boys, Billy Walker, Dottie West, Wilma Lee and Stoney Cooper, George McCormick, the Clinch Mountain Boys as well as Cowboy Copas and Hawkshaw Hawkins. Despite having a cold, Cline performed at 2:00, 5:15, and 8:15 pm. All the shows were standing-room only. For the 2 p.m. show, she wore a sky-blue tulle-laden dress; for the 5:15 show, a red dress; and for the closing show at 8 p.m., Cline wore white chiffon. Her final song was the last she had recorded the previous month, "I'll Sail My Ship Alone".[107]

Cline, who had spent the night at the Town House Motor Hotel, was unable to fly out the day after the concert because Fairfax Airport was fogged in. West asked Patsy to ride in the car with her and her husband, Bill, back to Nashville, an 8-hour drive, but Cline refused, saying: "Don't worry about me, Hoss. When it's my time to go, it's my time." On March 5, she called her mother from the motel and checked out at 12:30 p.m., going the short distance to the airport and boarding a Piper PA-24 Comanche plane, aircraft registration number N7000P. On board were Cline, Copas, Hawkins, and pilot Randy Hughes.

The plane stopped once in Rogers, Arkansas, to refuel and subsequently landed at Dyersburg Municipal Airport in Dyersburg, Tennessee, at 5 p.m.[108] Hawkins had accepted Billy Walker's place after Walker left on a commercial flight to take care of a stricken family member. The Dyersburg, Tennessee, airfield manager suggested they stay the night because of high winds and inclement weather, offering them free rooms and meals. But Hughes, who was not trained in instrument flying, said, "I've already come this far. We'll be there before you know it." The plane took off at 6:07 p.m.[109]

Cline's flight crashed in heavy weather on the evening of Tuesday, March 5, 1963. Her recovered wristwatch had stopped at 6:20 p.m. The plane was found some 90 miles (140 km) from its Nashville destination, in a forest outside of Camden, Tennessee. Forensic examination concluded that everyone aboard had been killed instantly.[110][111] Until the wreckage was discovered the following dawn and reported on the radio, friends and family had not given up hope. Endless calls tied up the local telephone exchanges to such a degree that other emergency calls had trouble getting through. The lights at the aircraft's destination, Cornelia Fort Airpark, were kept on throughout the night, as reports of the missing plane were broadcast on radio and TV.

 
The grave of Patsy Cline

Early in the morning, Roger Miller and a friend went searching for survivors: "As fast as I could, I ran through the woods screaming their names—through the brush and the trees—and I came up over this little rise, oh, my God, there they were. It was ghastly. The plane had crashed nose down."[112] Shortly after the bodies were removed, looters scavenged the area. Some recovered items were eventually donated to the Country Music Hall of Fame. Cline's wristwatch, a Confederate flag cigarette lighter, a studded belt, and three pairs of gold lamé slippers were among them. Cline's fee in cash from the last performance was never recovered.[111] Per her wishes, Cline's body was brought home for her memorial service, which thousands attended. People jammed against the small tent over her gold casket and the grave to take all the flowers they could reach as keepsakes.[113] She was buried at Shenandoah Memorial Park in her hometown of Winchester, Virginia. Her grave is marked with a bronze plaque, which reads: "Virginia H. Dick ('Patsy Cline' is noted under her name) 'Death Cannot Kill What Never Dies: Love'." A memorial marks the exact place off Mt Carmel Road in Camden, Tennessee, where the plane crashed in the still-remote forest.[93]

Posthumous releases edit

Music edit

Since Cline's death, Decca Records (later bought by MCA and owned by Universal Music since 1999) has re-released her music, which has made her commercially successful posthumously. The Patsy Cline Story was the first compilation album the label released following her death. It included the songs "Sweet Dreams (Of You)" and "Faded Love". Both tracks were released as singles in 1963.[38] "Sweet Dreams" would reach number 5 on the Billboard country charts and 44 on the Hot 100.[114][115] "Faded Love" would also become a top 10 hit on the Billboard country chart, peaking at number 7 in October 1963.[116] In 1967, Decca released the compilation Patsy Cline's Greatest Hits. The album would not only peak at number 17 on the Billboard country chart, but also certified diamond in sales from the Recording Industry Association of America. In 2005, the Guinness World Book of Records included Greatest Hits for being the longest album on any record chart by any female artist.[117][43]

Cline's music continued making the charts into the 1980s. Her version of "Always" made the Billboard country chart in 1980.[38] An album of the same was also released in 1980 that peaked within the top 30 on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart.[118] Two overdubbed duets between Cline and Jim Reeves became major hits during this time as well.[38] Following the release of the Loretta Lynn biopic Coal Miner's Daughter (1980), there was renewed interest in Cline's career. Therefore, MCA Records reissued much of Cline's earlier studio and compilation releases.[49] Her 1967 greatest hits album for example was repackaged in 1988 and labeled 12 Greatest Hits. The record reached number 27 on the Top Country Albums list in 1990.[119] The soundtrack for Cline's own film biopic was released concurrently with the movie in 1985. The soundtrack would peak at number 6 on the Billboard country albums chart upon its release.[120]

In 1991, MCA records issued her first boxed set, titled The Patsy Cline Collection. The album chronicled all of Cline's recorded material for Four Star and Decca Records. The boxed set received positive reviews, notably by Thom Jurek of Allmusic, who rated it five out of five stars. Jurek commented,

If an artist ever deserved a box set chronicling her entire career, it is Patsy Cline. Having recorded 102 sides between 1955 and her death at the age of 30 in 1963, Cline changed not only country music forever, but affected the world of pop as well. Over four CDs, arranged chronologically, the listener gets treated to a story in the development and maturation of a cultural icon who was at least, in terms of her gift, the equal of her legend.[121]

Rolling Stone listed the box set among their "50 Greatest Albums of All-Time". Writer Rob Sheffield called Cline "a badass cowgirl drama queen belts some of the torchiest, weepiest country songs ever, hitting high notes that make you sob into your margarita."[122] The Patsy Cline Collection would reach number 29 on the Billboard country albums chart in January 1992.[123] In 1997, MCA released Live at the Cimarron Ballroom, a rare recording that had recently resurfaced. Jeweler Bill Frazee had originally purchased a tape in 1975 that he discovered included Cline's live recording, which took place during July 1961, following Cline's car accident. She appeared at the Cimarron Ballroom in Tulsa, Oklahoma, to give a one-night performance. Included on the record was unreleased live performances and dialog with the audience.[79] The album peaked in the top 40 of the Billboard country albums chart.[124] Cline's former MCA label (now MCA Nashville) continues releasing material to this day.[39] Cline is listed among the Recording Industry of America's bestselling artists, with a total of over 14 million records sold to date.[125]

Film and television edit

 
Actress Jessica Lange portrayed Cline in the 1985 Academy Award-nominated biopic Sweet Dreams.

Cline has been portrayed on film and television several times since the 1980s. The Loretta Lynn biopic Coal Miner's Daughter (1980) renewed interest in her life and career.[126] Cline and Lynn's friendship was portrayed in the 1980 film. Actress Beverly D'Angelo played Cline in the movie and did her own singing of Cline's original material. D'Angelo earned a Golden Globe award nomination for her role. In an interview D'Angelo did for a 2017 PBS documentary, playing the role of Patsy Cline "had a profound impact" on her life and career.[127][43]

In 1985, a feature film about Cline's life was released entitled Sweet Dreams. The film starred Jessica Lange as Cline and Ed Harris as husband Charlie Dick.[128][38] Originally, Meryl Streep auditioned for Cline's role but ultimately lost to Lange.[129] The film was produced by Bernard Schwartz, who also produced Coal Miner's Daughter. Original ideas called for scenes between Cline and Lynn, however they were ultimately removed from the final script.[130] The film has been criticized for its lack of accuracy to Cline's own life and its musical production. Kurt Wolff wrote, "the soundtrack, however, featured overdubbed versions of Cline's material – better to stick with the originals."[38] Mark Deming of Allmovie only gave the release two out of five stars. Deming commented, "While it's a wise approach to show how her turbulent marriage paralleled her crossover to Countrypolitan ballads, the melodrama tends to overshadow the celebrity story by relegating her rise to stardom to the background. Due to the historically dubious concerts at carnivals and fairgrounds, it appears as though she wasn't as big a star as she actually was." Deming did praise Lange's performance saying she created a "cheerful and spirited" depiction of Cline.[131] Roger Ebert gave it two stars in his original 1985 review. Ebert said, "There isn't the sense of a well-shaped structure in this movie; there's no clear idea of what the filmmakers thought about Patsy Cline, or what thoughts her life is supposed to inspire."[132] Lange was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress for her role as Cline.[129]

Cline was also portrayed in television films. In 1995, a film about the life and career of Cline's friend Dottie West debuted on CBS titled, Big Dreams and Broken Hearts: The Dottie West Story. It included several scenes that showcased West's friendship with Cline. Actress Tere Myers played her in the television movie. Deborah Wilker of the Sun-Sentinel called her performance "terrific" and authentic.[133]

Lifetime aired an original television film Patsy & Loretta in October 2019 on the network. It chronicles Cline's friendship with Loretta Lynn. Cline is portrayed by Megan Hilty and Lynn by Jessie Mueller. The film is directed by the Academy Award-winning screenwriter Callie Khouri.[134] The trailer for the movie was released in July 2019. Patsy & Loretta was filmed on location in Nashville, Tennessee and is co-produced by Lynn's daughter and Cline's daughter, Julie Fudge.[135]

There have been several documentaries made about Cline's life and career. The first was a 1989 documentary titled The Real Patsy Cline, which featured interviews with friends and fellow artists. This included Carl Perkins and Willie Nelson.[136] Another documentary was filmed in 1994 entitled Remembering Patsy. The show was hosted by country artist Michelle Wright, who read letters Cline wrote to friends and family. It included interviews with several artists such as Roy Clark, George Jones and Trisha Yearwood.[137] Both documentaries were produced by Cline's widower Charlie Dick.[102] In March 2017, PBS released a documentary on Cline as part of their American Masters series. The film was narrated by Rosanne Cash and featured interviews with fans of Cline. These interviews included Beverly D'Angelo and Reba McEntire. It also included rare performances of songs such as "Three Cigarettes in an Ashtray" and "Walkin' After Midnight".[138]

Plays and musicals edit

Cline's life and career has also been re-created in the theater sector. In 1988, the show Always...Patsy Cline premiered. The show was created by Ted Swindley who derived it from a friendship Cline had with Texas resident Louise Seger. The pair met while Cline was performing at the Esquire Ballroom in Houston, Texas. Seger brought Cline home following the show and they spent the night together. The pair would remain in contact through letters before Cline's death. Much of the script relied from letters exchanged between the two during the course of several years. Seger acts as the show's narrator and revisits memories she shared with Cline through their letter exchanges.[139] Among the show's original performers was Mandy Barnett, who debuted the show at the Ryman Auditorium in 1994. Barnett would go on to have a music and performing career.[140] A second musical was later released in 1991 titled A Closer Walk with Patsy Cline. The show was written by Dean Regan and has been called a "musical retelling" of Cline's career.[141]

Artistry edit

Influences edit

Cline was influenced by various music artists. Among her earliest influences were pop singers of the 1940s and 1950s. These included Kay Starr,[142] Helen Morgan,[17] Patti Page,[143] and Kate Smith.[144] Patti Page recollected that Cline's husband said to her, "I just wish Patsy could have met you because she just adored you and listened to you all the time and wanted to be like you."[143] Among her primary influences was Kay Starr, of whom Cline was a "fervent devotee" according to The Washington Post.[145] Jack Hurst of the Chicago Tribune remarked that "Her rich, powerful voice, obviously influenced by that of pop's Kay Starr, has continued and perhaps even grown in popularity over the decades."[142] Cline was also attracted to country music radio programs, notably the Grand Ole Opry. According to Mary Bufwack and Robert Oermann, Cline became "obsessed" with the program at a young age. Cline's mother Hilda Hensley commented on her daughter's admiration, "I know she never wanted anything so badly as to be a star on the Grand Ole Opry..."[75] Among performers from the program she admired was Patsy Montana.[144] Cline was also influenced by other types of performers including early rockabilly artist Charline Arthur.[146]

Voice and style edit

Cline possessed a contralto voice. Time magazine writer Richard Corliss called her voice "bold".[147] Her voice has also been praised for its display of emotion. Kurt Wolff called it one of the most "emotionally expressive voices in modern country music".[148] Tony Gabrielle of the Daily Press wrote that Cline had "a voice of tremendous emotional power."[149] Cline was at times taken by her own emotion. Husband Charlie Dick recounted that Cline's producer Owen Bradley told him to leave a recording session because she was very emotional and he didn't want to disturb the mood. Cline was once quoted in describing the emotion she felt, saying, "Oh Lord, I sing just like I hurt inside."[147]

During her early career, Cline recorded in styles such as gospel, rockabilly, and honky-tonk.[37][25] These styles she cut for Four Star Records have been considered below the quality of her later work for Decca Records.[37] Steve Leggett of Allmusic commented,

Her recordings prior to 1960, though, were something else again, and with the exception of 1956's "Walkin' After Midnight" and perhaps one or two other songs, she seemed reined in and stifled as a singer, even though she was working with the same producer, Owen Bradley, who was to produce her 1960s successes. Oh the difference a song makes, because in the end the material she recorded between 1955 and 1960 – all of which is collected on these two discs – was simply too weak for Cline to turn into anything resembling gold, even with her obvious vocal skills.[150]

Cline's style has been largely associated with the Nashville Sound, a sub-genre of country music that linked traditional lyrics with orchestrated pop music styles.[151] This new sound helped many of her singles to crossover onto the Billboard Hot 100 and gain a larger audience that did not always listen to country music.[152] Her producer Owen Bradley built this sound onto her Decca recordings, sensing a potential in her voice that went beyond traditional country music. At first, she resisted the pop-sounding style, but was ultimately convinced to record in this new style.[37] Stephen M. Desuner of Pitchfork explained that Cline has been an identifiable factor with the Nashville Sound: "She essentially rewrote their songs simply by singing them, elevating their words and wringing every one of their rhymes for maximum dramatic potential."[153] Mark Deming of Allmusic commented, "Cline and Bradley didn't invent "countrypolitan," but precious few artists managed to meld the sophistication of pop and the emotional honesty of country as brilliantly as this music accomplishes with seemingly effortless grace, and these songs still sound fresh and brilliantly crafted decades after the fact."[154]

Image edit

Cline's public image changed during the course of her career. She began her career wearing cowgirl dresses and hats designed by her mother. However, as her music crossed over into pop, she began wearing sequined gowns and cocktail dresses.[61] While she would often wear cowgirl costumes for live performances, she would also wear evening dresses for television and metropolitan performances. For her 1957 performance on Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts, the show's producer insisted that Cline wear an evening dress instead of the fringed cowgirl attire she had intended to wear.[155] Her 1962 engagement at the Merri-Mint Theatre in Las Vegas represented this particular image shift. For one of her performances, Cline wore a sequined cocktail dress designed by her mother.[152]

Cline has also been seen as a pioneer for women in country music. She has been cited as an inspiration by many performers in diverse styles of music.[156][157] Kurt Wolff of Country Music: The Rough Guide said that Cline had an "aggression" and "boisterous attitude" that gained her the respect of her male counterparts. Wolff explained, "She swaggered her way past stereotypes and other forces of resistance, showing the men in charge – and the public in general – that women were more than capable of singing about such hard subjects as divorce and drinking as well as love and understanding.[148] Sean O'Hagan of The Guardian commented that along with Minnie Pearl, Jean Shepard and Kitty Wells, Cline helped prove that country music was not "macho" and that "strong women" could have a "strong voice".[158] In 2013, Diane Reese wrote, "she was what I call a pre-feminist woman. She didn't open doors; she kicked them down."[159] Mary Bufwack and Robert K. Oermann wrote in 2003 that Cline "transformed what it meant to be a female country star".[160]

Legacy and recognition edit

 
Cline's plaque located inside the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. She was the first female solo artist inducted into the hall of fame.

