Patsy Cline

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Click here to create your own MySpace PlaylistPatsy Cline (b. Virginia Patterson Hensley September 8, 1932 – March 5, 1963) was an American country music singer, who enjoyed pop music crossover success during the era of the Nashville Sound in the early 1960s. Since her death at the age of 30 in a 1963 plane crash at the height of her career, she has been considered one of the most influential, successful, revered, and acclaimed female vocalists of the 20th century. Her life and career has been the subject of numerous books, movies, documentaries, articles, and stage plays.Cline was best known for her rich tone and emotionally expressive voice, which, along with her role as a mover and shaker in the country music industry, has been cited and praised as an inspiration by many vocalists of various music genres.Posthumously, millions of her albums have been sold over the past 45 years and she has been given numerous awards;, which has given her an iconic fan status similar to that of music legends Johnny Cash and Elvis Presley. Only ten years after her death, she became the first female solo artist inducted to the Country Music Hall of Fame. In 2001, she was voted by artists and members of the Country Music industry as 1 on CMT's television special of the 40 Greatest Women of Country Music of all time, and in 1999 she was voted 11 on VH1's special The 100 Greatest Women in Rock and Roll of all time by members and artists of the rock industry. According to her 1973 Country Music Hall of Fame plaque: "Her heritage of timeless recordings is testimony to her artistic capacity." Among those hits: "Walkin' After Midnight," "I Fall to Pieces," "She's Got You," "Crazy," and "Sweet Dreams." Early childhood Born Virginia Patterson Hensley on September 8, 1932, in Winchester, Virginia, she was the daughter of Sam and Hilda Patterson Hensley, a blacksmith and a seamstress; Hilda was only 16 when Patsy was born. Patsy was the eldest of three children, which included a brother, Samuel, and a sister, Sylvia. The three children, despite their given names, were called "Ginny," "John," and "Sis," respectively.Some say that Patsy had an unhappy childhood and grew up a poor girl "on the wrong side of the tracks," but except for the fact that her father deserted the family in 1947, when she was 15, the Hensley home was quite happy.[1] The family moved often, living in many different places around Virginia, before settling into Winchester. Cline often proclaimed as a child that she would one day be famous, and looked up to such stars as Judy Garland and Shirley Temple. A serious illness as a child caused a throat infection which, according to Cline, resulted in her gift of "a voice that boomed like Kate Smith's." Well-rounded in her musical tastes, Cline cited everyone from Kay Starr to Hank Williams as influences. As a child, she often sang in church with her mother. Cline was also a by-ear pianist who sang with perfect pitch. Teen Years Cline began performing in area variety/talent shows early on. She went to the local radio station (WINC) in Winchester and asked DJ Jimmy McCoy if he would let her sing on his radio show. He did, which was a great opportunity for Patsy, as McCoy's radio show was a great showcase for local talent. As she grew older, she began to play in popular nightclubs. To help support her family after her father abandoned them, she dropped out of high school and worked various jobs, soda jerking and waitressing by day. At night, Cline could be found singing at local nightclubs, wearing her famous fringed Western stage outfits she designed herself and which were made by her mother, Hilda. Career Discovery During this period in her early 20s, Cline met two men who would make her name a household word. The first was contractor Gerald Cline, whom she married in 1953 and would divorce in 1957. The second was Bill Peer, her new manager, who gave her the name "Patsy," short from her middle name and her mother's maiden name, "Patterson." Cline began making numerous appearances on local radio, and she attracted a large following in the Virginia/Maryland area—especially when Jimmy Dean learned of her. She became a regular on Connie B. Gay's Town and Country television show, broadcast out of Washington, D.C, which also featured Dean, himself an established young country star. She also began making appearances on the world renowned Grand Ole Opry. In 1955, Cline was signed to Four Star Records. However, her contract only allowed her to record compositions by Four Star writers; Cline disliked this, and later expressed regret over signing with the label. Her first record for Four Star was "A Church, A Courtroom & Then Good-Bye," which attracted little attention, although it did lead to several appearances on The Grand Ole Opry. Between 1955 and 1957, Cline recorded honky tonk material, with songs like "Fingerprints," "Pick Me Up On Your Way Down," and "A Stranger In My Arms," and also experimented with rockabilly; however, none of these songs gained any notable success. According to Owen Bradley, her Decca Records producer, the Four Star compositions only seemed to hint at the potential that lurked inside of Cline. Bradley thought her voice was best suited for singing pop music. However, the Four Star producers insisted that Cline would record only country songs, as her contract also stated. During her contract with Four Star, Cline recorded 51 songs. Career in Country Music & Pop Crossover Success The year 1957 was a year of great change in Cline's life, as she found national stardom and married the man whom she called the love of her life, Charlie Dick. While looking for material for her first album Patsy Cline, a song appeared titled "Walkin' After Midnight," written by Don Hecht and Alan Block. Cline initially did not like the song because it was, according to her, "just a little old pop song." However, the song's writers and record label insisted she should record it. She then auditioned for Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts in New York City, and luckily got accepted to sing on the show. Initially, Cline was supposed to sing the song "A Poor Man's Roses (Or a Rich Man's Gold)"; however, show producers insisted Cline instead sing "Walkin' After Midnight." That night, she won the program and was invited to return to the show. The song was so well-liked by the audience that she decided to release "Walkin' After Midnight" as a single. The song was released in early 1957, and before long it was a hit on both the country and pop charts, reaching 2 on the country charts and 12 on the pop charts. Cline became one of the first country singers to have a crossover pop hit. She couldn't follow up "Walkin' After Midnight" with another hit, however, in part because of the deal with Four Star that limited her to songs from its publishing company.[2] After the birth of their daughter, Julie, in 1958, Patsy and Charlie moved to Nashville, Tennessee. In 1959, Cline met Randy Hughes, who became her manager. With Randy's promotion and a new contract with Decca Records - Nashville, Cline would begin her ascent to the top. A return in 1961 with "I Fall to Pieces" When her Four Star contract expired in 1960, Cline signed with Decca Records-Nashville, under the direction of legendary producer Owen Bradley. He was not only responsible for much of the success behind Cline's recording career, but also for the careers of Brenda Lee and Loretta Lynn. Under Bradley's direction, Cline enjoyed country and pop music success both because of her versatile vocal ability and because of Bradley's arrangements and incorporation of instruments not typically used on country records, such as strings. Bradley considered that Cline's voice was best-suited for country pop-crossover songs, and helped smooth Cline's voice into silky, torchy pop-singing glory, although Cline never liked the fact that she sang pop material. This new, more sophisticated instrumental style became known as “The Nashville Sound,“ founded by Bradley and RCA’s Chet Atkins, who produced Jim Reeves, Skeeter Davis, Connie Smith, and Eddy Arnold. Cline's first Decca release was in 1961, was the country pop ballad "I Fall to Pieces," written by Hank Cochran and Harlan Howard. The song was promoted at both country and pop music stations across the country, leading to both pop and country radio growing a likeness to the song. It made a slow climb up the charts, until it officially hit No. 1 on the country charts (her first No. 1) and No. 12 on the pop charts, as well as No. 6 on the adult contemporary charts, a major feat for any country singer at the time, especially a female. The song cemented Cline's status as a household name and proved that female country singers could enjoy just as much crossover success as their male counterparts. Also in 1961, she was granted membership in the cast of the Grand Ole Opry, the realization of a lifelong dream. Cline was one of the Opry's greatest stars, and reportedly, she is the only Opry star in history to date to receive membership merely as a result of asking. Believing that there was "room enough for everybody" and perhaps due to her own self-confidence, Cline befriended and encouraged several women starting out in country music, including Loretta Lynn, Dottie West, Barbara Mandrell (with whom Cline once toured), Jan Howard and Brenda Lee, all of whom cite her as an