Patsy Cline carried country music onto pop radio at the start of the 1960s.
Two Decca singles from 1961, "I Fall to Pieces" and "Crazy," made her the decade's defining female country voice.
She died in a plane crash on March 5, 1963, only two years after her breakthrough.
Table of Contents
- From Winchester to 4 Star Records
- Patsy Cline at Decca and the Nashville Sound
- Touring With Johnny Cash and "She's Got You"
- March 1963
- Honors and Legacy
- FAQ
From Winchester to 4 Star Records
She was born Virginia Patterson Hensley on September 8, 1932, in Winchester, Virginia.
Her mother, Hilda, worked as a seamstress to support the family.
She taught herself piano at about age eight and later held jobs at a poultry plant and a soda shop.
Meanwhile she sang on local radio and entered singing contests.
A New Name
In 1952 she began performing with bandleader Bill Peer's group.
The group encouraged her to use the first name Patsy.
She married Gerald Cline on March 7, 1953, which gave her the surname.
The 4 Star Years
She signed her first recording contract with 4 Star Records in September 1954.
Her first session was on January 5, 1955.
Her debut single, "A Church, a Courtroom and Then Goodbye," came out in July 1955 and sold poorly.
She later alleged that label owner Bill McCall cheated her out of earnings.
Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts
Her breakthrough came on January 21, 1957, on the TV contest Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts.
She won with "Walkin' After Midnight."
The song reached number two on the country chart and number 12 on the pop chart.
Billboard named her the year's Most Promising Country and Western Female Artist.
In September 1957 she married Charlie Dick.
Patsy Cline at Decca and the Nashville Sound
She became a Grand Ole Opry member on January 9, 1960.
She signed with Decca Records that year.
Producer Owen Bradley is credited with building the Nashville Sound around her voice.
Our 1960s country guide explains how that smooth, string-backed style crossed over to pop radio.
I Fall to Pieces
Hank Cochran and Harlan Howard wrote "I Fall to Pieces."
Cline recorded it on November 16, 1960, at Bradley Studios in Nashville.
Decca released it on January 30, 1961.
It reached number one on the country chart by August 1961 and number 12 on the Hot 100.
The 1961 year guide shows where it sat among that year's hits.
The full story is in our I Fall to Pieces song story.
The Car Crash
On June 14, 1961, she was seriously injured in a car crash in Nashville.
She spent about a month in the hospital.
Crazy
Willie Nelson wrote "Crazy."
Cline recorded it with Bradley between August 21 and September 15, 1961, and her vocal went down on September 15.
Floyd Cramer played piano, and the Jordanaires sang backing vocals.
Decca released it on October 16, 1961, with "Who Can I Count On?" on the B-side.
It reached number two on the country chart and number nine on the Hot 100, her only top ten pop hit.
The Grammy Hall of Fame added it in 1992, and the Library of Congress added it to the National Recording Registry in 2003.
Read the Crazy song story for the Billy Walker trade and the one-take vocal.
Touring With Johnny Cash and "She's Got You"
In January 1962 she joined Johnny Cash's touring show as its star female vocalist.
She stayed on the road with it for about 14 months.
"She's Got You" went to number one on the country chart in 1962, her second chart-topper.
See the 1962 year guide for the rest of that year.
| Play | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| "Walkin' After Midnight" | 1957 | Country No. 2, Hot 100 No. 12 | |
| "I Fall to Pieces" | January 30, 1961 | Country No. 1, Hot 100 No. 12 | |
| "Crazy" | October 16, 1961 | Country No. 2, Hot 100 No. 9 | |
| "She's Got You" | 1962 | Country No. 1 | |
| "Sweet Dreams (of You)" | 1963 | Country No. 5, Hot 100 No. 44 |
March 1963
Her last public performance was a benefit in Kansas City on March 3, 1963.
On the flight home she died on March 5, 1963, near Camden, Tennessee, at age 30.
The dead also included her manager and pilot Randy Hughes and the Opry stars Cowboy Copas and Hawkshaw Hawkins.
"Sweet Dreams (of You)" came out after her death.
It reached number five on the country chart and number 44 on the Hot 100.
"Leavin' on Your Mind" also became a posthumous top ten country hit.
The 1963 year guide covers the year she was lost.
Honors and Legacy
Her friend Loretta Lynn kept her memory alive, and the honors piled up:
- 1973: Country Music Hall of Fame, the first solo female artist elected
- 1992: "Crazy" enters the Grammy Hall of Fame
- 1995: Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award
- 2003: "Crazy" added to the National Recording Registry
The 1980 film Coal Miner's Daughter featured Beverly D'Angelo as Cline.
The 1985 film Sweet Dreams starred Jessica Lange, who earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress.
FAQ
When did Patsy Cline die?
She died on March 5, 1963, in a plane crash near Camden, Tennessee, at age 30.
She had given her last public performance two days earlier, at a benefit in Kansas City on March 3, 1963.
Who wrote Crazy?
Willie Nelson wrote "Crazy."
Cline recorded it at Bradley Studios in Nashville, with her vocal cut on September 15, 1961.
Decca released it on October 16, 1961.
What was Patsy Cline's first number one hit?
"I Fall to Pieces" was her first number one on the country chart, reached by August 1961.
It also climbed to number 12 on the Hot 100.
Hank Cochran and Harlan Howard wrote it.
How did Patsy Cline get her big break?
She won the TV contest Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts on January 21, 1957, singing "Walkin' After Midnight."
The song reached number two on the country chart and number 12 on the pop chart.
Is Patsy Cline in the Country Music Hall of Fame?
Yes.
She was inducted in 1973, the first solo female artist elected.
She also received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 1995.
Few voices did more to make country sound like pop without losing its ache.
The full biography of Patsy Cline is on Wikipedia.
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