Cline has been cited in both country and pop music as of one of the greatest vocalists of all time.[161][39][162] Her voice has also been called "haunting", "powerful", and "emotional".[163] Cline's emotional expression and delivery of lyrics helped influence various musical genres and artists.[162][148] With the support of producer Owen Bradley, Cline has been said to "help define" the Nashville Sound style of country music.[148] While the subgenre has received mixed opinions, it has also been said to be a significant part of country music's "authenticity", with Cline being the center focal point of the subgenre.[164] Other artists have noted her impact, including LeAnn Rimes who stated, "I remember my dad telling me to listen to the way she told a story... I remember feeling more emotion when she sang than anyone else I had ever heard." Lucinda Williams commented on Cline's vocal talent in helping define her legacy, stating, "Even though her style is considered country, her delivery is more like a classic pop singer... That's what set her apart from Loretta Lynn or Tammy Wynette. You'd almost think she was classically trained."[162]

Cline has been a major influence on various music artists including Reba McEntire,[165] Loretta Lynn,[85] LeAnn Rimes,[166] k.d. lang,[167] Linda Ronstadt,[168] Trisha Yearwood,[169] Sara Evans,[170] Dottie West,[85] Kacey Musgraves,[43] Margo Price,[43] Cyndi Lauper,[171] Trixie Mattel[172] and Brandi Carlile.[173] Dottie West (also a close friend of Cline's) spoke about her influence on her own career, "I think I was most influenced by Patsy Cline, she said things for people. There was so much feeling in there. In fact, she told me, 'Hoss, if you can't do it with feeling, don't'".[85] In 2019, Sara Evans discussed how Cline has been an influence since she was a young girl, "I learned everything I could learn about her. I tried to mimic her singing to the ‘t’. We grew up singing in bars — my brothers, sisters and I — from the time I was really little. So I started covering every Patsy Cline song. Then when I first got my record deal I came to Winchester to visit a radio station to try to get them to play my song Three Chords and the Truth."[170]

In 1973, Cline was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame. With the induction, she became the first solo female artist to be included.[17][174] In 1977, Cline's friend and mentee Loretta Lynn released a tribute album entitled I Remember Patsy. The record contained covers of Cline's songs, including "Back in Baby's Arms" and "Crazy". The album's lead single was "She's Got You", which would reach the number 1 spot on the Billboard country chart in 1977.[175][83][176] In 1995, Cline received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award for her legacy and career.[177] Additionally, her hits "I Fall to Pieces" and "Crazy" received inductions into the Grammy Hall of Fame.[178]

In 1993, Cline was included on United States postal stamps as part of their "Legends" series. Other country artists that were included on stamp series were The Carter Family, Hank Williams, and Bob Wills. The stamps were dedicated in an official ceremony at the Grand Ole Opry by Postmaster General Marvin Runyon.[179] In August 1999, Cline received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. The ceremony was attended by her widower Charlie Dick and daughter Julie Fudge.[180][181] During the 1990s, two of her songs were voted among the "Greatest Juke Box Hits of All-Time". "Crazy" was voted as the number 1 greatest, along with "I Fall to Pieces" ranking at number 17.[181]

Since the late 1990s, she received additional rankings and honors. In 1999, Cline was ranked at number 11 among VH1's list of the "100 Greatest Women of Rock and Roll".[182] In 2003, she was included by Country Music Television on their list of the "40 Greatest Women of Country Music".[183] In 2010, Cline ranked at number 46 on Rolling Stone's list of the "100 Greatest Singers of All-Time".[162] The magazine would rank her on their 2017 list of the "100 Greatest Country Artists of All-Time", where she placed at number 12.[163] In 2023, Rolling Stone ranked Cline at No. 13 on its list of the 200 Greatest Singers of All Time.[184]

Forty years after her death, MCA Nashville released a tribute album entitled Remembering Patsy Cline (2003). A television special also followed around the same time. The album consisted of cover versions of songs taken from Cline's 1967 greatest hits album. It included songs covered by country artists such as Terri Clark and Martina McBride. It also featured artists from other genres such as Michelle Branch, Diana Krall and Patti Griffin.[185]

Cline's hometown of Winchester, Virginia has helped honor her legacy and career. In 1987, the local government approved the placing of markers within the town denoting it as the birthplace of Cline. The same year, a bell tower was erected in her burial location at Shenandoah Memorial Park. The bell tower cost thirty five thousand dollars and was partially funded by Cline's friends Jan Howard and Loretta Lynn.[93] In 2005, Cline's childhood home was given an official on-site marker and included on the National Register of Historic Places.[186] With the development of an organization entitled Celebrating Patsy Cline Inc., renovations began on Cline's childhood home. In August 2011, the Patsy Cline House officially opened as a historic home for tours. In almost three months, about three thousand people visited the home.[96] The home was restored to the era in which Cline lived in it during the 1950s with her mother and siblings. Replicas of furniture and stage clothes are also included. Daughter Julie Fudge spoke of the house in 2011, stating, “I think when you go into the house, you will kind of feel like this is a snapshot of what it would have been like to visit when Mom lived there.”[187]

In 2017, the Patsy Cline Museum opened in Nashville, Tennessee, located at 119 3rd Ave. S., on the second floor in the same building as the Johnny Cash Museum. The museum includes Cline's actual stage costumes, as well as her original scrapbook and record albums.[188] It also features other artifacts such as the soda fountain machine from Gaunt's Drug Store where Cline worked as a teenager. Original letters that Cline wrote to friends are also included in the museum's collection.[189]

