When Washington, DC record producer Lillian Claiborne became her manager in 1954, she arranged for Cline to record about a dozen songs at Ben Adelman's local studio. In March 1953 she married construction worker Gerald Cline, reportedly to ward off Peer's constant advances. By 1952 she began singing with Bill Peer's Melody Boys, dressed in a flashy cowgirl outfit sewn by her mother. She allegedly took the stage name 'Patsy' from WLS singer Patsy Montana, although some claim it was a childhood contraction of her middle name.
Impressed by her talent, gospel singer Wally Fowler suggested she try out for the Grand Ole Opry, but her young age kept her off the Ryman stage. The family moved to Winchester, Virginia, where she made her radio debut over WINC in 1948. Encouraged by an older half-sister, she taught herself piano as a child. In a nutshell, she was born Virginia Patterson Hensley Septemin Gore, Tennessee. Arguably these recordings – not the lush, later Decca productions that Owen Bradley midwifed – reveal the 'true' Patsy Cline.Ĭline's story has been told often, most notably in Margaret Jones' definitive biography 'Patsy: The Life And Times Of Patsy Cline' (HarperCollins, 1994), Ellis Nassour's earlier 'Patsy Cline' (Leisure, 1981), and Paul Kingsbury's notes for a now-deleted MCA box set, 'The Patsy Cline Collection'. But her brassy, nicotine-fueled vocals absolutely shine on the uptempo material reissued here.
Sure, the ballads Cline was handed in the studio between 19 were mediocre at best, embarrassing at worst. But country and rockabilly collectors would rank her among the era's greatest dynamic female singers, ranking alongside of Charline Arthur, Wanda Jackson, Brenda Lee, Rose Maddox, Janis Martin and Kay Starr. Savvier listeners say her legacy rests on the creamy, flawless ballads she recorded for Decca between November 1960 and February 1963.īut what if a frustrated, disheartened Patsy Cline never recorded another note after her 4-Star contract expired in 1960? Those obsessed with trade charts would tab her as the 'one-hit wonder' who spent a career seeking that elusive follow-up to Walkin' After Midnight. To the general public, Patsy Cline's name and legend will forever be linked to four crossover pop hits and her tragic death in that infamous private plane crash on March 5, 1963.
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