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50 Facts To Know About Country Legend Patsy Cline

50 facts and figures about the life and times of one of country music’s greatest ever names, Patsy Cline.

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Patsy Cline
Photo: GAB Archive/Redferns

1. Patsy Cline was a Virgo.

2. She was born Virginia Patterson Hensley.

3. Patsy has sold millions more records since her untimely death than she did during her lifetime.

4. Hank Williams, Judy Garland, and Shirley Temple were among her early favorites.

5. In 1973, she became the first female solo artist inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame.

6. Aged 13, she was hospitalized with a throat infection and rheumatic fever. According to Patsy, “The fever affected my throat and when I recovered I had this booming voice.”

7. She worked as a waitress after she quit High School.

8. In 1999, she was voted number 11 on VH1’s special, The 100 Greatest Women in Rock and Roll.

Walkin' After Midnight

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9. In 1954, Jimmy Dean, a young country star, and Cline became regulars on Connie B. Gay’s Town and Country Jamboree radio show, airing weekday afternoons live on WARL in Arlington, Virginia.

10. Her first performance on radio was in 1947.

11. She was ranked 46th in the “100 Greatest Singers of All Time” issue of Rolling Stone magazine.

12. Aged 21, she married contractor Gerald Cline on September 19, 1953, and divorced him on Independence Day 1957.

13. Two months later she married linotype operator Charlie Dick on September 15, 1957.

I Fall To Pieces

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14. Patsy had two children: Julie Dick (born August 25, 1958) and Randy Dick (born January 22, 1961).

15. Legendary Nashville producer Owen Bradley produced her biggest hits.

16. Her mother was a 16-year-old seamstress, and her father was a 43-year-old blacksmith.

17. Bill Peer, her second manager, gave her the name Patsy, from her middle name, her mother’s maiden name, Patterson.

18. In 1955, Peer got her a deal at Four Star Records, which was under contract to the Coral subsidiary of Decca Records.

19. Patsy signed with Decca in 1960.

20. Early songs such as “Don’t Ever Leave Me Again” and “A Stranger In My Arms” were both co-written by Patsy.

Don't Ever Leave Me Again

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21. She recorded 51 songs with Four Star.

22. On July 1, 1955, Patsy made her network television debut on the short-lived television version of the Grand Ole Opry on ABC-TV.

23. Initially, Patsy didn’t want to record “Walkin’ After Midnight,” regarding it as just a pop song.

24. In 1956, she auditioned for Arthur Godfrey’s Talent Scouts in New York City and sang “Walkin’ After Midnight.” Godfrey’s staff insisted that Patsy appear in a cocktail dress rather than in one of her mother’s hand-crafted cowgirl outfits. It worked.

25. “Walkin’ After Midnight” reached No. 2 on the country chart and No. 16 on the pop chart.

26. Patsy was one of the first country singers to have a crossover pop hit.

27. In 1958, Patsy and Charlie Dick moved to Nashville, Tennessee.

28. Patsy’s first release for Decca was the country pop ballad “I Fall to Pieces” in 1961.

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29. On January 9, 1960, Patsy joined the Grand Ole Opry after they accepted her request to join the cast.

30. Patsy demanded her money before she took to the stage. Her mantra, “No dough, no show,” became the rule.

31. In 1961, Patsy spent a month in hospital, suffering from a jagged cut across her forehead, a broken wrist, and a dislocated hip following a car crash.

32. Patsy’s big hit song “Crazy” was written by future country legend, Willie Nelson.

33. Patsy recorded “Crazy” while still on crutches following her car accident.

34. “Crazy” reached No. 9 on the US Hot 100 and No. 2 on both the Hot Country Songs.

35. On the night Patsy premiered “Crazy” at the Grand Ole Opry, she received three standing ovations.

36. “She’s Got You” was Patsy’s first entry in the United Kingdom singles chart, reaching No. 43.