influence in their careers. Both Lynn and West claimed that Cline always gave of herself to her friends, often buying them groceries when they didn't have money, new furniture, and even money to pay the rent to enable them to stay in Nashville and continue their quest for stardom. Cline's friend, Honky Tonk pianist and Opry star Del Wood, stated in the 1980 Ellis Nassour biography Patsy Cline: "Even when she didn't have it, she'd spend it -- and not always on herself. She'd give anyone the skirt off her backside if they needed it." Cline also became friends with Roger Miller, Hank Cochran, Faron Young, Ferlin Husky, Harlan Howard, and Carl Perkins, a group of male artists and songwriters whom she enjoyed joining at Tootsies Orchid Lounge next door to the Grand Ole Opry. Singer George Riddle remembered on the 1986 documentary The Real Patsy Cline: "It wasn't unusual for her to sit down and have a beer and tell a joke. She'd never be offended at the guys' jokes, because most of the time she'd tell a joke better than you! Patsy was full of life, as I remember." She was known for calling her friends "Hoss," a term of endearment, and referring to herself as "The Cline." Though Cline never met Elvis Presley, she was a huge fan of his music and often kept up with him through the Jordanaires, who backed her and Elvis' vocals, referring to him as "The Big Hoss." Near-fatal car accident While Cline would continue to thrive successfully in 1961, she also gave birth to a son, Randy. However, on June 14, 1961, Patsy and her brother, Sam, were involved in a head-on car collision on Old Hickory Blvd in Nashville, the second and most serious of two during her lifetime. The impact of the accident threw Patsy into the windshield, nearly killing her. Upon her arrival at the scene, singer Dottie West picked glass from Patsy's hair, while Patsy insisted that the other car's driver be treated first. (Coincidentally, West would be involved in a serious car accident in 1991 and would not survive.) Patsy later stated that she saw the female driver of the other car die before her eyes at the hospital. Suffering from a jagged cut across her forehead that required stitches, a broken wrist, and a dislocated hip, she spent a month in the hospital. While in the hospital, Cline, according to the Nassour biography Patsy Cline and to friend Billy Walker, rededicated her life to Christianity. She received thousands of cards and flowers sent by fans. When she left the hospital, her forehead was still visibly scarred. For the remainder of her career, she wore wigs and careful makeup to hide the scars and headbands to relieve pressure on her forehead. She returned to the road on crutches, determined to be a survivor with a new appreciation for life. Years later in the 1990s, a series of recordings from her first concert since the accident was released. These archives, recorded in Tulsa, Oklahoma, were found in the attic of one of Cline's former residences by the current owners and given to the family. The album, released in 1995, is titled Patsy Cline: Live At the Cimmarron Ballroom and features dialogue of Cline interacting with the audience, thus giving a historical archive of what her live performances were like. The story of "Crazy" After the success of "I Fall to Pieces," Cline needed a follow-up, particularly because her near-fatal car accident had required that she spend a month in the hospital, which meant lost time from touring and promotions. The famous follow-up to her hit was written by Willie Nelson and called "Crazy," which Cline originally hated. Her first session recording "Crazy" turned out to be a disaster, and Cline claimed that the song was too difficult to sing. She tried to record "Crazy" like its demo recording, which was sung by its songwriter, but had a tough time recording it not only because of its demo, but because she found the high notes hard to sing due to her injured ribs from her car accident. The entire day in the studio at Decca was a head-on fight between Cline and Owen Bradley. However, Cline finally recorded the song the next week in one take, a version completely different from the demo. Because of this, it turned out to become a classic and, ultimately, Cline's signature song – the one for which she remains best known. In late 1961, the song was an immediate country pop crossover hit, and was also her biggest pop hit, when it went into the Top 10 there. Friend Loretta Lynn later reported that the night Cline premiered "Crazy" at the Grand Ole Opry, she received three standing ovations."Crazy" was a hit on three different charts in late 1961 and early 1962: the Hot Country Songs list (No. 2), the US Hot 100 list (No. 9), and the Adult Contemporary list (also No. 2). Soon an album was released that November entitled Showcase With the Jordanaires, that featured Cline's two big hits of 1961. The album brought success to Cline late that year. Effect and influence Cline was the first female in the industry to prove that she could surpass her male competitors in terms of record sales and concert tickets. Cline is often considered a "pioneer" and "heroine" by her female successors, who claim that she broke down doors in the industry for women when it was dominated and ruled by men. In retrospect, Cline opened the door to greater pop influence for country female vocalists including Lynn Anderson, Crystal Gayle, Reba McEntire, Faith Hill, LeAnn Rimes, Shania Twain, and Carrie Underwood. Guitarist/Producer Harold Bradley said of Cline in the 2003 book Remembering Patsy: "She's taken the standards for being a country music vocalist, and she raised the bar. Women, even now, are trying to get to that bar.... If you're going to be a country singer, if you're not going to copy her -- and most people do come to town copying her -- then you have to be aware of how she did it. It's always good to know what was in the past because you think you're pretty hot until you hear her.... It gives all the female singers coming in something to gauge their talents against. And I expect it will forever." Despite her name, Cline proved she was "nobody's patsy" many times in her life. She was in control of her own career, making it clear that she could stand up to any man -- verbally and professionally -- and challenge their rules if they got in the way of where she felt her career should be headed. In a time when concert promoters often cheated stars out of their money by promising to pay them after the show and running with the money during the concert, Cline stood up to many of the male promoters before she even took the stage and demanded their money by claiming: "No dough, no show." According to friend Roy Drusky on the 1986 documentary The Real Patsy Cline: "Before one concert, we hadn't been paid. And we were talking about who was going to tell the audience that we couldn't perform without pay. Patsy said, 'I'll tell 'em!' And she did!" Friend Faron Young stated, "It was common knowledge around town that you didn't mess with 'The Cline!'" When Cline made her first recordings in 1955, Kitty Wells, known as "The Queen of Country Music," was the undisputed top female vocalist in the country music field. By the time Cline broke through as a consistent hit maker in 1961, Wells was still country's biggest female star; however, Cline dethroned Wells by winning Billboard Magazine's "Favorite Female Country & Western Artist" for two years in a row and the 1962 Music Reporter "Star of The Year" award. The two country queens could not have been more different, given that Cline's husky, full-throated, sophisticated sound was a marked contrast to Wells' pure-country, quivering vocals. Cline proved her name as such a household word that she needed no "royal" title other than her name to prove her popularity. Though she was gaining attention on country and pop charts, she did not think of herself as anything other than a country singer and was known for her humility in her motto: "I don't want to get rich -- just live good."With Cline’s success climbing the record charts, she was in high demand on the concert circuit. Whereas most women in country music at that time were only considered “window dressing,” opening acts or extra attractions for the more popular and higher paid male star headliners, Cline was the first to headline her own show and receive top billing above many of the male stars with whom she toured. While bands typically backed up the female singer, Cline led the band through the concert instead. Cline was so respected by men in the industry, that, rather than being introduced to audiences as “Pretty Miss Patsy Cline” as her female colleagues often were, she was given a more stately introduction such as that given by Johnny Cash on their 1962 tour together: “Ladies and Gentlemen, the one and only Patsy Cline.” As an artist, Cline held her fan base in extreme high regard (many of whom became lifelong friends), staying for hours after concerts to chat with them and sign autographs. Cline was not only the first woman in country music to perform at New York’s Carnegie Hall (which she did with fellow Opry members, with disapproval from elite gossip columnist Dorothy Kilgallen, whom Cline fired back at) but also to headline the Hollywood Bowl with Johnny Cash and, later, in 1962, the first woman in country music to headline her own show in Las Vegas. This success enabled Cline to buy her dream home in Nashville's Goodlettsville