Discography edit

Main articles: Patsy Cline discography, posthumous discography, and songs

Studio albums

Posthumous studio albums

References edit

Footnotes edit

  1. ^ a b Pae, Peter. "CRAZY OVER CLINE". The Washington Post. Retrieved August 15, 2019.
  2. ^ . Celebrating Patsy Cline.org. Archived from the original on August 15, 2019. Retrieved August 15, 2019.
  3. ^ Nassour, Ellis 1993, p. 85.
  4. ^ "Nashville Sound / Countrypolitan". AllMusic. Retrieved July 8, 2017.
  5. ^ Soslow, Robin (May 10, 2018). "Patsy Cline Museum and the wonderful women of Music City give you more reasons to be crazy over Nashville". My San Antonio.com. Retrieved August 11, 2019.
  6. ^ Cuenca, Melody (July 23, 2019). "'Rockabilly Heaven' mixes rock, country into legendary music experience". Greenville Journal. Retrieved July 30, 2019.
  7. ^ Hofstra, Warren E. (September 20, 2013). "Sweet Dreams: The World of Patsy Cline". PopMatters. Retrieved July 8, 2017.
  8. ^ CBS News (February 18, 2009). "Remembering Patsy Cline" October 21, 2013, at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved January 16, 2012.
  9. ^ Browne, Ray; Browne, Pat (eds.) (2001). The Guide to United States Popular Culture. Popular Press. p. 180. ISBN 978-0-87972-821-2.
  10. ^ Duke, Alan (July 18, 2012). "Kitty Wells blazed country path for women". CNN. Retrieved March 6, 2013.
  11. ^ McGhee, Dorothy (September 29, 1985). "Washington Post Washington, DC, Sweet Dreams Article". ICPSR Data Holdings. Retrieved March 9, 2019.
  12. ^ Nassour, Ellis 1993, p. 7.
  13. ^ "Daughter of a Single Mom, Singer Patsy Cline Is Still Loved". Esme. May 7, 2018. Retrieved September 16, 2019.
  14. ^ Sawyer, Bobbie Jean. "10 Things You Didn't Know About Patsy Cline". Wide Open Country. Retrieved September 16, 2019.
  15. ^ Nassour, Ellis 1993, p. 8.
  16. ^ McGhee, Dorothy (September 29, 1985). "Sweet Dreams". Washington Post.
  17. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o "Patsy Cline – Country Music Hall of Fame". Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. Retrieved August 15, 2019.
  18. ^ a b c d e "Cline, Patsy (1932–1963)". Encyclopedia.com. Retrieved August 15, 2019.
  19. ^ a b Nassour, Ellis 1993, p. 9.
  20. ^ U Discover Staff. "50 Facts About Patsy Cline". U Discover. Retrieved August 16, 2019.
  21. ^ "Patsy Cline – Singer, Pianist". Biography. Retrieved August 16, 2019.
  22. ^ a b Nassour, Ellis 1993, p. 10.
  23. ^ a b Nassour, Ellis 1993, p. 11.
  24. ^ Nassour, Ellis 1993, p. 12.
  25. ^ a b c d e f g Oermann, Robert K. & Bufwack, Mary A. 2003, p. 216.
  26. ^ Nassour, Ellis 1993, pp. 13–17.
  27. ^ Nassour, Ellis 1993, p. 21.
  28. ^ Nassour, Ellis 1993, p. 20.
  29. ^ Nassour, Ellis 1993, p. 46.
  30. ^ Nassour, Ellis 1993, p. 52.
  31. ^ Nassour, Ellis 1993, p. 30.
  32. ^ Thompson, Gayle. "Country Music Memories: Patsy Cline Signs First Recording Contract". The Boot. Retrieved August 18, 2019.
  33. ^ a b Ward, Ed. "Patsy Cline: A Country Career Cut Short". NPR. Retrieved August 18, 2019.
  34. ^ Nassour, Ellis 1993, p. 32.
  35. ^ Nassour, Ellis 1993, p. 33.
  36. ^ Nassour, Ellis 1993, pp. 38–42.
  37. ^ a b c d Wolff, Kurt 2000, pp. 302–303.
  38. ^ a b c d e f g h i Wolff, Kurt 2000, p. 303.
  39. ^ a b c d e Unterberger, Richie. "Patsy Cline: Biography & History". Allmusic. Retrieved August 18, 2019.
  40. ^ Nassour, Ellis 1994, p. [page needed].
  41. ^ Nassour, Ellis 1993, pp. 52–57.
  42. ^ Nassour, Ellis 1993, pp. 66–67.
  43. ^ a b c d e f g Betts, Stephen L. (March 3, 2017). "10 Things We Learned From the New Patsy Cline Documentary". Rolling Stone. Retrieved August 19, 2019.
  44. ^ a b Mother Country by Amanda Petrusich Smithsonian magazine April–May 2022 edition Pages 32-34
  45. ^ a b c Nassour, Ellis 1993, pp. 71–73.
  46. ^ Nassour, Ellis 1993, pp. 74–80.
  47. ^ Unterberger, Richie. ""Walkin' After Midnight": Patsy Cline: Song Info". Allmusic. Retrieved August 19, 2019.
  48. ^ Nassour, Ellis 1993, pp. 80–81.
  49. ^ a b Nassour, Ellis 1993, p. 251.
  50. ^ "Patsy Cline's aching voice blazed country music trail". Green Bay Press Gazette. Retrieved August 19, 2019.
  51. ^ Nassour, Ellis 1993, p. 83.
  52. ^ a b c d Gomery, Douglas. "Patsy Cline (1932–1963)". Encyclopedia Virginia. Retrieved August 19, 2019.
  53. ^ . Grand Ole Opry. Archived from the original on August 21, 2019. Retrieved August 21, 2019.
  54. ^ Nassour, Ellis 1993, pp. 119–120.
  55. ^ a b Betts, Stephen L. (August 10, 2015). "Flashback: Patsy Cline's 'I Fall to Pieces' Hits Number One". Rolling Stone. Retrieved August 21, 2019.
  56. ^ Wolff, Kurt 2000, pp. 133–134.
  57. ^ Billboard Year-End Hot 100 singles of 1961
  58. ^ a b c d Whitaker, Sterling (June 14, 2018). "Remember the Car Accident That Nearly Ended Patsy Cline's Career". Taste of Country. Retrieved August 21, 2019.
  59. ^ Nassour, Ellis 1993, p. 148.
  60. ^ a b Nassour, Ellis 1993, pp. 148–158.
  61. ^ a b c Oermann, Robert K. & Bufwack, Mary A. 2003, p. 220.
  62. ^ a b c Wertheimer, Linda. "Patsy Cline's 'Crazy' Changed The Sound Of Country Music". NPR. Retrieved August 23, 2019.
  63. ^ a b Nassour, Ellis 1993, p. 165.
  64. ^ Nassour, Ellis 1993, p. 166.
  65. ^ See Liner Notes, 12 Greatest Hits, Patsy Cline, compact disc MCAD-12, MCA Records
  66. ^ "500 Greatest Songs of all Time". Rolling Stone. December 11, 2003. Retrieved April 25, 2012.
  67. ^ Koda, Cub. "Patsy Cline Showcase: Songs, Reviews, Credits". Allmusic. Retrieved August 23, 2019.
  68. ^ a b Kingsbury, Paul. "BEHIND THE SONG: "Crazy"". American Songwriter. Retrieved August 25, 2019.
  69. ^ Koda, Cub. ""Crazy" – Patsy Cline: Song Info". Allmusic. Retrieved August 25, 2019.
  70. ^ Jackson, Jhoni (October 11, 2016). "The 5 Best Covers of Patsy Cline's "Crazy"". Paste Magazine. Retrieved August 25, 2019.
  71. ^ Nassour, Ellis 1993, pp. 170–176.
  72. ^ Recorded December 17, 1961. See Liner Notes, 12 Greatest Hits, Patsy Cline, compact disc MCAD-12, MCA Records.
  73. ^ "History The Story Behind Patsy Cline's Heartbreaking Hit, 'She's Got You'". Texas Hill Country. May 16, 2016. Retrieved August 23, 2019.
  74. ^ Nassour, Ellis 1993, p. 181.
  75. ^ a b c Oermann, Robert K. & Bufwack, Mary A. 2003, p. 219.
  76. ^ "Retro Charts". everyHit.com. March 16, 2000. Retrieved January 31, 2012.
  77. ^ Nassour, Ellis 1993, p. 170.
  78. ^ a b Oermann, Robert K. & Bufwack, Mary A. 2003, p. 221.
  79. ^ a b Pursell, Kate; Knight-Ridder (September 7, 1997). "RARE PATSY CLINE RECORDING EMERGES". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved August 25, 2019.
  80. ^ Nassour, Ellis 1993, pp. 198–208.
  81. ^ The Encyclopedia of Country Music. Paul Kingsbury, Editor. New York: Oxford University Press. pp. 98–9.
  82. ^ a b c Oermann, Robert K. & Bufwack, Mary A. 2003, p. 207.
  83. ^ a b Liptak, Carena (September 5, 2019). "Patsy Cline + Loretta Lynn's Friendship Shines in New Movie". Taste of Country. Retrieved September 7, 2019.
  84. ^ Nassour, Ellis 1993, p. 152.
  85. ^ a b c d Oermann, Robert K. & Bufwack, Mary A. 2003, p. 208.
  86. ^ Hinckley, David (March 3, 2016). "PBS Documentary on Loretta Lynn Recounts the Debt Modern Country Music Owes to 'Fist City'". HuffPost. Retrieved September 16, 2019.
  87. ^ Nassour, Ellis 1993, p. 137.
  88. ^ Nassour, Ellis 1993, p. 131.
  89. ^ Oermann, Robert K. & Bufwack, Mary A. 2003, pp. 207–208.
  90. ^ Nassour, Ellis 1993, pp. 128–129.
  91. ^ a b "Still 'Crazy' for Patsy". The Northern Virginia Daily. September 4, 2011. Retrieved August 25, 2019.
  92. ^ Nassour, Ellis 1993, pp. 248–249.
  93. ^ a b c Nassour, Ellis 1993, p. 248.
  94. ^ Gomery, Douglas; Allen, Bob (December 12, 1993). "PATSY'S PEOPLE". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved August 25, 2019.
  95. ^ Nassour, Ellis 1993, p. 68.
  96. ^ a b Barry, Dan (December 24, 2012). "For Patsy Cline's Hometown, An Embrace That Took Decades". The New York Times. Retrieved September 7, 2019.
  97. ^ Nassour, Ellis 1993, p. 240.
  98. ^ a b c "New Patsy Cline Museum Pays Tribute to the Timeless Country Icon". People Magazine. Retrieved August 25, 2019.
  99. ^ "The Casey Hensley Band". Travelingboy.com. Retrieved February 20, 2021.
  100. ^ Nassour, Ellis 1993, p. 23.
  101. ^ Nassour, Ellis 1993, p. 45.
  102. ^ a b c Dauphin, Chuck (November 8, 2015). "Charlie Dick, Widower Of Patsy Cline, Dies At 81". Billboard. Retrieved November 8, 2015.
  103. ^ Nassour, Ellis 1993, pp. 54–55.
  104. ^ Oermann, Robert K. & Bufwack, Mary A. 2003, p. 217.
  105. ^ Nassour, Ellis 1993, p. 127.
  106. ^ Nassour, Ellis 1993, p. 200.
  107. ^ Nassour, Ellis 1993, pp. 218–221.
  108. ^ Nassour, Ellis 1993, pp. 222–226.
  109. ^ Larry Jordan. "What really happened in the Patsy Cline plane crash". boardhost.com. Retrieved June 19, 2015.
  110. ^ Sherry Anderson (January 2001). . Countrypolitan.com. Archived from the original on January 3, 2014.
  111. ^ a b . bard.org. Utah Shakespeare Festival. Archived from the original on May 25, 2012. Retrieved April 26, 2012.
  112. ^ Ellis Nassour's "Patsy Cline" and "Honky Tonk Angel" from exclusive 1979 and 1980 interviews with Miller
  113. ^ McGhee, Dorothy (September 29, 1985). "The Washington Post". The Washington Post.
  114. ^ "Patsy Cline: "Sweet Dreams (Of You)": Chart History: Country Songs". Billboard. Retrieved August 26, 2019.
  115. ^ "Patsy Cline: "Sweet Dreams (Of You)": Billboard Hot 100". Billboard. Retrieved August 26, 2019.
  116. ^ "Patsy Cline: "Faded Love": Chart History: Country Songs". Billboard. Retrieved August 26, 2019.
  117. ^ "Patsy Cline Chart History: Patsy Cline's Greatest Hits". Billboard. Retrieved August 26, 2019.
  118. ^ "Patsy Cline "Always" Chart History: Top Country Albums". Billboard. Retrieved August 26, 2019.
  119. ^ "Patsy Cline 12 Greatest Hits Chart History". Billboard. Retrieved August 26, 2019.
  120. ^ "Patsy Cline Soundtrack-Sweet Dreams Chart History". Billboard. Retrieved August 26, 2019.
  121. ^ Jurek, Thom. "'The Patsy Cline Collection': Patsy Cline: Songs, Reviews, Credits". Allmusic. Retrieved August 26, 2019.
  122. ^ Sheffield, Rob (June 22, 2012). "Women Who Rock: The 50 Greatest Albums of All Time". Rolling Stone. Retrieved August 26, 2019.
  123. ^ "Patsy Cline: The Patsy Cline Collection Chart History". Billboard. Retrieved August 26, 2019.
  124. ^ "Patsy Cline: Live at the Cimarron Ballroom Chart History". Billboard. Retrieved August 26, 2019.
  125. ^ "RIAA: Top Artists (Albums)". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved August 27, 2019.
  126. ^ Nassour, Ellis 1993, p. 247.
  127. ^ "Beverly D'Angelo to be honored at Las Cruces International Film Festival". Las Cruces Sun News. Retrieved August 28, 2019.
  128. ^ "Sweet Dreams", IMDb; accessed September 28, 2017.
  129. ^ a b Rorke, Robert (June 13, 2016). "Jessica Lange just one-upped Meryl Streep with her Tony win". New York Post. Retrieved August 28, 2019.
  130. ^ Raye, Miranda (January 11, 2017). "7 Things You Didn't Know About The Patsy Cline Movie 'Sweet Dreams'". Country Music Nation. Retrieved August 28, 2019.
  131. ^ Deming, Mark. "'Sweet Dreams' (1985) – Karel Reiscz: Review". Allmovie. Retrieved August 28, 2019.
  132. ^ Ebert, Roger. "'Sweet Dreams' Movie Review & Film Summary: 1985". Roger Ebert.com. Retrieved August 28, 2019.
  133. ^ Wilker, Deborah (January 18, 1995). "Dottie West TV Film Doesn't Do Her Wrong". Sun-Sentinel. Retrieved August 28, 2019.
  134. ^ "Patsy & Loretta". Deadline. March 11, 2019. Retrieved August 28, 2019.
  135. ^ Tracy, Brianne. "New Biopic Explores the Friendship of Country Icons Patsy Cline and Loretta Lynn". People Magazine. Retrieved August 28, 2019.
  136. ^ "The Real Patsy Cline (Video 1989): Full Cast and Crew". IMDb. Retrieved September 8, 2019.
  137. ^ ""Biography" Patsy Cline: Remembering Patsy". IMDb. Retrieved September 8, 2019.
  138. ^ Sitzes, Jeane (March 7, 2017). "PBS' New Patsy Cline Documentary Honors Her Legacy as a Country Music Game-Changer". Country Living. Retrieved September 8, 2019.
  139. ^ Cachuela, Alicia (July 13, 1997). "Always … Patsy Cline". Retrieved September 7, 2019.
  140. ^ Shelburne, Craig. "Mandy Barnett Always Honors Patsy Cline". Country Music Television. Retrieved September 7, 2019.
  141. ^ Cannon Gonzales, Lacey. "'A Closer Walk With Patsy Cline' is an intimate tribute to a musical giant". Retrieved September 7, 2019.
  142. ^ a b Hurst, Jack (December 1996). "A Real 'Patsy'". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved September 16, 2019.
  143. ^ a b Sylvester, Bruce. "Remembering Patti Page with a 2003 Interview". Goldmine Magazine: Record Collector & Music Memorabilia. Retrieved September 16, 2019.
  144. ^ a b Hughes, Mike. "Life of indomitable country-western singer Patsy Cline told on PBS". Lansing State Journal. Retrieved September 16, 2019.
  145. ^ "Kay Starr, ferociously expressive singer who had a pop hit with 'Wheel of Fortune' dies at 94". The Washington Post. Retrieved September 16, 2019.
  146. ^ Koster, Rick (2000). Texas Music. St. Martin's Press. p. 32. ISBN 9780312254254.
  147. ^ a b Corliss, Richard. . Time. Archived from the original on June 29, 2011. Retrieved September 16, 2019.
  148. ^ a b c d Wolff, Kurt 2000, p. 302.
  149. ^ Gabrielle, Tony (November 24, 2000). "Next Best Thing to Patsy Cline". Daily Press. Retrieved September 16, 2019.
  150. ^ Leggett, Steve. "50 Golden Greats: The Complete Early Recordings: Review". Allmusic. Retrieved September 16, 2019.
  151. ^ Byworth, Tony, ed. (2006). The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Country Music. London: Flame Tree Publishing. pp. 7, 115–117, 169. ISBN 978-1-84451-406-9.
  152. ^ a b Hofstra, Warren R. 2013, p. 161.
  153. ^ Deusner, Stephen M. "Patsy Cline: Sentimentally Yours: Review". Pitchfork. Retrieved September 16, 2019.
  154. ^ Deming, Mark. "Patsy Cline's Greatest Hits: Review". Allmusic. Retrieved September 16, 2019.
  155. ^ Jordan, Larry. "Renembering Patsy Cline". Midwest Today. Retrieved September 16, 2019. Her last show was in Kansas City 35 years ago this Spring. Fans remember country music's best female singer of all time.
  156. ^ Patsy Cline: American Masters. PBS.org. Retrieved February 23, 2017.
  157. ^ "Patsy Cline, Country Star". legacy.com. Retrieved April 25, 2012.
  158. ^ O'Hagan, Sean (September 6, 2012). "Honky-tonk women: the female artists who made it big in country music". The Guardian. Retrieved September 16, 2019.
  159. ^ Reese, Diane. "Crazy for Patsy Cline: Still Popular 50 years after her death". The Washington Post. Retrieved September 16, 2019.
  160. ^ Oermann, Robert K. & Bufwack, Mary A. 2003, p. 255.
  161. ^ "No. 6: Patsy Cline – Country Music's Most Powerful Women of All-Time". Taste of Country. September 25, 2017. Retrieved September 7, 2019.
  162. ^ a b c d "100 Greatest Singers of All-Time". Rolling Stone. December 3, 2010. Retrieved September 7, 2019.
  163. ^ a b Browne, David; Dolan, Jon; Freeman, Jon; Betts, Stephen L.; Leahey, Andrew; Hudak, Joseph; Grow, Kory; Ross, Marissa M.; Johnston, Maura; Levy, Joe; Hermes, Will; Cantwell, David; Bernstein, Jonathan (June 15, 2017). "100 Greatest Country Artists of All-Time". Rolling Stone. Retrieved September 7, 2019.
  164. ^ Hofstra, Warren F. (September 20, 2013). "Sweet Dreams: The World of Patsy Cline". Pop Matters. Retrieved September 7, 2019.
  165. ^ Berger, Laura. "Exclusive: Reba McEntire Talks Patsy Cline's Influence in "Patsy Cline: American Masters" Clip". Women and Hollywood. Retrieved September 21, 2019.
  166. ^ Joyce, Mike. "FROM LEANN RIMES, BRIGHT BLUE". The Washington Post. Retrieved September 21, 2019.
  167. ^ . Associated Press. May 5, 2019. Archived from the original on September 21, 2019. Retrieved September 21, 2019.
  168. ^ "A New Generation Stands by the Songs of Patsy Cline". Los Angeles Times. November 13, 1995. Retrieved September 21, 2019.
  169. ^ Watts, Cindy. "Watch: Trisha Yearwood wears Patsy Cline's necklace to celebrate her 20th Opry anniversary". The Tennessean. Retrieved September 21, 2019.
  170. ^ a b Janney, Josh (April 15, 2019). "Country music singer Sara Evans captivates, pays tribute to Patsy Cline". Winchester Star. Retrieved September 21, 2019.
  171. ^ "Cyndi Lauper on Patsy Cline's Influence: The Ram Report". Rolling Stone. March 29, 2016. Retrieved September 21, 2019.
  172. ^ Lorusso, Marissa (March 23, 2018). "Trixie Mattel: America's Next Top Folk-Country Comedy Drag Artist". NPR. Retrieved September 23, 2019.
  173. ^ Willman, Chris (February 7, 2019). "Brandi Carlile Producing Comeback Album, Documentary Film for Tanya Tucker (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved September 21, 2019.
  174. ^ Shelburne, Craig. "Patsy Cline Exhibit Opens at Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum". Country Music Television. Retrieved September 7, 2019.
  175. ^ Orr, Dacey (March 7, 2016). "The 10 Best Loretta Lynn Songs". Stereogum. Retrieved September 7, 2019.
  176. ^ "Loretta Lynn – I Remember Patsy". Discogs. September 15, 1977. Retrieved April 6, 2018.
  177. ^ "Lifetime Achievement Award". Grammy Awards. Retrieved September 7, 2019.
  178. ^ Horton, Carrie. "8 Country Icons Who Have Never Won a Grammy". The Boot. Retrieved September 7, 2019.
  179. ^ Carr, Richard (September 12, 1993). "'Legends' Series Salutes Country-Western Stars". Sun-Sentinel. Retrieved September 7, 2019.
  180. ^ Havers, Richard. "Features When Patsy Cline Got Her Own Hollywood Star". U Discover. Retrieved September 7, 2019.
  181. ^ a b "Country Music Memories: Cline Receives Hollywood Walk of Fame Star". The Boot. Retrieved September 7, 2019.
  182. ^ Tucker, Ken. "TV Review: '100 Greatest Women of Rock and Roll'". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved September 7, 2019.
  183. ^ "40 Greatest Women Announced". Country Music Television. Retrieved September 7, 2019.
  184. ^ "The 200 Greatest Singers of All Time". Rolling Stone. January 1, 2023. Retrieved October 17, 2023.
  185. ^ "Patsy Cline Tribute, TV special to take shape". Billboard. August 19, 2002. Retrieved September 8, 2019.
  186. ^ "Seat Sponsorships in The Patsy Cline Theatre at John Handley High School with a sold out concert by Willie Nelson. The Patsy Cline Classic produced by Bonnie Blue Concerts has featured Merle Haggard, Kenny Rogers, Vince Gill, The Beach Boys, Wynonna, LeAnn Rimes, and Sara Evans" (PDF). Winchester Education Foundation. Archived (PDF) from the original on October 9, 2022. Retrieved July 1, 2015.
  187. ^ "Patsy Cline's restored house now open in Virginia". Dallas News. September 23, 2011. Retrieved September 7, 2019.
  188. ^ Thanki, Juli. "Patsy Cline Museum celebrates grand opening". The Tennessean (taken from USA Today). Retrieved September 7, 2019.
  189. ^ Betts, Stephen L. "Patsy Cline Museum: 10 Must-See Items". Rolling Stone. Retrieved September 7, 2019.