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37. Patsy’s biggest UK hit was a posthumous 1990 reissue of “Crazy,” which made No. 14.

38. Patsy did not have an album on the UK charts during her lifetime.

39. Patsy’s one US album chart hit during her lifetime was Patsy Cline Showcase in 1962.

40. Patsy Cline’s Greatest Hits has spent over seven years on the US album charts.

41. Patsy was the first woman in country music to perform at New York’s Carnegie Hall.

42. In December 1962, Patsy became the first woman in country music to headline her own show in Las Vegas.

43. On March 3, 1963, Patsy performed a benefit at the Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Hall in Kansas City, for the family of disc jockey “Cactus” Jack Call. He had died in a car crash a little over a month earlier.

Sweet Dreams (Of You)

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44. Returning from the last concert on a light aircraft, Patsy was killed when it crashed in heavy weather, on the evening of March 5, 1963.

45. Among the items recovered from the crash site were Patsy’s wristwatch, Confederate flag cigarette lighter, studded belt, and three pairs of gold lamé slippers.

46. Patsy’s fee and her attire from the last performance were never recovered.

47. Her grave carries the inscription “Virginia H. (Patsy) Cline ‘Death Cannot Kill What Never Dies: Love'”

48. Three of Patsy’s songs became posthumous top 10 country hits: “Sweet Dreams,” “Leavin’ on Your Min,” and “Faded Love.”

49. In 1997, “Crazy” was named the number one jukebox hit of all time.

50. Patsy was, and is, the greatest…

Listen to the best of Patsy Cline on Apple Music and Spotify.

46 Comments

46 Comments

  1. Lloyd Price

    September 8, 2015 at 10:17 am

    Excellent list! Thank you for the effort! Brings her life to the forefront of our minds once again! Crazy! 🙂

  2. Georgeann Carbone

    September 8, 2015 at 11:42 am

    Patsy was truly a beautiful woman with a beautiful voice. She sang with such a wonderful woman’s voice. Her songs melted your heart ! I love listening to her great songs.

  3. Pat Gergel

    September 8, 2015 at 1:17 pm

    Patsy Cline has been my idol since I was 8. I am 67 now and still sing and listen to her music everyday.

    • Steve Barker

      September 9, 2015 at 5:18 am

      Pat, you and I are kindred spirits as I too at the age of 67 still adore Patsy’ s songs. I have two younger sister’s who both adore her as well and in fact Kim the youngest (59) shares Patsy’ s birthday today! Back in 2006 I traveled on business back to Roanoke, VA and on my drive from Dulles Airport, I stopped in Winchester to pay my respect at Patsy’ s grave. As I was leaving the cemetery I turned the radio on and they began playing Patsy’ s “I Fall To Pieces.” It truly was a surreal experience!

      • Johann Muller

        December 16, 2019 at 7:22 am

        Surreal circumstances in the – short life of Virginia ( Patsy Cline occued,, first her two almost fatal car accidents which wee never explained, second the plane crash on 5 Sept 1963.

        A farmer in camden ( vicinity) heard on the evening of 5 sept. a airplane flying low and at low speead overhead his farm, the plane when disappearing over small trees accelerated (out of sight) and then followed a FLASH, that was the crash.

        When a flash ( explosion of any kind occures (enginen or a bomb 0 there is a total distraction of a airplane occuring.
        Since the plane did not cought fire tha bomb is a possibility) That is all hypothetical as there (was) no police peport and many items and parts of bodies never surfaced.

        The plane did not crash NOT into a big -or several big trees as there were no such big trees at the crashsite as pictures have shown.

