Patsy Cline - late 1962
photo by Shane Collins
Patsy Cline, was born Virginia Patterson Hensley on this day, September 8, in 1932, in Winchester, Virginia. She is considered one of the most influential vocalists of the 20th century and one of the first country music artists to successfully cross over into pop music; her records are responsible for the advent of the Nashville Sound, which blended country and pop music and introduced country to a whole new audience in the early 1960s.
Regarding the Nashville sound, the record producer Owen Bradley stated:
According to the documentary Remembering Patsy, Cline couldn't read
sheet music. She was self-taught and had perfect pitch even as a
child. Her first professional performances began at the local WINC
radio station 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 moved to Nashville, Tennessee, to further her career. Working with new manager Randy Hughes, Cline would become a member of the Grand Ole Opry and then moved to Decca Records in 1960.
Regarding the Nashville sound, the record producer Owen Bradley stated:
"Now we've cut out the fiddle and steel guitar and added choruses to country music. But it can't stop there. It always has to keep developing to keep fresh." -Owen Bradley
Owen Bradley & Patsy Cline - early 60's
photographer unknown
Patsy Cline & Bill Peer
date & photographer unknown
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 moved to Nashville, Tennessee, to further her career. Working with new manager Randy Hughes, Cline would become a member of the Grand Ole Opry and then moved to Decca Records in 1960.
Patsy Cline & Randy Hughes
date & photographer unknown
Under the direction of producer Owen Bradley, her musical sound shifted and she achieved consistent success. The 1961 single I Fall to Pieces was 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 recovering, her next single release Crazy, written by Willie Nelson, would also become a major hit.
Between 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 appeared at a benefit show in Kansas City, Kansas. To return home, she boarded a plane along with country performers Cowboy Copas, Hawkshaw Hawkins and manager Randy Hughes. Upon hitting rough weather, the plane crashed outside of Camden, Tennessee, killing all those on board. Cline was thirty years old and her entire music career was only three years but what an impact she made on music!
In 1973, Patsy Cline became the first female performer to be inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame.
In 1985 a biographical film on the life of Patsy Cline featuring her music was made with Jessica Lange as Cline; it also starred Ed Harris, Ann Wedgeworth, David Clennon, James Staley, Gary Basaraba, John Goodman, and P. J. Soles of Carrie and Rock 'n' Roll High School fame (link below).
In 1973, Patsy Cline became the first female performer to be inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame.
In 1985 a biographical film on the life of Patsy Cline featuring her music was made with Jessica Lange as Cline; it also starred Ed Harris, Ann Wedgeworth, David Clennon, James Staley, Gary Basaraba, John Goodman, and P. J. Soles of Carrie and Rock 'n' Roll High School fame (link below).
Cline did a cover of You Belong To Me, one of my favorite songs from the fifties originally recorded by Joni James in February of 1952; it was covered later that year by Jo Stafford, Patti Page and Dean Martin. My favorite version was by Page (link below).
Viewfinder links:
Net links:
Wide Open Country ~ 10 Things You Didn't Know About Patsy Cline
YouTube links:
Patsy Cline songs ~
Crazy
I Fall To Pieces
She's Got You
You Belong To Me
Your Cheatin' Heart
Walkin' After Midnight
FOX4 News Kansas City ~ Remembering Patsy Cline
Patti Page ~ You Belong To Me Styrous® ~ Tuesday, September 8, 2020