Books edit

  • Hofstra, Warren R. (2013). Sweet Dreams: The World of Patsy Cline. University of Illinois Press. ISBN 978-1-85828-534-4.
  • Nassour, Ellis (1993). Honky Tonk Angel: The Intimate Story of Patsy Cline. New York, NY: St. Martin's Press. ISBN 0-312-08870-1.
  • Nassour, Ellis (1994). Honky Tonk Angel: The Intimate Story of Patsy Cline (Expanded ed.). St. Martin's Paperbacks. ISBN 0-312-95158-2.
  • Oermann, Robert K.; Bufwack, Mary A. (2003). Finding Her Voice: Women in Country Music: 1800–2000. Nashville, TN: The Country Music Press & Vanderbilt University Press. ISBN 0-8265-1432-4.
  • Wolff, Kurt (2000). Country Music: The Rough Guide. London: Penguin Books. ISBN 1-85828-534-8.

Further reading edit

  • Bego, Mark. I Fall to Pieces: The Music and the Life of Patsy Cline. Adams Media Corporation.
  • Hazen, Cindy and Mike Freeman. Love Always, Patsy. The Berkley Publishing Group.
  • Jones, Margaret (1998). "Patsy Cline". In The Encyclopedia of Country Music. Paul Kingsbury, Editor. New York: Oxford University Press. pp. 98–9.
  • Gomery, Douglas Patsy Cline: The Making of an Icon. Trafford Publishing.

External links edit

 
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Patsy Cline.
 
Wikiquote has quotations related to Patsy Cline.