        When a plane crashes intoa building or tree or other obstacles, the plane simple disintegrates or bust into flames, the crashsite was a deep hole caused by the plane ??? the crate was 2-3 metres deep, the plane engie was not recovered ( removed by the Police/CIA all that is hypothetical. Only Patsys wristwatch shoes could be found, newspaper reports have stated tat Looters or scarvengers have stolen ant valuable items from the corpses, only the hind – head from patsy was found, Come – on there ar 266 bones in a human body and there were 4 courpses stremn across a 2 miles radius very suspicious ther were some poeple who removed all that remane and hid it.

        he wreckage of the fated plane was stored in a barn until some time later was auctioned off( who will buy a wreckage of a plane were 4 poeple died an instant death RIP Patsy Cline, Cowboy Copas and Hawkshaw Hawkins and the pilot … should he roast in hell he had no experience to fly any airplane and no experience to fly by instruments only FLY BY NIGHT and that was the END.
        Another coincidence was JFKennedy died on November 1993 and was assisinated RIP, did JFKennedy and Patsy Knew each other ??? Could be?? AS a known fact , P was promisous, so was JFK. Patsy was many times beaten badly by her brutal husband Randy Dick..
        I could nowhere find out why, when the son of Patsy and Randy Dick died, at what age?and where he is buried???/ Plead edit my comment I am 75 years young and was , still is, an fan of Patsy Cline have listened to her songs on the AFN Munich Arme radio station, BTW I am a german and live in South East Asia in my retirement.

        Why I came across all the circumstances of Patsys death? ? live, because on 27 November 2019 I woke up in the night and it was as if somebody was in my room/\?? I live alone, and the next morning I researched the live and death of Patsy Cline.
        I myself have survived accidents in my live, some near fatat I am a tough cookie and must have a fleet of Guardian Angels, please reply Ye all JOE Another thing the songs of Patsy..I fall to Pieces.. is a coincidence so is the song, Take a closer walk with thee ( with Willie Nelson , he has a lot of religious songs recorded, but as a tough ARAPAO he must have 7 lives. Sorry that was a bit stretched Comment

  4. Muriel Hargrove

    September 8, 2015 at 3:18 pm

    i love Patsy and CRAZY is my all time favorite.

  5. Roland Maurice

    September 8, 2015 at 4:47 pm

    Patsy was sexy lady & with a heart of gold. I would like to meet her someday.

    • Ingrid

      September 19, 2019 at 3:00 am

      You’ll have to do it in heaven where so many of the talented people are performing for God, I’m sure.

      Patsy singing her songs got me through divorce and good times, too. It’s like she could enter your soul.

  6. Gloria Wood

    September 8, 2015 at 4:52 pm

    I have all of Patsy’s recordings. What a shame it was to have her life cut short & that beautiful voice silenced, along with the other great artist. Heaven must have a wonderful group of talent .
    Gloria Wood

  7. Jacquie Dennis

    September 8, 2015 at 5:55 pm

    I started singing at an early age with my dad, Jack Cunningham who will be 80 years old this coming year. He was in a Country and Western Band or had his own as far as I can remember and I just turned 60 years old. My dad has a one room building which used to be an old grocery store and he set it up as a small recording studio. Dad plays all the music except for the Steal Guitar which Dale Hampton plays. Patsy Cline and Loretta Lynn were my idols growing up and my husband David says that I sound a little like Patsy, so dad and I decided to record a few of her songs and put it on CD for family and friends. No we don’t sell our CD’s. I have truly enjoyed the time that dad and I put into our CD’s, and it’s such a joy to watch and listen to him, making our CD’s. RIP Patsy, your music continues to live!

  8. helen gibson

    September 8, 2015 at 9:19 pm

    i grew up with patsy cline hits. she is still my favorite along with hankwilliams and always will be. sometimes i cry when i hear her singing, i miss her so much. when hank williams died i heard it von the news on the radio. they sang a vsong called the death of hank williams that was the last time i heard it. but i remembered every word just that one time. and i cried and cried. i now am 78

  9. Dot morris

    September 8, 2015 at 10:39 pm

    Patsy Cline was a one off talent in country music. She was and is the only singer to make the hairs on my neck stand up.plenty of singers have come and gone but she was the best. Crazy was the best ever sang with such feeling . sadly missed.

