Born to a blacksmith and a seamstress, Patsy Cline has been heralded, by fans, colleagues and music critics alike, as one of the most influential and unique vocalists in the history of modern music. She made her first national appearance on Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts television program in January of 1957, singing what would become her first hit, "Walking After Midnight."

Following her divorce from Gerald Cline ("Patsy" was given to her by her first manager), she married Charlie Dick, with whom she had two children, Julie (1958) and Randy (1961). She achieved a lifetime ambition in 1960 with membership to the Grand Ole Opry and, after being signed with Decca Records - Nashville, began a string of timeless hit recordings, under legendary Nashville Sound Producer, Owen Bradley, including "I Fall to Pieces" (1960), "She's Got You" and "Crazy" (1962). Other hits, including "Sweet Dreams" and "Leaving on Your Mind" (1963) followed posthumously. In 1961, she became the first female country music vocalist to play Carnegie Hall, and later, in 1962, the first to headline her own show in Las Vegas.

She was killed in a private plane accident following a benefit concert with fellow musicians Hawkshaw Hawkins, Cowboy Copas and Randy Hughes, their manager and pilot. In 1973, she became the first female solo act to be inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame. Known for her strong will and ambition, Patsy Cline is often credited as a heroine by newer generations of female singers, who claim she opened doors to them in a business dominated by men in a career that only spanned five years.

In 1985, a full length feature film and box office smash, "Sweet Dreams", told her life story and revitalized interest in her music. Among her numerous posthumous awards, including a U.S. Postal Stamp in 1993 and a 1995 Lifetime Achievement Grammy Award, stands her record as holding top in Country record sales with her "Greatest Hits" album, nearly thirty years after her death and its release

Source: Jared Vaughn

"GenDisasters"

CAMDEN, Tenn. (UPI) - Anniston Star Alabama 6 March 1963

Hawkshaw Hawkins, Cowboy Copas and Patsy Cline, stars of country music's famed Grand Ole Opry, were killed in the crash of their small plane Tuesday night during bad weather, authorities reported today. The three, along with Miss Cline's manager, Randy Hughes, were en route to Nashville, home of the Grand Ole Opry, from a benefit show in Kansas City when their plane went down.

Highway patrolmen who reached the scene of the crash, about three miles from the Tennessee River near this West Tennessee town, radioed back this morning that four bodies were found in the wreckage. A fire tower watchman first spotted the wreckage after dawn broke across the hill country, where several residents reported they had seen the Piper Comanche plane circling. Thunderstorms raked portions of Tennessee during the time and visibility in the Camden area was reported poor.

The three stars and Hughes landed at Dyersburg, Tenn., about 6 p. m., then took off for Nashville with fuel for three hours. Mrs. Hughes said in Nashville that her husband, who was piloting the plane, had telephoned from Dyersburg and said the four "would be home soon."

Capt. Frank Jones of the Eastern Air Rescue Center at Robins Air Force Base, said there were reports that the plane later was seen circling with its engine off. Miss Cline, of Winchester, Va., was named "outstanding female vocalist" last year by country and western music publications.

She became a Grand Ole Opry regular in 1959. Among her biggest hits were "I Fall To Pieces," "She's Got You," and"Heartaches." Hawkins was a West Virginian who had been with the Opry eight years. His wife is Jean Shepard, another Opry star. Some of his better known songs were "Slow Poke," "Soldier's Joy" and "Twenty Miles From Shore." The four took part in a benefit show in Kansas City Sunday night for the family of Cactus Jack Call, a disc jockey killed last year in an automobile accident.

The Anniston Star Alabama 1963-03-06