February 15, 2024
patsy, cline, other, uses, disambiguation, born, virginia, patterson, hensley, september, 1932, march, 1963, american, singer, considered, most, influential, vocalists, 20th, century, first, country, music, artists, cross, over, into, music, cline, several, ma. For other uses see Patsy Cline disambiguation Patsy Cline born Virginia Patterson Hensley September 8 1932 March 5 1963 was an American singer She is considered one of the most influential vocalists of the 20th century and was one of the first country music artists to cross over into pop music 8 9 Cline had several major hits during her eight year recording career including two number one hits on the Billboard Hot Country and Western Sides chart Patsy ClineCline in 1960BornVirginia Patterson Hensley 1932 09 08 September 8 1932Winchester Virginia U S 1 2 DiedMarch 5 1963 1963 03 05 aged 30 Camden Tennessee U S Cause of deathPlane crashResting placeShenandoah Memorial Park Winchester Virginia U S OccupationsSinger songwriter 3 Years active1948 1963SpousesGerald Cline m 1953 div 1957 wbr Charlie Dick m 1957 wbr Children2Musical careerGenresCountry Nashville sound 4 honky tonk 5 rockabilly 6 traditional pop 7 gospelInstrument s VocalsLabelsFour Star DeccaWebsitepatsymuseum wbr comCline s first professional performances began at local radio station WINC when she was fifteen In the early 1950s Cline began appearing in a local band led by performer Bill Peer Various local appearances led to featured performances on Connie B Gay s Town and Country television broadcasts It also led to the signing of her first recording contract with the Four Star label in 1954 She had minor success with her earliest Four Star singles including A Church a Courtroom Then Goodbye 1955 and I ve Loved and Lost Again 1956 In 1957 Cline made her first national television appearance on Arthur Godfrey s Talent Scouts After performing Walkin After Midnight the single became her first major hit on both the country and pop charts Cline s further singles with Four Star Records were unsuccessful although she continued performing and recording After marrying in 1957 and giving birth in 1958 she moved to Nashville Tennessee to further her career Working with new manager Randy Hughes Cline became a member of the Grand Ole Opry and then moved to Decca Records in 1960 Under the direction of producer Owen Bradley her musical sound shifted and she achieved consistent success The 1961 single I Fall to Pieces became her first to top the Billboard country chart As the song became a hit Cline was severely injured in an automobile accident which caused her to spend a month in the hospital After she recovered her next single release Crazy would also become a major hit During 1962 and 1963 Cline had hits with She s Got You When I Get Through with You So Wrong and Leavin on Your Mind She also toured and headlined shows with more frequency In March 1963 Cline was killed in a plane crash along with country performers Cowboy Copas Hawkshaw Hawkins and manager Randy Hughes during a flight from Kansas City Kansas back to Nashville Since her death Cline has been cited as one of the most celebrated respected and influential performers of the 20th century Her music has influenced performers of various styles and genres 10 She has also been seen as a forerunner for women in country music being among the first to sell records and headline concerts In 1973 she became the first female performer to be inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame In the 1980s Cline s posthumous successes continued in the mass media She was portrayed twice in major motion pictures including the 1985 biopic Sweet Dreams starring Jessica Lange Several documentaries and stage shows were released during this time including the 1988 musical Always Patsy Cline A 1991 box set of her recordings was issued that received critical acclaim Her greatest hits album sold over 10 million copies in 2005 In 2011 Cline s childhood home was restored as a museum for visitors and fans to tour Contents 1 Early life 2 Career 2 1 1948 1953 Early career 2 2 1954 1960 Four Star Records 2 3 1960 1961 New beginnings and car accident 2 4 1961 1963 Career peak 3 Personal life 3 1 Friendships 3 2 Family 3 3 Marriages 4 Death 5 Posthumous releases 5 1 Music 5 2 Film and television 5 3 Plays and musicals 6 Artistry 6 1 Influences 6 2 Voice and style 6 3 Image 7 Legacy and recognition 8 Discography 9 References 9 1 Footnotes 9 2 Books 10 Further reading 11 External linksEarly life edit nbsp Cline s house on South Kent Street in Winchester Virginia where she lived from age 16 to 21 11 Virginia Patterson Hensley was born in Winchester Virginia on September 8 1932 to Hilda Virginia nee Patterson and Samuel Lawrence Hensley 1 Mrs Hensley was only 16 years old at the time of Cline s birth Sam Hensley had been married before Cline had two half siblings aged 12 and 15 who lived with a foster family because of their mother s death years before After Cline Hilda Hensley gave birth to Samuel Jr called John and Sylvia Mae 12 13 Besides being called Virginia in her childhood Cline was referred to as Ginny 14 She temporarily lived with her mother s family in Gore Virginia before relocating many times throughout the state In her childhood the family relocated where Samuel Hensley a blacksmith could find employment including Elkton Staunton and Norfolk When the family had little money she would find work This included an Elkton poultry factory where her job was to pluck and cut chickens 15 The family moved often before finally settling in Winchester Virginia on South Kent Street 16 Cline would later report that her father sexually abused her 17 When confiding about the abuse to friend Loretta Lynn Cline told her take this to your grave Hilda Hensley would later report details of the abuse to producers of Cline s 1985 biopic Sweet Dreams 18 At age 13 Cline was hospitalized with a throat infection and rheumatic fever Speaking of the incident in 1957 she said I developed a terrible throat infection and my heart even stopped beating The doctor put me in an oxygen tent You might say it was my return to the living after several days that launched me as a singer The fever affected my throat and when I recovered I had this booming voice like Kate Smith s 19 20 It was during this time she developed an interest in singing She started performing with her mother in the local Baptist choir Mother and daughter also performed duets at church social events 19 She also taught herself how to play the piano 21 With the new performing opportunities Cline s interest in singing only grew further and at the age of 14 she told her mother that she was going to audition for the local radio station Her first radio performances began at WINC in the Winchester area According to WINC s radio disc jockey Joltin Jim McCoy Cline appeared in the station s waiting room one day and asked to audition McCoy was impressed by her audition performance reportedly saying Well if you ve got nerve enough to stand before that mic and sing over the air live I ve got nerve enough to let you 22 While performing on the radio Cline also started appearing in talent contests and created a nightclub cabaret act similar to performer Helen Morgan 17 Cline s parents had marital conflicts during her childhood and by 1947 her father deserted the family Author Ellis Nassour of the biography Honky Tonk Angel An Intimate Story of Patsy Cline reported Cline had a beautiful relationship with her mother In his interviews with Hilda Hensley he quoted Cline s mother as saying they were more like sisters than parent and child 23 Upon entering the ninth grade Cline enrolled at John Handley High School in Winchester Virginia 18 However the family had trouble sustaining an income after her father s desertion Therefore Cline dropped out of high school to help support the family She began working at Gaunt s Drug Store in the Winchester area as a clerk and soda jerk 23 Career edit1948 1953 Early career edit At age 15 Cline wrote a letter to the Grand Ole Opry asking for an audition She told local photographer Ralph Grubbs about the letter A friend thinks I m crazy to send it What do you think Grubbs encouraged Cline to send it Several weeks later she received a return letter from the Opry asking for pictures and recordings 24 At the same time Gospel performer Wally Fowler headlined a concert in her hometown Cline convinced concert employees to let her backstage where she asked Fowler for an audition 25 Following a successful audition Cline s family received a call asking for her to audition for the Opry She traveled with her mother two siblings and a family friend on an eight hour journey to Nashville Tennessee With limited finances they drove overnight and slept in a Nashville park the following morning Cline auditioned for Opry performer Moon Mullican the same day The audition was well received and Cline expected to hear from the Opry the same day However she never received news and the family returned to Virginia 26 By the early 1950s Cline continued performing around the local area In 1952 she asked to audition for local country bandleader Bill Peer Following her audition she began performing regularly as a member of Bill Peer s Melody Boys and Girls 22 25 The pair s relationship turned romantic continuing an affair for several years Nonetheless the pair remained married to their spouses 25 27 Peer s group played primarily at the Moose Lodge in Brunswick Maryland where she would meet her first husband Gerald Cline Peer encouraged her to have a more appropriate stage name She changed her first name from Virginia to Patsy taken from her middle name Patterson She kept her new last name Cline Ultimately she became professionally known as Patsy Cline 17 18 In August 1953 Cline was a contestant in a local country music contest She won 100 dollars and the opportunity to perform as a regular on Connie B Gay s Town and Country Time 28 The show included country stars Jimmy Dean Roy Clark George Hamilton IV and Billy Grammer 17 and was filmed in Washington D C and Arlington County Virginia She was not officially added to the program s television shows until October 1955 29 Cline s television performances received critical acclaim The Washington Star magazine praised her stage presence commenting She creates the moods through movement of her hands and body and by the lilt of her voice reaching way down deep in her soul to bring forth the melody Most female country music vocalists stand motionless sing with monotonous high pitched nasal twang Patsy s come up with a throaty style loaded with motion and E motion 30 1954 1960 Four Star Records edit In 1954 Bill Peer created and distributed a series of demonstration tapes with Cline s voice on it A tape was brought to the attention of Bill McCall president of Four Star Records 31 On September 30 1954 she signed a two year recording contract with the label alongside Peer and her husband Gerald Cline 32 The original contract allowed Four Star to receive most of the money for the songs she recorded 33 Therefore Cline received little of the royalties from the label totaling out to 2 34 percent on her recording contract 34 18 Her first recording session took place in Nashville Tennessee on January 5 1955 Songs for the session were handpicked by McCall and Paul Cohen Four Star leased the recordings to the larger Decca Records For those reasons Owen Bradley was chosen as the session s producer a professional relationship that would continue into the 1960s 35 Her first single release was 1955 s A Church a Courtroom Then Goodbye Although Cline promoted it with an appearance on the Grand Ole Opry the song was not successful 36 17 nbsp Walkin After Midnight source source Cline s first major hit as a recording artist released in 1957 on Decca Records Problems playing this file See media help Cline recorded a variety of musical styles while recording for Four Star This included genres such as gospel rockabilly traditional country and pop 37 25 Writers and music journalists have had mixed responses on Cline s Four Star material Robert Oermann and Mary Bufwack of Finding Her Voice Women in Country Music called the label s choice of material mediocre They also commented that Cline seemed to have groped for her own sound on the label 25 Kurt Wolff of Country Music the Rough Guide commented that the music was sturdy enough but they only hinted at the potential that lurked inside her 38 Richie Unterberger of Allmusic claimed it was Cline s voice that made the Four Star material less appealing Circumstances were not wholly to blame for Cline s commercial failures She would have never made it as a rockabilly singer lacking the conviction of Wanda Jackson or the spunk of Brenda Lee In fact in comparison with her best work she sounds rather stiff and ill at ease on most of her early singles 39 nbsp Publicity photograph March 1957Between 1955 and 1956 Cline s four singles for Four Star failed to become hits However she continued performing regionally including on the Town and Country Jamboree 17 In 1956 she appeared on ABC s Country Music Jubilee Ozark Jubilee 40 It was at one of her local performances that she met her second husband Charlie Dick 41 In 1956 Cline received a call to perform on Arthur Godfrey s Talent Scouts a national television show she had auditioned for several months prior She accepted the offer using her mother Hilda Hensley as her talent scout for the show 42 According to the show s rules talent scouts could not be family members For those reasons Cline s mother lied in order to appear on the show When Arthur Godfrey asked if Hensley had known Cline her entire life she replied Yes just about 43 Cline and Mrs Hensley flew into LaGuardia Airport in New York City on January 18 1957 She made her debut appearance on the program on January 21 17 44 The day of the show she met with the show s producer Janette Davis Cline had chosen A Poor Man s Roses Or a Rich Man s Gold to perform on the program but Davis preferred another song she had recorded Walkin After Midnight Cline initially refused to perform it but ultimately agreed to it 45 Davis also suggested Cline wear a cocktail dress instead of the cowgirl outfit created by her mother 43 She performed Walkin After Midnight and won the program s contest that night 44 The song had not yet been released as a single In order to keep up with public demand Decca Records rush released the song as a single on February 11 46 The song ultimately became Cline s breakthrough hit peaking at number 2 on the Billboard Hot Country and Western Sides chart The song also reached number 12 on the Billboard pop music chart 17 The song has since been considered a classic in country music since its release 39 Music critics and writers have positively praised Walkin After Midnight Mary Bufwack and Robert Oermann called the song bluesy 25 Richie Unterberger noted it s well suited for the almost bemused aura of loneliness of the lyric 47 The success of Walkin After Midnight brought Cline numerous appearances on shows and major networks She continued working for Arthur Godfrey over the next several months She also appeared on the Grand Ole Opry in February and the television program Western Ranch Party in March 48 The money she had earned from her numerous engagements totaled out to ten thousand dollars Cline gave all the money to her mother which she used to the pay the mortgage on her Winchester house 43 In August 1957 her debut studio album was released on Decca Records 49 Cline s follow up singles to Walkin After Midnight did not yield any success 17 This was partially due to the quality of material chosen for her to record 50 Cline was dissatisfied with the limited success following Walkin After Midnight Bradley recounted how she often came to him saying Hoss can t you do something I feel like a prisoner 45 Around the same time Cline was fired from her regular slot on Town and Country Jamboree According to Connie B Gay she ran late for shows and showed up with liquor on her breath 51 In September 1957 Cline married Charlie Dick and he was soon sent to Fort Bragg North Carolina on a military assignment 52 Cline also gave birth to her first daughter Julie In hopes of restarting her career Cline and her family moved to Nashville Tennessee 17 1960 1961 New beginnings and car accident edit nbsp Billboard advertisement May 22 1961Cline s professional decisions yielded more positive results by the early 1960s Upon moving to Nashville she signed a management deal with Randy Hughes 17 She originally wished to work with Hubert Long however he was busy managing other artists Instead she turned her attention to Hughes 45 With the help of Hughes she began working steadier jobs He organized fifty dollar bookings and got her multiple performances on the Grand Ole Opry 17 In January 1960 Cline officially became a member of the Opry 52 When she asked general manager Ott Devine about a membership he replied Patsy if that s all you want you re on the Opry 53 Also in January 1960 Cline made her final recording sessions set forth in her contract with Four Star Records Later that year her final singles with the label were released Lovesick Blues and Crazy Dreams Leaving Four Star Cline officially signed with Decca Records in late 1960 working exclusively under Bradley s direction 54 Insisting on receiving an advance she received 1 000 from Bradley once she began at the label 18 Her first release on Decca was 1961 s I Fall to Pieces 38 The song was written by newly established Nashville songwriters Hank Cochran and Harlan Howard I Fall to Pieces had first been turned down by Roy Drusky and Brenda Lee before Cline cut it in November 1960 At the recording session she worried about the song s production particularly the background vocals performed by The Jordanaires 55 After much arguing between both Cline and Bradley they negotiated that she would record I Fall to Pieces a song Bradley favored and Lovin in Vain a song she favored 56 Released as a single in January 1961 I Fall to Pieces attracted little attention upon its initial issue In April the song debuted on the Hot Country and Western Sides chart By August 7 the song became her first to top the country chart Additionally I Fall to Pieces crossed over onto the Billboard Pop chart peaking at number 12 55 Billboard ranked it as the No 2 song for 1961 in the end of year charts 57 nbsp Cline promotional photograph shortly before her 1961 life threatening car accidentOn June 14 1961 Cline and her brother Sam Hensley Jr were involved in an automobile accident 58 Cline had brought her mother sister and brother to see her new Nashville home the day before On the day of the accident Cline and her brother went shopping to buy material for her mother to make clothing Upon driving home their car was struck head on by another vehicle 59 The impact threw her directly into the car windshield causing extensive facial injuries Among her injuries Cline suffered a broken wrist dislocated hip and a large cut across her forehead barely missing her eyes Friend Dottie West heard about the accident via the radio and rushed to the scene helping to remove pieces of broken glass from Cline s hair 58 When first responders arrived Cline insisted the driver in the other vehicle be treated