  10. Jo

    September 9, 2015 at 1:15 am

    I sing Patsy Cline’s songs as well, Thanks to my Aunt Karen. She incouraged me saying “You can sing Patsy’s songs almost just like her (Patsy).” Walking after Midnight is the one I do best. However… Crazy, Back in baby’s arms, She’s got you are also on my song list. I Thank God for the time Ms. Cline was on earth. Now she much be in that heavenly choir like so many other great singers. Love you, Patsy!

  11. Sammy. Lynn. Peoples

    September 9, 2015 at 9:22 am

    I grew up listening to Patsy.I sang her songs with her guiding me all the way

  12. Crystal

    September 9, 2015 at 10:55 am

    She sang my life; before I was even born.

  13. Crystal

    September 9, 2015 at 11:16 am

    51. Patsy’ s fur coat was supposedly stolen during her performance at Carnegie Hall.
    52. Jack Anglin died in a car crash en route to her funeral.

  14. Scott Catledge

    September 9, 2015 at 3:36 pm

    I’ll never forget, “You walk by and I fall to pieces.” I’m 76 but will remember “Patsy” until the day I die.

  15. jur

    September 10, 2015 at 6:51 am

    Goddess !

  16. Bob Morris

    September 10, 2015 at 7:58 pm

    While R.V.-ing in Winchester, Va. last summer, made it a point to visit her grave site. Very moving to stand by her grave and listen to her voice in my mind. What a beautiful voice she had.

  17. Bob

    November 4, 2015 at 11:11 pm

    I bet Patsy was fun to hang out with. Sitting and having a beer or two.

  18. Mary Jane

    November 5, 2015 at 2:48 am

    I still get goosebumps when I hear I Fall To Pieces. Love this lady and her music.

  19. Fiddleman

    November 5, 2015 at 4:28 am

    They aren’t makin’ any more Patsy Clines! I have been listen to, singing, or playing country music for most of my 68 yrs. I grew up with her music and when listening to the radio and I hear that iconic intro into “Sweet Dreams”, I stop whatever I am doing and take it all in one more time.
    We miss you lots.

  20. John Dick

    November 5, 2015 at 6:29 pm

    she was my favorite female singer and Roy Orbison was my favorite male singer

  21. Joan

    November 8, 2015 at 5:06 am

    Pasty was my favorite female singer. Her music is timeless. She is missed very much.

  22. Peggy Smyly

    November 9, 2015 at 6:37 am

    I love Patsy Cline, Always will love Patsy. When I was 14 years old, I learned how to sing with emotion just from listening to her. I always wanted to write a song about her but didn’t know what on earth to say so I asked God… He gave me the words and music which I recorded and sing at every show I do now. “From Patsy” I am re-naming it to “A Message From Patsy” in memory of her… Some of the words I like best in the song are “I sang the songs with a Heartbeat, The ones that make you cry, And the songs about loving” and the ones that say goodbye… Some say I sound so much like her it is freaky but I know there is no one can ever replace her. She is one of a kind, Never to be forgotten if I have my way…

    • Michelle

      November 10, 2015 at 3:21 am

      That was just beautiful!! What a lovely tribute to a true music legend!! And I’d love to hear your song to Patsy someday…

  23. Linda. Hardison

    November 9, 2015 at 1:58 pm

    Yes Patsy was the great singer of the 60’s and she was very much loved. she will always be remembered. She was a great inspiration to all young singers in her life time. I love to hear her sing and I had a brother that adored her. No one will ever take her place. Thank you Lord for giving such a beautiful lady her time on earth for all of us to listen to her music. She will never be forgotten.

    Thank You, Linda. Hardison

  24. Michelle

    November 10, 2015 at 3:22 am

    That was a lovely and beautiful tribute to a true country music legend….

  25. Diane

    November 27, 2015 at 2:25 pm

    Crazy about Patsy, and always will be.

