Patsy died in a plane crash near Camden, Tennessee, in 1963, when she was a mere 30 years old. I was way too young to know about Patsy, or even recognize her music, or care about it, but my mother - a consummate audiophile - enjoyed a plethora of different musical genres and artists, and she unwittingly introduced this young boy to Patsy Cline's haunting melodies, lyrical voice, and memorable music.
The poster at the left is a photo I took last year in a restaurant near Bolivar, Missouri called 'Smiths.' It's an original advert poster of Patsy final concert in Kansas City, Ks., 2 days before her fateful plane crash.
Two biographies, 2 hollywood movies, and at least two stage plays have been written about Patsy Cline's life and music.
From Robert Trussell at the Kansas City Star:
"Fifty years ago today Patsy Cline left this world in a tangle of twisted metal, thick woods and thorny brush near Camden, Tenn.
At that moment her identity was forever transformed. One minute she’d been a working singer and recording artist — a small-town girl from Virginia who’d found success with a stunning voice backed up by a strong work ethic. The next, she was a legend, a member of a pantheon of musicians who died too young.
Kansas City pops up repeatedly in the history of American music, but one of the saddest chapters was Cline’s final performance on March 3, 1963. She and a lineup of other performers — including Dottie West, Billy Walker and George Jones — had performed a benefit concert at Memorial Hall in Kansas City, Kan., for the family of Cactus Jack Call. Call was a popular DJ who had died a little more than a month earlier in a car wreck.
West offered Cline a ride back to Nashville, but she decided it would be quicker to fly . “Don’t worry about me, Hoss,” West once recalled Patsy telling her. “When it’s my time to go, it’s my time.”
*For this, and more original hits from the 40's, 50's, 60's, and beyond, tune into John Christopher's streaming 24/7 musical extravaganza "The Neon Beat" by clicking here, or click the icon on the side of this page.
(disclaimer: the views expressed here are my own and not affiliated with John Christopher or The Neon Beat. I'm simply a fan of the show.)