first 58 Two of the three passengers riding in the car that struck Cline died after arriving at the hospital When she was brought to the hospital her injuries were life threatening and she was not expected to live She underwent surgery and survived According to her husband Charlie Dick upon waking up she said to him Jesus was here Charlie Don t worry He took my hand and told me No not now I have other things for you to do She spent a month recovering in the hospital 60 1961 1963 Career peak edit Cline returned to her career six weeks after her 1961 car accident Her first public appearance was on the Grand Ole Opry where she assured fans she would continue performing 58 She said to the audience that night You re wonderful I ll tell you one thing the greatest gift I think that you folks coulda given me was the encouragement that you gave me Right at the very time I needed you the most you came through with the flying est colors And I just want to say you ll just never know how happy you made this ol country gal 61 Cline s follow up single to I Fall to Pieces was the song Crazy 38 It was written by Willie Nelson whose version of the song was first heard by Dick When Dick brought the song to Cline she did not like it 62 When Dick encouraged her to record Crazy Cline replied I don t care what you say I don t like it and I ain t gonna record it And that s that Bradley liked the song and set the date for its recording for August 17 60 When Cline got to Bradley s studio he convinced her to record it 63 She listened to Nelson s version of Crazy and decided she was going to perform it differently Nelson s version included a spoken section that Cline removed 62 She cut additional material on August 17 and when she got to Crazy it became difficult to perform Because Cline was still recovering from the accident performing the song s high notes caused rib pain Giving her time to rest Bradley sent her home while musicians laid down the track without her 64 A week later she returned and recorded her vocal in a single take 65 62 nbsp Crazy source source In 1961 Crazy was released as a single and became one of country music s best known crossover recordings Problems playing this file See media help Crazy was released as a single in October 1961 debuting on the Billboard country charts in November 63 It would peak at number 2 there and number 9 on the same publication s pop charts 52 Crazy would also become Cline s biggest pop hit 66 Her second studio album Patsy Cline Showcase was released in late 1961 The album featured both major hits from that year and re recorded versions of Walkin After Midnight and A Poor Man s Roses Or a Rich Man s Gold 67 Crazy has since been called a country music standard 68 Cline s vocal performance and the song s production have received high praise over time Cub Koda of AllMusic noted the ache in her voice that makes the song stand out Cline s reading of the lyric is filled with an aching world weariness that transforms the tune into one of the first big crossover hits without even trying hard 69 Country music historian Paul Kingsbury also highlighted her ache saying in 2007 Cline s hit recording swings with such velvety finesse and her voice throbs and aches so exquisitely that the entire production sounds absolutely effortless 68 Jhoni Jackson of Paste Magazine called the recording iconic highlighting the emotional pain Cline expressed in her voice 70 Crazy and Cline s further Decca recordings have received critical praise Mary Bufwack and Robert Oermann noted Her thrilling voice invariably invested these with new depth Patsy s dramatic volume control stretched note effects sobs pauses and unique ways of holding back then bursting into full throated phrases also breathed new life into country chestnuts like San Antonio Rose Blue Moon of Kentucky and Half as Much 61 Richie Unterberger of AllMusic commented that her voice sounded richer more confident and more mature with ageless wise and vulnerable qualities that have enabled her records to maintain their appeal with subsequent generations 39 Kurt Wolff of Country Music the Rough Guide reported that Owen Bradley recognized potential in Cline s voice and once he gained studio control he smoothed arrangements and refined her voice into an instrument of torch singing glory 38 nbsp Patsy Cline in front of the Merri Mint Theatre in Las Vegas Nevada late 1962In November 1961 she was invited to perform as part of the Grand Ole Opry s show at Carnegie Hall in New York City She was joined by Opry stars Minnie Pearl Grandpa Jones Jim Reeves Bill Monroe Marty Robbins and Faron Young Despite positive reviews New York Journal American columnist Dorothy Kilgallen commented everybody should get out of town because the hillbillies are coming The comment upset Cline but did not affect ticket sales the Opry performance sold out By the end of year Cline had won several major industry awards including Favorite Female Vocalist from Billboard Magazine and Cashbox Magazine s Most Programmed Female Artist 71 Also in 1961 Cline was back in the studio to record an upcoming album Among the first songs she recorded 72 was She s Got You Written by Hank Cochran he pitched the song to Cline over the phone Insisting that Patsy hear it in person Cochran brought the recording over to her house along with a bottle of alcohol Upon listening to it again she liked the song and wanted to record it 73 Owen Bradley also liked the song and she recorded it on December 17 1961 74 She s Got You became her third country pop crossover hit by early 1962 75 She s Got You would also be her second number 1 hit on the Billboard country chart 52 It was also Cline s first entry in the United Kingdom singles chart reaching number 43 The cover by Alma Cogan one of Britain s most popular female artists of the 1950s performed notably as well 76 In 1962 Cline had three major hits with When I Get Through with You So Wrong and Imagine That 75 Cline s career successes helped her become financially stable enough to purchase her first home She bought a ranch house located in Goodlettsville Tennessee a suburb of Nashville The home was decorated by Cline and included a music room several bedrooms and a large backyard According to Dottie West the house was her mansion the sign she d arrived 77 Cline called it her dream home and often had friends over to visit 78 After her death the house was sold to country artist Wilma Burgess 79 In the summer of 1962 manager Randy Hughes got her a role in a country music vehicle film It also starred Dottie West Webb Pierce and Sonny James After arriving to film in DeLand Florida the producer ran off with the money according to West The movie was never made In August her third studio album Sentimentally Yours was released It featured She s Got You as well as several country and pop standards According to biographer Ellis Nassour her royalties were coming in slim and she needed financial security Therefore Randy Hughes arranged Cline to work at the Merri Mint Theatre in Las Vegas Nevada for 35 days Cline would later dislike the experience During the engagement she developed a dry throat She also was homesick and wanted to spend time with her children 80 By appearing at the engagement Cline became the first female country artist to headline her own show in Las Vegas 33 During this period Cline was said to have experienced premonitions of her own death Dottie West June Carter Cash and Loretta Lynn recalled Cline telling them she felt a sense of impending doom and did not expect to live much longer 81 In letters she would also describe the happiness of her new career successes In January 1963 her next single Leavin on Your Mind was released and debuted on the Billboard country chart soon after In February she recorded her final sessions for Decca Records Among the songs recorded were Sweet Dreams He Called Me Baby and Faded Love Cline arranged for friends Jan Howard and Dottie West to come and hear the session playbacks According to Howard I was in awe of Patsy You know afterward you re supposed to say something nice I couldn t talk I was dumbfounded 78 Personal life editFriendships edit At one time or another she must have helped all of us girl singers who were starting out Patsy was always giving her friends things like the scrapbook of clippings and mementos Patsy gave me weeks before she was killed when I got home I was leafing through it and there was a check for 75 with a note saying I know you have been having a hard time there ll never be another like Patsy Cline Dottie West on her friendship with Cline 82 Cline had close friendships with several country artists and performers Her friendship with Loretta Lynn has been the subject of numerous books songs films and other projects 83 The pair first met when Lynn performed I Fall to Pieces on the radio shortly after Cline s 1961 car accident Cline heard the broadcast and sent her husband to pick up Lynn so they could meet According to Lynn the pair became close friends right away 84 Lynn later described their friendship in detail She taught me a lot about show business like how to go on a stage and how to get off She even bought me a lot of clothes She even bought me curtains and drapes for my house because I was too broke to buy them She was a great human being and a great friend 85 Lynn also noted they became so close that Cline even gave her underwear Lynn still has the underwear in storage saying it was well made 86 Dottie West was another female country artist with whom Cline became friends They first met backstage at the Grand Ole Opry West wrote Cline a fan letter after hearing her first hit Walkin After Midnight According to West Cline showed a genuine interest in her career and they became close friends The pair often spent time at their homes and worked on packaged tour dates together 87 West also stated Cline was a supportive friend who helped out in times of need 82 Jan Howard was a third female artist with whom Cline had a close friendship The pair first met when Cline tried starting an argument with Howard backstage at the Grand Ole Opry She said to Howard You re a conceited little son of a bitch You just go out there do your spot and leave without saying hello to anyone Howard was upset and replied angrily back Cline then laughed and said Slow down Hoss you re all right Anybody that ll stand there and talk back to the Cline like that is all right I can tell we re gonna be good friends 88 The pair remained close for the remainder of Cline s life 89 Other friendships Cline had with female artists included Brenda Lee Barbara Mandrell and pianist Del Wood 82 She also became friends with male country artists including Roger Miller who helped Cline find material to record Faron Young was another male artist whom Cline befriended from working on tour together While on tour the pair would spend time together including a trip to Hawaii where the pair saw a hula show 90 Family edit Cline s mother Hilda Hensley continued living in Winchester Virginia following her daughter s death She rented out the family s childhood home on South Kent Street and lived across the street 91 92 Following Cline s death Hensley briefly spent time raising her two grandchildren in Virginia Hensley maintained a closet full of her daughter s stage costumes including a sequined dress Cline wore while performing in Las Vegas in 1962 93 She worked as a seamstress and made many of her daughter s stage costumes 94 Hensley died from natural causes in 1998 91 Cline s father Samuel Hensley died of lung cancer in 1956 Hensley had deserted the family in 1947 Shortly before his death upon learning that he was gravely ill Cline said to her mother Mama I know what all he did but it seems he s real sick and may not make it In spite of everything I want to visit him Cline and her mother visited him at a hospital in Martinsburg West Virginia 95 Cline s mother died in 1998 35 years after Cline s death Both of Cline s surviving siblings fought in court over their mother s estate Because of legal fees many of Cline s possessions were sold at auction 96 Cline had two surviving children at the time of her death Julie Simadore and Allen Randolph Randy 97 98 Julie has been a significant factor in keeping her mother s legacy alive She has appeared at numerous public appearances in support of her mother s music and career Following the death of her father in 2015 she helped open a museum dedicated to Cline in Nashville Tennessee Julie has few memories of her mother due to Cline s death while she was young In an interview with People Magazine Julie discussed her mother s legacy I do understand her position in history and the history of Nashville and country music I m still kind of amazed at it myself because there s Mom and then there s Patsy Cline and I m actually a fan 98 The present day American female blues swing and rock and roll singer songwriter and record producer Casey Hensley is a distant relation of Cline s 99 Marriages edit Cline was married twice Her first marriage was to Gerald Cline on March 7 1953 17 His family had owned a contracting and excavating company in Frederick Maryland According to Cline s brother Sam he liked flashy cars and women The two met while she was performing with Bill Peer at the Moose Lodge in Brunswick Maryland Gerald Cline said It might not have been love at first sight when Patsy saw me but it was for me 100 Gerald Cline often took her to one nighters and other concerts she performed in Although he enjoyed her performances he could not get used to her touring and road schedule During their marriage Patsy told a friend that she didn t think she knew what love was upon marrying Gerald The pair began living separately by the end of 1956 and divorced in 1957 101 Cline married her second husband Charlie Dick on September 15 1957 102 The pair met in 1956 while Cline was performing with a local Virginia band At the time Dick was a linotype operator for a local newspaper The Winchester Star According to Dick he had asked Cline to dance and she replied I can t dance while I m working okay They eventually started spending time together and Cline told close friends about their relationship Cline told Grand Ole Opry pianist Del Wood in 1956 Hoss I got some news I met a boy my own age who s a hurricane in pants Del I m in love and it s for real this time 103 The pair had children Julie and Randy together 98 Their relationship was considered both romantic and tempestuous According to Robert Oermann and Mary Bufwack Cline and Dick s marriage was fueled by alcohol argument passion jealousy success tears and laughter 104 According to biographer Ellis Nassour the pair fought often but remained together They had gained a reputation as heavy drinkers but according to Dick himself they were not drunks 105 During one particular fight Cline had Dick arrested after they became physical with one another 106 Following Cline s death in 1963 Dick married country artist Jamey Ryan in 1965 The pair divorced in the early 1970s after having one child together Dick helped keep Cline s legacy alive for the remainder of his life He assisted in producing several documentaries about Cline s career including Remembering Patsy and The Real Patsy Cline He became involved with Hallway Productions in the 1990s and helped produce videos on other artists including Willie Nelson and The Mamas and the Papas Dick died in 2015 and was laid to rest next to Cline 102 Death editMain article 1963 Camden PA 24 crash nbsp Patsy Cline aircraft crash site Camden TennesseeOn March 3 1963 Cline performed a benefit at the Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Hall Kansas City Kansas for the family of disc jockey Cactus Jack Call he had died in an automobile crash a little over a month earlier Also performing in the show were George Jones George Riddle and The Jones Boys Billy Walker Dottie West Wilma Lee and Stoney Cooper George McCormick the Clinch Mountain Boys as well as Cowboy Copas and Hawkshaw Hawkins Despite having a cold Cline performed at 2 00 5 15 and 8 15 pm All the shows were standing room only For the 2 p m show she wore a sky blue tulle laden dress for the 5 15 show a red dress and for the closing show at 8 p m Cline wore white chiffon Her final song was the last she had recorded the previous month I ll Sail My Ship Alone 107 Cline who had spent the night at the Town House Motor Hotel was unable to fly out the day after the concert because Fairfax Airport was fogged in West asked Patsy to ride in the car with her and her husband Bill back to Nashville an 8 hour drive but Cline refused saying Don t worry about me Hoss When it s my time to go it s my time On March 5 she called her mother from the motel and checked out at 12 30 p m going the short distance to the airport and boarding a Piper PA 24 Comanche plane aircraft registration number N7000P On board were Cline Copas Hawkins and pilot Randy Hughes The plane stopped once in Rogers Arkansas to refuel and subsequently landed at Dyersburg Municipal Airport in Dyersburg Tennessee at 5 p m 108 Hawkins had accepted Billy Walker s place after Walker left on a commercial flight to take care of a stricken family member The Dyersburg Tennessee airfield manager suggested they stay the night because of high winds and inclement weather offering them free rooms and meals But Hughes who was not trained in instrument flying said I ve already come this far We ll be there before you know it The plane took off at 6 07 p m 109 Cline s flight crashed in heavy weather on the evening of Tuesday March 5 1963 Her recovered wristwatch had stopped at 6 20 p m The plane was found some 90 miles 140 km from its Nashville destination in a forest outside of Camden Tennessee Forensic examination concluded that everyone aboard had been killed instantly 110 111 Until the wreckage was discovered the following dawn and reported on the radio friends and family had not given up hope Endless calls tied up the local telephone exchanges to such a degree that other emergency calls had trouble getting through The lights at the aircraft s destination Cornelia Fort Airpark were kept on throughout the night as reports of the missing plane were broadcast on radio and TV nbsp The grave of Patsy ClineEarly in the morning Roger Miller and a friend went searching for survivors As fast as I could I ran through the woods screaming their names through the brush and the trees and I came up over this little rise oh my God there they were It was ghastly The plane had crashed nose down 112 Shortly after the bodies were removed looters scavenged the area Some recovered items were eventually donated to the Country Music Hall of Fame Cline s wristwatch a Confederate flag cigarette lighter a studded belt and three pairs of gold lame slippers were among them Cline s fee in cash from the last performance was never recovered 111 Per her wishes Cline s body was brought home for her memorial service which thousands attended People jammed against the small tent over her gold casket and the grave to take all the flowers they could reach as keepsakes 113 She was buried at Shenandoah Memorial Park in her hometown of Winchester Virginia Her grave is marked with a bronze plaque which reads Virginia H Dick Patsy Cline is noted under her name Death Cannot Kill What Never Dies Love A memorial marks the exact