  26. PATSY

    July 1, 2016 at 9:58 pm

    I do karaoke several times a week. I do Patsy Cline, and have so many people tell me I sound like her…CRAZY is my signature song….

  27. robert

    July 2, 2016 at 2:27 am

    patsy is stele my favorite female singer she not gone she is just sleping

  28. Emily

    July 2, 2016 at 6:36 am

    To add one more (interesting, I think) fact to this list is that Patsy Cline and Elvis Presley shared the same back up singers The Jordanares! I probably spelled that wrong but I often think how unbelievably AWESOME it would have been if they had sang a duet! Maybe it would have been too good for this world.

  29. Delores Harper

    July 2, 2016 at 4:40 pm

    Ironically, I relate to Patsy as I am a Virgo with the name of Patterson. I have loved her music for ages and can relate to several of her songs. I have a lot of her CD’s and enjoy them everyday. I am 77 years old and “Faded Love” is my favorite.. Thank you for all the info on Patsy.

  30. Robert Miller

    September 16, 2016 at 4:46 pm

    I will always love Patsy and her music. It was so tragic that her beautiful singing presence was silenced in her prime. Thank goodness her wonderful music will always live on. We all go walking after midnight searching for you!

  31. Melissa

    September 28, 2016 at 7:46 am

    Most of Patsy relatives were born on and lived on Skyline drive in the park before the Government took the land. My Grandmother was her cousin on the Hensley side .

  32. olivia pollock

    October 26, 2016 at 7:35 pm

    hi that is cool

  33. Charles Galloway

    February 21, 2017 at 3:08 am

    Few people are aware of this but the next record she was to record for Decca was the Roger Miller song “Lock,Stock, & Teardrops were qued up by Owen Bradley awaiting her retun from the road.

  34. Dolly Wormdahl

    April 1, 2017 at 8:35 pm

    There was Miss.Patsy Cline & the rest history…..What a voice, what a singer, and a beautiful person…#47- Death Cannot Kill What Never Dies: Love ….Words spoken oh so true !!!!

  35. William wood

    September 2, 2017 at 12:34 am

    Why is it she never has her concert at Carnegie Hall with pictures displayed. Was there no photographer that night. Hard to believe since that concert gained its Fame when famous writer Dorothy kilgallen poo-pooed the event which prompted Jack Benny to buy the first ticket in spite of kilgallen. Kilgallen is rumored to have been killed later when she declared she knew the real story behind the JFK assassination.

  36. barney sutton

    September 2, 2017 at 12:15 pm

    faded love is one of the greatest love songs ever written in my opinion , no one any genre of music can come closer so please rest in peace pretty lady

  37. patsy rhyndress

    September 2, 2017 at 8:14 pm

    I started karaoke and do her songs….had many people tell me I sound like her. crazy was chosen my significant song….I am 75…and I love to do karaoke

  38. BONNIE

    September 3, 2017 at 3:30 pm

    WHAT A LOSS TO THE WORLD, SHE PATSY, WAS A GRAND LADY , EVERY PERSON SHOULD LOOK UP TO .

  39. Miranda Lewis

    September 3, 2017 at 6:54 pm

    Patsy Cline was way before my time but I grew up listening to her through my mama’s love of her music. I am 36 and still listen to her music and always will!!! I always have a playlist of my favorite Patsy songs!!!! Mrs. Patsy Cline is and always will be the greatest of all time!!!!!

  40. Gary Brown

    September 19, 2017 at 6:20 am

    Patsy Cline is the greatest female singer of all time her music still stands up today better than any other female singer
    it reminds me of her famous song CRAZY recorded in 1963 what an artist!

  41. jaycie smith

    February 26, 2018 at 7:33 pm

    pasty cline is really awesome

  42. Betty Pence

    October 7, 2019 at 4:30 pm

    I could listen to Patsy every day over and over again. She had such a beautiful voice. God rest her soul.

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