community, personally decorated in her style featuring real gold dust sprinkled in the bathroom tiles and a music room. Loretta Lynn stated in a 1986 documentary interview, "She called me into the front yard and said, 'Isn't this pretty? Now I'll never be happy until I have my Mama one just like it.'" Cline called her home "The house that Vegas built" since she was able to pay it off with the money she earned during her time there. (Later, after Cline's death in 1963, Cline's home was sold by her husband to singer Wilma Burgess who told Patsy Cline author Ellis Nassour that "strange occurrences" happened during her years there.) With this new demand for Cline came a higher price tag and, reportedly, towards the end of her life she was being paid at least $1,000 for her appearances -- then an unheard-of fee for women in the country music industry, since they usually grossed less than $200. In fact, her second-to-last concert, held in Birmingham, Alabama, grossed Cline $3,000. To match her new sophisticated sound, Cline also reinvented her personal style, shedding her western trademark cowgirl outfits for elegant designer sequined gowns, cocktail dresses, spiked heels, and even gold lame pants. Cline’s new image was considered riskier and sexier by a then-conservative country music industry more accustomed to gingham and calico dresses for women. But like her sound, Cline’s style in fashion was mocked by many at first, then quickly copied. Cline also loved dangly earrings, and ruby red lipstick; her favorite perfume was Wind Song. During her short career of only five and a half years, Patsy Cline received 12 prestigious awards for her achievements in music and three more following her death. Most of these were Cashbox, Music Reporter, and Billboard Awards, which were considered high honors during her time. (Awards such as the ACM and CMAs were not established until after her death, and the Nashville chapter of The Grammys wasn't founded until 1964.) Cline stated of her success in a letter to friend Anne Armstrong (from the 1993 documentary Remembering Patsy): "It's wonderful -- but what do I do for '63? Its getting so even I can't follow Cline!" The Last Album: Sentimentally Yours In late 1961, Cline was back in the studio once again to record some songs for her upcoming album in 1962. One of the first songs recorded in late 1961 was the song "She's Got You." The song was written by Hank Cochran, who pitched the song over the phone to Cline before she actually recorded it. This song was actually one of the few songs Cline ever enjoyed recording. The song was released as a single in January 1962, and soon was another country pop crossover hit, reaching No. 1 on the Country charts again (her second and last chart-topper), No. 14 on the pop charts, and No. 3 on the adult contemporary charts (originally called "Easy Listening"). It would be Cline's last Top 40 Pop hit. "She's Got You" was also Cline's only entry onto the United Kingdom's singles chart. The song was a minor hit over there, reaching No. 43. Following the success of "She's Got You," Cline enjoyed a string of smaller country hits, including the Top 10 "When I Get Thru With You," "Imagine That," "So Wrong," and "Heartaches." These hits, were not big crossover pop hits like her previous three had been on the country charts; however, these songs were hits within the Top 10 and 20. These were followed by an appearance on American Bandstand in late 1962 and the release of a third album that August called Sentimentally Yours. When asked in a WSM radio interview about her vocal stylings, Cline stated, "Oh, I just sing like I hurt inside." Though she was in high demand and her career was at its peak, the wear and tear of the road and business began to present the possibility of a short-term retirement for Cline, who longed to spend more time raising her children, Julie and Randy, especially after heading her own show at the Mint Casino in Las Vegas at the end of 1962. A month before her death, Cline went into the studio to record her fourth album, Faded Love. Recording a mix of country standards and such vintage pop classics as Irving Berlin's "Always" and "Does Your Heart Beat For Me," these sessions proved to be most contemporary-sounding of her career, without any country music instruments and featuring a full string section. (Owen Bradley told Patsy author Margaret Jones that he and Cline had even talked of doing an album of showtunes and standards before her death, including "Can't Help Loving That Man of Mine," since Cline was a fan of Helen Morgan.) Cline, so involved with the story in the song's lyrics, reportedly cried through most of what would be her last sessions. This emotion can be heard on