place off Mt Carmel Road in Camden Tennessee where the plane crashed in the still remote forest 93 Posthumous releases editMusic edit Since Cline s death Decca Records later bought by MCA and owned by Universal Music since 1999 has re released her music which has made her commercially successful posthumously The Patsy Cline Story was the first compilation album the label released following her death It included the songs Sweet Dreams Of You and Faded Love Both tracks were released as singles in 1963 38 Sweet Dreams would reach number 5 on the Billboard country charts and 44 on the Hot 100 114 115 Faded Love would also become a top 10 hit on the Billboard country chart peaking at number 7 in October 1963 116 In 1967 Decca released the compilation Patsy Cline s Greatest Hits The album would not only peak at number 17 on the Billboard country chart but also certified diamond in sales from the Recording Industry Association of America In 2005 the Guinness World Book of Records included Greatest Hits for being the longest album on any record chart by any female artist 117 43 Cline s music continued making the charts into the 1980s Her version of Always made the Billboard country chart in 1980 38 An album of the same was also released in 1980 that peaked within the top 30 on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart 118 Two overdubbed duets between Cline and Jim Reeves became major hits during this time as well 38 Following the release of the Loretta Lynn biopic Coal Miner s Daughter 1980 there was renewed interest in Cline s career Therefore MCA Records reissued much of Cline s earlier studio and compilation releases 49 Her 1967 greatest hits album for example was repackaged in 1988 and labeled 12 Greatest Hits The record reached number 27 on the Top Country Albums list in 1990 119 The soundtrack for Cline s own film biopic was released concurrently with the movie in 1985 The soundtrack would peak at number 6 on the Billboard country albums chart upon its release 120 In 1991 MCA records issued her first boxed set titled The Patsy Cline Collection The album chronicled all of Cline s recorded material for Four Star and Decca Records The boxed set received positive reviews notably by Thom Jurek of Allmusic who rated it five out of five stars Jurek commented If an artist ever deserved a box set chronicling her entire career it is Patsy Cline Having recorded 102 sides between 1955 and her death at the age of 30 in 1963 Cline changed not only country music forever but affected the world of pop as well Over four CDs arranged chronologically the listener gets treated to a story in the development and maturation of a cultural icon who was at least in terms of her gift the equal of her legend 121 Rolling Stone listed the box set among their 50 Greatest Albums of All Time Writer Rob Sheffield called Cline a badass cowgirl drama queen belts some of the torchiest weepiest country songs ever hitting high notes that make you sob into your margarita 122 The Patsy Cline Collection would reach number 29 on the Billboard country albums chart in January 1992 123 In 1997 MCA released Live at the Cimarron Ballroom a rare recording that had recently resurfaced Jeweler Bill Frazee had originally purchased a tape in 1975 that he discovered included Cline s live recording which took place during July 1961 following Cline s car accident She appeared at the Cimarron Ballroom in Tulsa Oklahoma to give a one night performance Included on the record was unreleased live performances and dialog with the audience 79 The album peaked in the top 40 of the Billboard country albums chart 124 Cline s former MCA label now MCA Nashville continues releasing material to this day 39 Cline is listed among the Recording Industry of America s bestselling artists with a total of over 14 million records sold to date 125 Film and television edit nbsp Actress Jessica Lange portrayed Cline in the 1985 Academy Award nominated biopic Sweet Dreams Cline has been portrayed on film and television several times since the 1980s The Loretta Lynn biopic Coal Miner s Daughter 1980 renewed interest in her life and career 126 Cline and Lynn s friendship was portrayed in the 1980 film Actress Beverly D Angelo played Cline in the movie and did her own singing of Cline s original material D Angelo earned a Golden Globe award nomination for her role In an interview D Angelo did for a 2017 PBS documentary playing the role of Patsy Cline had a profound impact on her life and career 127 43 In 1985 a feature film about Cline s life was released entitled Sweet Dreams The film starred Jessica Lange as Cline and Ed Harris as husband Charlie Dick 128 38 Originally Meryl Streep auditioned for Cline s role but ultimately lost to Lange 129 The film was produced by Bernard Schwartz who also produced Coal Miner s Daughter Original ideas called for scenes between Cline and Lynn however they were ultimately removed from the final script 130 The film has been criticized for its lack of accuracy to Cline s own life and its musical production Kurt Wolff wrote the soundtrack however featured overdubbed versions of Cline s material better to stick with the originals 38 Mark Deming of Allmovie only gave the release two out of five stars Deming commented While it s a wise approach to show how her turbulent marriage paralleled her crossover to Countrypolitan ballads the melodrama tends to overshadow the celebrity story by relegating her rise to stardom to the background Due to the historically dubious concerts at carnivals and fairgrounds it appears as though she wasn t as big a star as she actually was Deming did praise Lange s performance saying she created a cheerful and spirited depiction of Cline 131 Roger Ebert gave it two stars in his original 1985 review Ebert said There isn t the sense of a well shaped structure in this movie there s no clear idea of what the filmmakers thought about Patsy Cline or what thoughts her life is supposed to inspire 132 Lange was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress for her role as Cline 129 Cline was also portrayed in television films In 1995 a film about the life and career of Cline s friend Dottie West debuted on CBS titled Big Dreams and Broken Hearts The Dottie West Story It included several scenes that showcased West s friendship with Cline Actress Tere Myers played her in the television movie Deborah Wilker of the Sun Sentinel called her performance terrific and authentic 133 Lifetime aired an original television film Patsy amp Loretta in October 2019 on the network It chronicles Cline s friendship with Loretta Lynn Cline is portrayed by Megan Hilty and Lynn by Jessie Mueller The film is directed by the Academy Award winning screenwriter Callie Khouri 134 The trailer for the movie was released in July 2019 Patsy amp Loretta was filmed on location in Nashville Tennessee and is co produced by Lynn s daughter and Cline s daughter Julie Fudge 135 There have been several documentaries made about Cline s life and career The first was a 1989 documentary titled The Real Patsy Cline which featured interviews with friends and fellow artists This included Carl Perkins and Willie Nelson 136 Another documentary was filmed in 1994 entitled Remembering Patsy The show was hosted by country artist Michelle Wright who read letters Cline wrote to friends and family It included interviews with several artists such as Roy Clark George Jones and Trisha Yearwood 137 Both documentaries were produced by Cline s widower Charlie Dick 102 In March 2017 PBS released a documentary on Cline as part of their American Masters series The film was narrated by Rosanne Cash and featured interviews with fans of Cline These interviews included Beverly D Angelo and Reba McEntire It also included rare performances of songs such as Three Cigarettes in an Ashtray and Walkin After Midnight 138 Plays and musicals edit Cline s life and career has also been re created in the theater sector In 1988 the show Always Patsy Cline premiered The show was created by Ted Swindley who derived it from a friendship Cline had with Texas resident Louise Seger The pair met while Cline was performing at the Esquire Ballroom in Houston Texas Seger brought Cline home following the show and they spent the night together The pair would remain in contact through letters before Cline s death Much of the script relied from letters exchanged between the two during the course of several years Seger acts as the show s narrator and revisits memories she shared with Cline through their letter exchanges 139 Among the show s original performers was Mandy Barnett who debuted the show at the Ryman Auditorium in 1994 Barnett would go on to have a music and performing career 140 A second musical was later released in 1991 titled A Closer Walk with Patsy Cline The show was written by Dean Regan and has been called a musical retelling of Cline s career 141 Artistry editInfluences edit Cline was influenced by various music artists Among her earliest influences were pop singers of the 1940s and 1950s These included Kay Starr 142 Helen Morgan 17 Patti Page 143 and Kate Smith 144 Patti Page recollected that Cline s husband said to her I just wish Patsy could have met you because she just adored you and listened to you all the time and wanted to be like you 143 Among her primary influences was Kay Starr of whom Cline was a fervent devotee according to The Washington Post 145 Jack Hurst of the Chicago Tribune remarked that Her rich powerful voice obviously influenced by that of pop s Kay Starr has continued and perhaps even grown in popularity over the decades 142 Cline was also attracted to country music radio programs notably the Grand Ole Opry According to Mary Bufwack and Robert Oermann Cline became obsessed with the program at a young age Cline s mother Hilda Hensley commented on her daughter s admiration I know she never wanted anything so badly as to be a star on the Grand Ole Opry 75 Among performers from the program she admired was Patsy Montana 144 Cline was also influenced by other types of performers including early rockabilly artist Charline Arthur 146 Voice and style edit Cline possessed a contralto voice Time magazine writer Richard Corliss called her voice bold 147 Her voice has also been praised for its display of emotion Kurt Wolff called it one of the most emotionally expressive voices in modern country music 148 Tony Gabrielle of the Daily Press wrote that Cline had a voice of tremendous emotional power 149 Cline was at times taken by her own emotion Husband Charlie Dick recounted that Cline s producer Owen Bradley told him to leave a recording session because she was very emotional and he didn t want to disturb the mood Cline was once quoted in describing the emotion she felt saying Oh Lord I sing just like I hurt inside 147 During her early career Cline recorded in styles such as gospel rockabilly and honky tonk 37 25 These styles she cut for Four Star Records have been considered below the quality of her later work for Decca Records 37 Steve Leggett of Allmusic commented Her recordings prior to 1960 though were something else again and with the exception of 1956 s Walkin After Midnight and perhaps one or two other songs she seemed reined in and stifled as a singer even though she was working with the same producer Owen Bradley who was to produce her 1960s successes Oh the difference a song makes because in the end the material she recorded between 1955 and 1960 all of which is collected on these two discs was simply too weak for Cline to turn into anything resembling gold even with her obvious vocal skills 150 Cline s style has been largely associated with the Nashville Sound a sub genre of country music that linked traditional lyrics with orchestrated pop music styles 151 This new sound helped many of her singles to crossover onto the Billboard Hot 100 and gain a larger audience that did not always listen to country music 152 Her producer Owen Bradley built this sound onto her Decca recordings sensing a potential in her voice that went beyond traditional country music At first she resisted the pop sounding style but was ultimately convinced to record in this new style 37 Stephen M Desuner of Pitchfork explained that Cline has been an identifiable factor with the Nashville Sound She essentially rewrote their songs simply by singing them elevating their words and wringing every one of their rhymes for maximum dramatic potential 153 Mark Deming of Allmusic commented Cline and Bradley didn t invent countrypolitan but precious few artists managed to meld the sophistication of pop and the emotional honesty of country as brilliantly as this music accomplishes with seemingly effortless grace and these songs still sound fresh and brilliantly crafted decades after the fact 154 Image edit Cline s public image changed during the course of her career She began her career wearing cowgirl dresses and hats designed by her mother However as her music crossed over into pop she began wearing sequined gowns and cocktail dresses 61 While she would often wear cowgirl costumes for live performances she would also wear evening dresses for television and metropolitan performances For her 1957 performance on Arthur Godfrey s Talent Scouts the show s producer insisted that Cline wear an evening dress instead of the fringed cowgirl attire she had intended to wear 155 Her 1962 engagement at the Merri Mint Theatre in Las Vegas represented this particular image shift For one of her performances Cline wore a sequined cocktail dress designed by her mother 152 Cline has also been seen as a pioneer for women in country music She has been cited as an inspiration by many performers in diverse styles of music 156 157 Kurt Wolff of Country Music The Rough Guide said that Cline had an aggression and boisterous attitude that gained her the respect of her male counterparts Wolff explained She swaggered her way past stereotypes and other forces of resistance showing the men in charge and the public in general that women were more than capable of singing about such hard subjects as divorce and drinking as well as love and understanding 148 Sean O Hagan of The Guardian commented that along with Minnie Pearl Jean Shepard and Kitty Wells Cline helped prove that country music was not macho and that strong women could have a strong voice 158 In 2013 Diane Reese wrote she was what I call a pre feminist woman She didn t open doors she kicked them down 159 Mary Bufwack and Robert K Oermann wrote in 2003 that Cline transformed what it meant to be a female country star 160 Legacy and recognition edit nbsp Cline s plaque located inside the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum She was the first female solo artist inducted into the hall of fame Cline has been cited in both country and pop music as of one of the greatest vocalists of all time 161 39 162 Her voice has also been called haunting powerful and emotional 163 Cline s emotional expression and delivery of lyrics helped influence various musical genres and artists 162 148 With the support of producer Owen Bradley Cline has been said to help define the Nashville Sound style of country music 148 While the subgenre has received mixed opinions it has also been said to be a significant part of country music s authenticity with Cline being the center focal point of the subgenre 164 Other artists have noted her impact including LeAnn Rimes who stated I remember my dad telling me to listen to the way she told a story I remember feeling more emotion when she sang than anyone else I had ever heard Lucinda Williams commented on Cline s vocal talent in helping define her legacy stating Even though her style is considered country her delivery is more like a classic pop singer That s what set her apart from Loretta Lynn or Tammy Wynette You d almost think she was classically trained 162 Cline has been a major influence on various music artists including Reba McEntire 165 Loretta Lynn 85 LeAnn Rimes 166 k d lang 167 Linda Ronstadt 168 Trisha Yearwood 169 Sara Evans 170 Dottie West 85 Kacey Musgraves 43 Margo Price 43 Cyndi Lauper 171 Trixie Mattel 172 and Brandi Carlile 173 Dottie West also a close friend of Cline s spoke about her influence on her own career I think I was most influenced by Patsy Cline she said things for people There was so much feeling in there In fact she told me Hoss if you can t do it with feeling don t 85 In 2019 Sara Evans discussed how Cline has been an influence since she was a young girl I learned everything I could learn about her I tried to mimic her singing to the t We grew up singing in bars my brothers sisters and I from the time I was really little So I started covering every Patsy Cline song Then when I first got my record deal I came to Winchester to visit a radio station to try to get them to play my song Three Chords and the Truth 170 In 1973 Cline was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame With the induction she became the first solo female artist to be included 17 174 In 1977 Cline s friend and mentee Loretta Lynn released a tribute album entitled I Remember Patsy The record contained covers of Cline s songs including Back in Baby s Arms and Crazy The album s lead single was She s Got You which would reach the number 1 spot on the Billboard country chart in 1977 175 83 176 In 1995 Cline received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award for her legacy and career 177 Additionally her hits I Fall to Pieces and Crazy received inductions into the Grammy Hall of Fame 178 In 1993 Cline was included on United States postal stamps as part of their Legends series Other country artists that were included on stamp series were The Carter Family Hank Williams and Bob Wills The stamps were dedicated in an official ceremony at the Grand Ole Opry by Postmaster General Marvin Runyon 179 In August 1999 Cline received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame The ceremony was attended by her widower Charlie Dick and daughter Julie Fudge 180 181 During the 1990s two of her songs were voted among the Greatest Juke Box Hits of All Time Crazy was voted as the number 1 greatest along with I Fall to Pieces ranking at number 17 181 Since the late 1990s she received additional rankings and honors In 1999 Cline was ranked at number 11 among VH1 s list of the 100 Greatest Women of Rock and Roll 182 In 2003 she was included by Country Music Television on their list of the 40 Greatest Women of Country Music 183 In 2010 Cline ranked at number 46 on Rolling Stone s list of the 100 Greatest Singers of All Time 162 The magazine would rank her on their 2017 list of the 100 Greatest Country Artists of All Time where she placed at number 12 163 In 2023 Rolling Stone ranked Cline at No 13 on its list of the 200 Greatest Singers of All Time 184 Forty years after her death MCA Nashville released a tribute album entitled Remembering Patsy Cline 2003 A television special also followed around the same time The album consisted of cover versions of songs taken from Cline s 1967 greatest hits album It included songs covered by country artists such as Terri Clark and Martina McBride It also featured artists from other genres such as Michelle Branch Diana Krall and Patti Griffin 185 Cline s hometown of Winchester Virginia has helped honor her legacy and career In 1987 the