Patsy Cline: A Bold Woman with a Bold Voice
photo from britanica.com
Classic country has a very special place in my heart and there is a comforting feeling that can only be brought upon by listening to some of the best classic country oldies. Classic country also has a great selection of women country singers that dominated the industry just as much as the men. One of those women, and probably my favorite female classic country singer, was Patsy Cline. Not only am I instantly mesmerized by Patsy’s voice every time I hear it, I also find her story to be so interesting.
Patsy was born in Winchester, Virginia to a teen mother and a father who would later desert them. Her birth name was Virginia Patterson Hensley, which she would later shorten to Patsy once she started to perform. Interestingly enough, Patsy claimed in an interview in 1957 that when she was 13 years old, she had a bad case of rheumatic fever and was put into an oxygen tent to help. She claimed that after being in that oxygen tent and recovering from rheumatic fever that almost killed her, she all of a sudden developed this bold singing voice. Once that happened, she immediately was destined to be a country singer. She started out singing in the church choir with her mom and then shortly after, auditioned for a local radio station and began singing live on the radio. When she was only 15 she also wrote a letter to the Grand Ole Opry requesting an audition. She later received a response from the Grand Ole Opry asking for recordings but never heard back. These stories of young Patsy have always impressed me. From the moment she discovered she had this singing voice, she immediately put herself out there so boldly and took it upon herself to have as many opportunities as possible.
She then focused on performing locally and taking any opportunity that came her way for her to really showcase her talent. What really put her out there for people to notice was when she entered a local country music contest and won. That win also gave her the opportunity to appear on the television series Town and Country Time. From those television performances, people started to really notice her vocals and stage presence. Soon after that she signed with Four Star Records, but none of her work with them really took off. During that time, she received a request to perform on Arthur Godfrey’s Talent Scouts and had her mother act as her talent scout, which also included them lying about being related since there was a rule against family members being participant’s talent scouts. Right before the show went live, she was asked to sing “Walkin’ After Midnight” even though she already had a different song planned. She eventually was persuaded and performed “Walkin’ After Midnight” which won her the contest and became an instant sensation. There was such a high demand for the song that they rushed to put it out as a single. That song was the moment that really put her in the spotlight and it is now considered a classic. Unfortunately, the next few releases she put out after “Walkin’ After Midnight” didn’t really pick up much interest and she started to stagnate. It wasn’t until the early 1960s that things started to turn around for her. In the early 1960s she left Four Star Records and signed with Decca Records where she would soon record “I Fall To Pieces.” The song wasn’t an instant hit when it first was released but once it was featured on the Hot Country and Western Sides chart, it quickly rose to the top of the charts.
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In 1961, she and her brother were in a terrible car accident where she was presumed to not live. Miraculously enough, she pulled through and would spend the rest of her life wearing wigs and heavy make up to cover up a scar on her head from the accident. After promising fans that she would return to music after she healed from her accident, she was met with a huge support from her fans and would soon enter into the peak of her career. Her next single that she released after her return from her accident was “Crazy.” She reportedly didn’t actually like the song at first and turned it down many times until eventually convinced to record it. When she recorded it, she cut out some parts of it that she didn’t like and performed it with her own unique style, different than it was initially meant to be. Thank God she did that because that is how we ended up with such an iconic hit.
Much of her work with Decca Records received praise and people started to really notice the different things that made her voice so unique. Critiques pointed out how she was able to put pain and ache into the words she was singing. How she could sing these words so effortlessly yet also so deep and emotional; so rich and ageless as well. She would continue to put out more hit songs such as “She’s Got You” and “When I Get Through With You” to the point where she was able to purchase her dream home in Tennessee. Also around this time, she would have a 35-day engagement in Las Vegas to earn a little more money. Although she didn’t quite like the experience, she was the first female country singer to headline her own show in Las Vegas.
Patsy Cline was also known for being close friends with other iconic country music women. Loretta Lynn, June Carter Cash, and Dottie West were some of her best friends. All three of them have remarked at how great of a friend she was. Loretta Lynn has expressed how Patsy taught her quite a bit about show business, stage presence, and even bought her clothes. Patsy also bought her curtains for her house when she was too broke to buy them herself. Funny enough, she has also stated that Patsy bought her a pair of underwear that she still has in storage. Dottie West has also elaborated on what a great friend Patsy was. When asked about their friendship, Dottie said "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." Knowing that Patsy was such a good friend to her friends makes me have so much more respect for her. Being able to confidently help out other female musicians and support their work while also having her own career just proves what a class act she was.
Something else I have always found very interesting about Patsy Cline is that she apparently knew she was going to die early. During the early 1960s she claimed she started to experience premonitions of her death. She told her friends that she just felt that she wasn’t going to live much longer. Strangely enough, in 1963 she unfortunately died in a plane crash at only the age of 30. When I first found out how young she died, I was actually shocked due to her voice sounding so mature and giving you that feeling that she had all this wisdom behind the experiences she sang about.
photo from Pinterest.com
For only living to be 30 years old, Patsy’s influence and mark in the country music world is that much more phenomenal. No one, and I mean NO ONE, can give you the ache, pain and emotion in a heartbreak song like Patsy Cline. When I listen to her, I instantly feel like I am wrapped up in a floor length mink coat, drinking a martini and smoking a cigarette while I ache for my lover. I know that sounds a bit silly but her voice just gives off such a bold and feminine energy that you can’t help but be drawn to it. Even if you aren’t heart broken or feeling blue, Patsy’s music can be just overall soothing and comforting.
For many people when they hear Patsy Cline’s name, they simply think of “Crazy” or “I Fall to Pieces” but I want more people to know what a great friend she was, how resilient she was from almost dying twice and how determined she was to put her talent out there and share it with the world the moment she discovered it. I also just cannot get over how mesmerizing her voice is. There is no one else in the music industry that I think can match the pain and ache behind her vocals and that in and of itself is a phenomenon.
Whether you have always known about Patsy Cline or not, I just wanted to share more about the strong willed, resilient, and excellent friend she was to make her that much more impressive.
Now go put on some Patsy and try to tell me that voice isn’t mesmerizing!