certain tracks, especially "Sweet Dreams" and "Faded Love." At the playback party that night at the studio, according to singer Jan Howard, on the documentary Remembering Patsy, Patsy held up a copy of her first record and a copy of her newest tracks and stated, "Well, here it is... the first and the last." Death As stated in the 1980 Ellis Nassour biography, Patsy Cline, friends Dottie West and June Carter Cash both recalled Cline telling them that she felt a sense of impending doom and didn't expect to live much longer in the months leading up to her death. Cline also told Loretta Lynn of this, along with Cash and West, as early as September 1962. [3]Cline, though known for her extreme generosity, even began giving away personal items to friends, writing out her own last will on Delta Air Lines stationery and asking close friends to care for her children if anything should happen to her. She reportedly told Jordanaire back up singer Ray Walker as she exited the Grand Ole Opry a week before her death: "Honey, I've had two bad ones (accidents). The third one will either be a charm or it'll kill me." On March 3, 1963, Patsy, though ill with the flu, gave a stellar final performance at a benefit show at the Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Hall, Kansas City, Kansas, for the family of a disc jockey, Cactus Jack Call, who had recently died in an automobile accident. Also performing on the show were George Jones, George Riddle and The Jones Boys, Billy Walker, Dottie West, Cowboy Copas, Hawkshaw Hawkins, Wilma Lee and Stoney Cooper, and George McCormick and the Clinch Mountain Clan. Cline wore a white chiffon gown and closed the show with her performance to a thunderous ovation. Her last song was the last one she recorded during her last sessions the previous month, "I'll Sail My Ship Alone." Dottie West, wary of Cline flying, pleaded with her to ride back in the car with her and her husband, Bill. Cline, anxious to get home to her children, refused West's offer, saying, "Don't worry about me, Hoss. When it's my time to go, it's my time." She called her mother from the airport and then boarded a Piper Comanche bound for Nashville, flown by her manager Randy Hughes, along with Cowboy Copas and Hawkshaw Hawkins. After stopping to refuel in Dyersburg, Tennessee, the plane took off at 6:07 pm. According to revelations by the airfield manager in the Nassour biography, he suggested that they stay the night after advising of high winds and inclement weather on the flight path, but Hughes responded, "I've already come this far. We'll be there before you know it." However, they never made it to Nashville. The plane flew into severe weather and crashed at 6:20 p.m., according to Patsy's wristwatch, in a forest just outside of Camden, Tennessee, only 90 miles from the destination. There were no survivors. Patsy Cline was 30 years old.[4] Throughout the night, reports of the missing plane flooded the radio airwaves. Roger Miller told Patsy Cline author Ellis Nassour that he and a friend went searching for survivors in the early hours of the morning: "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." Not long after the bodies of the victims were removed, scavengers came to take what they could of the stars' personal belongings and pieces of the plane. Many of these items were later donated to The Country Music Hall of Fame, except the white chiffon dress that Patsy had worn for her last concert -- it was never found. Nashville was in shock over the losses. News of the tragedy screamed across headlines of newspapers the next morning. Per her wishes, Cline was brought home to her dream house for the last time before her memorial service, which thousands attended. Hours later, news that singer Jack Anglin had died on the way to her service surfaced, and the Opry mounted a special tribute show to honor the victims. (March, 1963 would prove to be the grimmest month in Opry history, ending with the death of former Opry star Texas Ruby, one of Cline's early influences, in a fire on March 29, bringing the total of Opry star deaths in one month to five.) She was buried in her hometown of Winchester, Virginia, at Shenandoah Memorial Park. Her grave is marked with a simple bronze plaque, which reads: Virginia H (Patsy Cline) "Death Cannot Kill What Never Dies: Love." With the help of Loretta Lynn and Dottie West a bell tower, erected in her memory at the cemetery, plays hymns daily at 6:00 p.m., the hour of her death. A memorial marks the place where the plane crashed in the still remote forest outside of Camden, Tennessee. Patsy cline was 30 years old.enjoy theese videos of Patsy Cline Walking After Midnight
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