local government approved the placing of markers within the town denoting it as the birthplace of Cline The same year a bell tower was erected in her burial location at Shenandoah Memorial Park The bell tower cost thirty five thousand dollars and was partially funded by Cline s friends Jan Howard and Loretta Lynn 93 In 2005 Cline s childhood home was given an official on site marker and included on the National Register of Historic Places 186 With the development of an organization entitled Celebrating Patsy Cline Inc renovations began on Cline s childhood home In August 2011 the Patsy Cline House officially opened as a historic home for tours In almost three months about three thousand people visited the home 96 The home was restored to the era in which Cline lived in it during the 1950s with her mother and siblings Replicas of furniture and stage clothes are also included Daughter Julie Fudge spoke of the house in 2011 stating I think when you go into the house you will kind of feel like this is a snapshot of what it would have been like to visit when Mom lived there 187 In 2017 the Patsy Cline Museum opened in Nashville Tennessee located at 119 3rd Ave S on the second floor in the same building as the Johnny Cash Museum The museum includes Cline s actual stage costumes as well as her original scrapbook and record albums 188 It also features other artifacts such as the soda fountain machine from Gaunt s Drug Store where Cline worked as a teenager Original letters that Cline wrote to friends are also included in the museum s collection 189 Discography editMain articles Patsy Cline discography posthumous discography and songs Studio albums 1957 Patsy Cline 1961 Showcase 1962 Sentimentally YoursPosthumous studio albums 1964 A Portrait of Patsy Cline 1964 That s How a Heartache Begins 1980 AlwaysReferences editFootnotes edit a b Pae Peter CRAZY OVER CLINE The Washington Post Retrieved August 15 2019 About Patsy Celebrating Patsy Cline org Archived from the original on August 15 2019 Retrieved August 15 2019 Nassour Ellis 1993 p 85 Nashville Sound Countrypolitan AllMusic Retrieved July 8 2017 Soslow Robin May 10 2018 Patsy Cline Museum and the wonderful women of Music City give you more reasons to be crazy over Nashville My San Antonio com Retrieved August 11 2019 Cuenca Melody July 23 2019 Rockabilly Heaven mixes rock country into legendary music experience Greenville Journal Retrieved July 30 2019 Hofstra Warren E September 20 2013 Sweet Dreams The World of Patsy Cline PopMatters Retrieved July 8 2017 CBS News February 18 2009 Remembering Patsy Cline Archived October 21 2013 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved January 16 2012 Browne Ray Browne Pat eds 2001 The Guide to United States Popular Culture Popular Press p 180 ISBN 978 0 87972 821 2 Duke Alan July 18 2012 Kitty Wells blazed country path for women CNN Retrieved March 6 2013 McGhee Dorothy September 29 1985 Washington Post Washington DC Sweet Dreams Article ICPSR Data Holdings Retrieved March 9 2019 Nassour Ellis 1993 p 7 Daughter of a Single Mom Singer Patsy Cline Is Still Loved Esme May 7 2018 Retrieved September 16 2019 Sawyer Bobbie Jean 10 Things You Didn t Know About Patsy Cline Wide Open Country Retrieved September 16 2019 Nassour Ellis 1993 p 8 McGhee Dorothy September 29 1985 Sweet Dreams Washington Post a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o Patsy Cline Country Music Hall of Fame Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum Retrieved August 15 2019 a b c d e Cline Patsy 1932 1963 Encyclopedia com Retrieved August 15 2019 a b Nassour Ellis 1993 p 9 U Discover Staff 50 Facts About Patsy Cline U Discover Retrieved August 16 2019 Patsy Cline Singer Pianist Biography Retrieved August 16 2019 a b Nassour Ellis 1993 p 10 a b Nassour Ellis 1993 p 11 Nassour Ellis 1993 p 12 a b c d e f g Oermann Robert K amp Bufwack Mary A 2003 p 216 Nassour Ellis 1993 pp 13 17 Nassour Ellis 1993 p 21 Nassour Ellis 1993 p 20 Nassour Ellis 1993 p 46 Nassour Ellis 1993 p 52 Nassour Ellis 1993 p 30 Thompson Gayle Country Music Memories Patsy Cline Signs First Recording Contract The Boot Retrieved August 18 2019 a b Ward Ed Patsy Cline A Country Career Cut Short NPR Retrieved August 18 2019 Nassour Ellis 1993 p 32 Nassour Ellis 1993 p 33 Nassour Ellis 1993 pp 38 42 a b c d Wolff Kurt 2000 pp 302 303 a b c d e f g h i Wolff Kurt 2000 p 303 a b c d e Unterberger Richie Patsy Cline Biography amp History Allmusic Retrieved August 18 2019 Nassour Ellis 1994 p page needed Nassour Ellis 1993 pp 52 57 Nassour Ellis 1993 pp 66 67 a b c d e f g Betts Stephen L March 3 2017 10 Things We Learned From the New Patsy Cline Documentary Rolling Stone Retrieved August 19 2019 a b Mother Country by Amanda Petrusich Smithsonian magazine April May 2022 edition Pages 32 34 a b c Nassour Ellis 1993 pp 71 73 Nassour Ellis 1993 pp 74 80 Unterberger Richie Walkin After Midnight Patsy Cline Song Info Allmusic Retrieved August 19 2019 Nassour Ellis 1993 pp 80 81 a b Nassour Ellis 1993 p 251 Patsy Cline s aching voice blazed country music trail Green Bay Press Gazette Retrieved August 19 2019 Nassour Ellis 1993 p 83 a b c d Gomery Douglas Patsy Cline 1932 1963 Encyclopedia Virginia Retrieved August 19 2019 1960s Grand Ole Opry Grand Ole Opry Archived from the original on August 21 2019 Retrieved August 21 2019 Nassour Ellis 1993 pp 119 120 a b Betts Stephen L August 10 2015 Flashback Patsy Cline s I Fall to Pieces Hits Number One Rolling Stone Retrieved August 21 2019 Wolff Kurt 2000 pp 133 134 Billboard Year End Hot 100 singles of 1961 a b c d Whitaker Sterling June 14 2018 Remember the Car Accident That Nearly Ended Patsy Cline s Career Taste of Country Retrieved August 21 2019 Nassour Ellis 1993 p 148 a b Nassour Ellis 1993 pp 148 158 a b c Oermann Robert K amp Bufwack Mary A 2003 p 220 a b c Wertheimer Linda Patsy Cline s Crazy Changed The Sound Of Country Music NPR Retrieved August 23 2019 a b Nassour Ellis 1993 p 165 Nassour Ellis 1993 p 166 See Liner Notes 12 Greatest Hits Patsy Cline compact disc MCAD 12 MCA Records 500 Greatest Songs of all Time Rolling Stone December 11 2003 Retrieved April 25 2012 Koda Cub Patsy Cline Showcase Songs Reviews Credits Allmusic Retrieved August 23 2019 a b Kingsbury Paul BEHIND THE SONG Crazy American Songwriter Retrieved August 25 2019 Koda Cub Crazy Patsy Cline Song Info Allmusic Retrieved August 25 2019 Jackson Jhoni October 11 2016 The 5 Best Covers of Patsy Cline s Crazy Paste Magazine Retrieved August 25 2019 Nassour Ellis 1993 pp 170 176 Recorded December 17 1961 See Liner Notes 12 Greatest Hits Patsy Cline compact disc MCAD 12 MCA Records History The Story Behind Patsy Cline s Heartbreaking Hit She s Got You Texas Hill Country May 16 2016 Retrieved August 23 2019 Nassour Ellis 1993 p 181 a b c Oermann Robert K amp Bufwack Mary A 2003 p 219 Retro Charts everyHit com March 16 2000 Retrieved January 31 2012 Nassour Ellis 1993 p 170 a b Oermann Robert K amp Bufwack Mary A 2003 p 221 a b Pursell Kate Knight Ridder September 7 1997 RARE PATSY CLINE RECORDING EMERGES Chicago Tribune Retrieved August 25 2019 Nassour Ellis 1993 pp 198 208 The Encyclopedia of Country Music Paul Kingsbury Editor New York Oxford University Press pp 98 9 a b c Oermann Robert K amp Bufwack Mary A 2003 p 207 a b Liptak Carena September 5 2019 Patsy Cline Loretta Lynn s Friendship Shines in New Movie Taste of Country Retrieved September 7 2019 Nassour Ellis 1993 p 152 a b c d Oermann Robert K amp Bufwack Mary A 2003 p 208 Hinckley David March 3 2016 PBS Documentary on Loretta Lynn Recounts the Debt Modern Country Music Owes to Fist City HuffPost Retrieved September 16 2019 Nassour Ellis 1993 p 137 Nassour Ellis 1993 p 131 Oermann Robert K amp Bufwack Mary A 2003 pp 207 208 Nassour Ellis 1993 pp 128 129 a b Still Crazy for Patsy The Northern Virginia Daily September 4 2011 Retrieved August 25 2019 Nassour Ellis 1993 pp 248 249 a b c Nassour Ellis 1993 p 248 Gomery Douglas Allen Bob December 12 1993 PATSY S PEOPLE The Baltimore Sun Retrieved August 25 2019 Nassour Ellis 1993 p 68 a b Barry Dan December 24 2012 For Patsy Cline s Hometown An Embrace That Took Decades The New York Times Retrieved September 7 2019 Nassour Ellis 1993 p 240 a b c New Patsy Cline Museum Pays Tribute to the Timeless Country Icon People Magazine Retrieved August 25 2019 The Casey Hensley Band Travelingboy com Retrieved February 20 2021 Nassour Ellis 1993 p 23 Nassour Ellis 1993 p 45 a b c Dauphin Chuck November 8 2015 Charlie Dick Widower Of Patsy Cline Dies At 81 Billboard Retrieved November 8 2015 Nassour Ellis 1993 pp 54 55 Oermann Robert K amp Bufwack Mary A 2003 p 217 Nassour Ellis 1993 p 127 Nassour Ellis 1993 p 200 Nassour Ellis 1993 pp 218 221 Nassour Ellis 1993 pp 222 226 Larry Jordan What really happened in the Patsy Cline plane crash boardhost com Retrieved June 19 2015 Sherry Anderson January 2001 Artist Biography Patsy Cline Countrypolitan com Archived from the original on January 3 2014 a b Knowing of Your Own Death bard org Utah Shakespeare Festival Archived from the original on May 25 2012 Retrieved April 26 2012 Ellis Nassour s Patsy Cline and Honky Tonk Angel from exclusive 1979 and 1980 interviews with Miller McGhee Dorothy September 29 1985 The Washington Post The Washington Post Patsy Cline Sweet Dreams Of You Chart History Country Songs Billboard Retrieved August 26 2019 Patsy Cline Sweet Dreams Of You Billboard Hot 100 Billboard Retrieved August 26 2019 Patsy Cline Faded Love Chart History Country Songs Billboard Retrieved August 26 2019 Patsy Cline Chart History Patsy Cline s Greatest Hits Billboard Retrieved August 26 2019 Patsy Cline Always Chart History Top Country Albums Billboard Retrieved August 26 2019 Patsy Cline 12 Greatest Hits Chart History Billboard Retrieved August 26 2019 Patsy Cline Soundtrack Sweet Dreams Chart History Billboard Retrieved August 26 2019 Jurek Thom The Patsy Cline Collection Patsy Cline Songs Reviews Credits Allmusic Retrieved August 26 2019 Sheffield Rob June 22 2012 Women Who Rock The 50 Greatest Albums of All Time Rolling Stone Retrieved August 26 2019 Patsy Cline The Patsy Cline Collection Chart History Billboard Retrieved August 26 2019 Patsy Cline Live at the Cimarron Ballroom Chart History Billboard Retrieved August 26 2019 RIAA Top Artists Albums Recording Industry Association of America Retrieved August 27 2019 Nassour Ellis 1993 p 247 Beverly D Angelo to be honored at Las Cruces International Film Festival Las Cruces Sun News Retrieved August 28 2019 Sweet Dreams IMDb accessed September 28 2017 a b Rorke Robert June 13 2016 Jessica Lange just one upped Meryl Streep with her Tony win New York Post Retrieved August 28 2019 Raye Miranda January 11 2017 7 Things You Didn t Know About The Patsy Cline Movie Sweet Dreams Country Music Nation Retrieved August 28 2019 Deming Mark Sweet Dreams 1985 Karel Reiscz Review Allmovie Retrieved August 28 2019 Ebert Roger Sweet Dreams Movie Review amp Film Summary 1985 Roger Ebert com Retrieved August 28 2019 Wilker Deborah January 18 1995 Dottie West TV Film Doesn t Do Her Wrong Sun Sentinel Retrieved August 28 2019 Patsy amp Loretta Deadline March 11 2019 Retrieved August 28 2019 Tracy Brianne New Biopic Explores the Friendship of Country Icons Patsy Cline and Loretta Lynn People Magazine Retrieved August 28 2019 The Real Patsy Cline Video 1989 Full Cast and Crew IMDb Retrieved September 8 2019 Biography Patsy Cline Remembering Patsy IMDb Retrieved September 8 2019 Sitzes Jeane March 7 2017 PBS New Patsy Cline Documentary Honors Her Legacy as a Country Music Game Changer Country Living Retrieved September 8 2019 Cachuela Alicia July 13 1997 Always Patsy Cline Retrieved September 7 2019 Shelburne Craig Mandy Barnett Always Honors Patsy Cline Country Music Television Retrieved September 7 2019 Cannon Gonzales Lacey A Closer Walk With Patsy Cline is an intimate tribute to a musical giant Retrieved September 7 2019 a b Hurst Jack December 1996 A Real Patsy Chicago Tribune Retrieved September 16 2019 a b Sylvester Bruce Remembering Patti Page with a 2003 Interview Goldmine Magazine Record Collector amp Music Memorabilia Retrieved September 16 2019 a b Hughes Mike Life of indomitable country western singer Patsy Cline told on PBS Lansing State Journal Retrieved September 16 2019 Kay Starr ferociously expressive singer who had a pop hit with Wheel of Fortune dies at 94 The Washington Post Retrieved September 16 2019 Koster Rick 2000 Texas Music St Martin s Press p 32 ISBN 9780312254254 a b Corliss Richard Music Inclined to be Just Like Patsy Time Archived from the original on June 29 2011 Retrieved September 16 2019 a b c d Wolff Kurt 2000 p 302 Gabrielle Tony November 24 2000 Next Best Thing to Patsy Cline Daily Press Retrieved September 16 2019 Leggett Steve 50 Golden Greats The Complete Early Recordings Review Allmusic Retrieved September 16 2019 Byworth Tony ed 2006 The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Country Music London Flame Tree Publishing pp 7 115 117 169 ISBN 978 1 84451 406 9 a b Hofstra Warren R 2013 p 161 Deusner Stephen M Patsy Cline Sentimentally Yours Review Pitchfork Retrieved September 16 2019 Deming Mark Patsy Cline s Greatest Hits Review Allmusic Retrieved September 16 2019 Jordan Larry Renembering Patsy Cline Midwest Today Retrieved September 16 2019 Her last show was in Kansas City 35 years ago this Spring Fans remember country music s best female singer of all time Patsy Cline American Masters PBS org Retrieved February 23 2017 Patsy Cline Country Star legacy com Retrieved April 25 2012 O Hagan Sean September 6 2012 Honky tonk women the female artists who made it big in country music The Guardian Retrieved September 16 2019 Reese Diane Crazy for Patsy Cline Still Popular 50 years after her death The Washington Post Retrieved September 16 2019 Oermann Robert K amp Bufwack Mary A 2003 p 255 No 6 Patsy Cline Country Music s Most Powerful Women of All Time Taste of Country September 25 2017 Retrieved September 7 2019 a b c d 100 Greatest Singers of All Time Rolling Stone December 3 2010 Retrieved September 7 2019 a b Browne David Dolan Jon Freeman Jon Betts Stephen L Leahey Andrew Hudak Joseph Grow Kory Ross Marissa M Johnston Maura Levy Joe Hermes Will Cantwell David Bernstein Jonathan June 15 2017 100 Greatest Country Artists of All Time Rolling Stone Retrieved September 7 2019 Hofstra Warren F September 20 2013 Sweet Dreams The World of Patsy Cline Pop Matters Retrieved September 7 2019 Berger Laura Exclusive Reba McEntire Talks Patsy Cline s Influence in Patsy Cline American Masters Clip Women and Hollywood Retrieved September 21 2019 Joyce Mike FROM LEANN RIMES BRIGHT BLUE The Washington Post Retrieved September 21 2019 k d lang felt deep connection to late Patsy Cline Associated Press May 5 2019 Archived from the original on September 21 2019 Retrieved September 21 2019 A New Generation Stands by the Songs of Patsy Cline Los Angeles Times November 13 1995 Retrieved September 21 2019 Watts Cindy Watch Trisha Yearwood wears Patsy Cline s necklace to celebrate her 20th Opry anniversary The Tennessean Retrieved September 21 2019 a b Janney Josh April 15 2019 Country music singer Sara Evans captivates pays tribute to Patsy Cline Winchester Star Retrieved September 21 2019 Cyndi Lauper on Patsy Cline s Influence The Ram Report Rolling Stone March 29 2016 Retrieved September 21 2019 Lorusso Marissa March 23 2018 Trixie Mattel America s Next Top Folk Country Comedy Drag Artist NPR Retrieved September 23 2019 Willman Chris February 7 2019 Brandi Carlile Producing Comeback Album Documentary Film for Tanya Tucker EXCLUSIVE Variety Retrieved September 21 2019 Shelburne Craig Patsy Cline Exhibit Opens at Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum Country Music Television Retrieved September 7 2019 Orr Dacey March 7 2016 The 10 Best Loretta Lynn Songs Stereogum Retrieved September 7 2019 Loretta Lynn I Remember Patsy Discogs September 15 1977 Retrieved April 6 2018 Lifetime Achievement Award Grammy Awards Retrieved September 7 2019 Horton Carrie 8 Country Icons Who Have Never Won a Grammy The Boot Retrieved September 7 2019 Carr Richard September 12 1993 Legends Series Salutes Country Western Stars Sun Sentinel Retrieved September 7 2019 Havers Richard Features When Patsy Cline Got Her Own Hollywood Star U Discover Retrieved September 7 2019 a b Country Music Memories Cline Receives Hollywood Walk of Fame Star The Boot Retrieved September 7 2019 Tucker Ken TV Review 100 Greatest Women of Rock and Roll Entertainment Weekly Retrieved September 7 2019 40 Greatest Women Announced Country Music Television Retrieved September 7 2019 The 200 Greatest Singers of All Time Rolling Stone January 1 2023 Retrieved October 17 2023 Patsy Cline Tribute TV special to take shape Billboard August 19 2002 Retrieved September 8 2019 Seat Sponsorships in The Patsy Cline Theatre at John Handley High School with a sold out concert by Willie Nelson The Patsy Cline Classic produced by Bonnie Blue Concerts has featured Merle Haggard Kenny Rogers Vince Gill The Beach Boys Wynonna LeAnn Rimes and Sara Evans PDF Winchester Education Foundation Archived PDF from the original on October 9 2022 Retrieved July 1 2015 Patsy Cline s restored house now open in Virginia Dallas News September 23 2011 Retrieved September 7 2019 Thanki Juli Patsy Cline Museum celebrates grand opening The Tennessean taken from USA Today Retrieved September 7 2019 Betts Stephen L Patsy Cline Museum 10 Must See Items Rolling Stone Retrieved September 7 2019 Books edit Hofstra Warren R 2013 Sweet Dreams The World of Patsy Cline University of Illinois Press ISBN 978 1 85828 534 4 Nassour Ellis 1993 Honky Tonk Angel The Intimate Story of Patsy Cline New York NY St Martin s Press ISBN 0 312 08870 1 Nassour Ellis 1994 Honky Tonk Angel The Intimate Story of Patsy Cline Expanded ed St Martin s Paperbacks ISBN 0 312 95158 2 Oermann Robert K Bufwack Mary A 2003 Finding Her Voice Women in Country Music 1800 2000 Nashville TN The Country Music Press amp Vanderbilt University Press ISBN 0 8265 1432 4 Wolff Kurt 2000 Country Music The Rough Guide London Penguin Books ISBN 1 85828 534 8 Further reading editBego Mark I Fall to Pieces The Music and the Life of Patsy Cline Adams Media Corporation Hazen Cindy and Mike Freeman Love Always Patsy The Berkley Publishing Group Jones Margaret 1998 Patsy Cline In The Encyclopedia of Country Music Paul Kingsbury Editor New York Oxford University Press pp 98 9 Gomery Douglas Patsy Cline The Making of an Icon Trafford Publishing External links edit nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to Patsy Cline nbsp Wikiquote has quotations related to Patsy Cline Celebrating Patsy Cline Archived September 21 2019 at the Wayback Machine an official organization sponsoring several projects Patsy Cline Home and Museum Archived March 4 2021 at the Wayback Machine located in Winchester Virginia Patsy Cline recordings at the Discography of American Historical Recordings Patsy Cline at Curlie The Patsy Cline Plane Crash Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Patsy Cline amp oldid 1206223818, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

article

, read, download, free, free download, mp3, video, mp4, 3gp, jpg, jpeg, gif, png, picture, music, song, movie, book, game, games.