Patsy Cline Was The First Solo Female Singer Inducted Into The Country Music Hall Of Fame

Jul 11, 2020 by apost team

Patsy Cline is still a country music legend and queen, even nearly 60 years after her premature death. She originated the Nashville Sound, which brought country and pop music together in the early 60s.

At the age of 30, on March 5, 1963, a tragic air crash at Camden, Tennessee, robbed us of this immense talent. Her voice and talent are credited for having reshaped how people see country music. 

The world knew her as Patsy, but her birth name was Virginia Patterson Hensley. The name Patsy was given to her by Bill, her manager. She was married for the first time in 1953 to Gerald Cline and chose to keep using her surname as part of her musical name.

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When still living in Winchester, Virginia, Patsy worked as a waitress at Soda Jerk, and she joined several talent searches. Her interest in music was provoked after watching the local radio performances, which pushed her to approach a DJ and request some airplay. In a very short time, she was a sensation and got several shows in night clubs.

After gaining some experience, Patsy got into the Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts talent show, which resembled American Idol. Her performance of Walkin' After Midnight elevated the song to second place on the country songs chart, and twelfth in the pop charts. Cline rose to be among the pioneer country musicians to have a crossover hit.

In a documentary made to remember her life, it was evident that she could not read music in the form of notes and symbols. This downside never affected her musical abilities, and she went ahead to become a perfect self-made pitch.

Rules never got into the way for Cline. Among the rules she disregarded was one where women were not allowed to wear pants to the Grand Ole Opry, which she did after her petition was approved. In her belief, female musicians were free to choose their path. Her personality was her outspokenness and bold nature. She was the first female country music artist to perform in Las Vegas.

After her death, her music still made headlines, and she was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1973 as the first solo female musician. Her songs released after she died, in the Patsy Celine's Greatest Hits album is among the top-selling country records by a female artist.

Most songwriters in the early '60s made sure to write a song for Cline since it was destined to be an instant hit! In addition to the financial aspect, songwriters believed that Cline brought some magic into their songs. According to Willie Nelson, her work on the song Crazy is his "favorite all-time song of mine that anyone ever did." Cline's hit songs were written by among the top songwriters to hail from Nashville.

Among the most notable writers is Mel Tillis—who did Strange—Hank Cochran and Harlan Howard, both of whom wrote, I Fall To Pieces. Working with Owen Bradley, who was a producer, both defined the Nashville music scene and were top of both the pop and country songs.

She often referred to herself as "The Cline," was outspoken and confident, but the aspect that caught those close to her was her loyalty. In her documentary, Roy Clark reflects how Cline had paused to record a song that Clark himself wanted to release. This was due to her respect for her fellow musician and friend.

She also stood by other fellow female artists. An example of her support was a time when Loretta Lynn was in the hospital and reached out. Cline supported Loretta, even giving her fashion tips when she went back on stage. Among her close friends were Dottie West, June Carter, and Brenda Lee.

Top actress Jessica Lange took up Cline's character in 1985 when she starred in the movie Sweet Dreams: The Life and Times of Patsy Cline.

Another star was Golden Globe nominee Beverly D'Angelo, who portrayed Cline in Coal Miner's Daughter, a Loretta Lynn biopic.

Though Cline eventually became famous as an innovator of the polished Nashville Sound, her earliest records sounded much rougher.

Even if those songs didn't top the charts, they showed how much range she had. Rockabilly icon Wanda Jackson even admitted later on that she was highly influenced by early Patsy Cline, according to Rolling Stone.

After her fatal air crash on Randy Hughes' owned private plane on their way back from Kansas, her fun club erected a mailbox close to the crash site, where fans can leave notes and letters to her.

A Patsy Cline Museum was put up in Nashville, where her fans can pay their respects and grave site next to her husband, Charlie Dick's grave. She often referred to her husband as the "love of her life."

A play, Always…Patsy Cline, which debuted in 1988, is based on Patsy and Houston housewife Louise Seger's friendship. The play, which was showcased at the Ryman Auditorium in 1994, had Mandy Barnett portraying Patsy, and it has been screened off-Broadway too.

Elite musicians always live through their songs in their fans' hearts. It is evident Patsy may no longer be around, but her fans still regard her songs greatly. Show this article to your friends to get inspired by this incredible story.