Celebrate the Life of Patsy Cline on the 60th Anniversary of her Sudden Death
It is hard to believe that it has been 60 years since the world was graced by Patsy Cline. Cline became a country music legend and inspired countless female musicians despite her shocking death at the age of 30. Born in 1932, she passed away in 1963 after being involved in an airplane accident. To celebrate her life and contributions to the world of country music, let us remember why the world is still “Crazy” about Cline.
Born Virginia Patterson Hensley, she was often called Ginny during her youth. When she started pursuing a singing career, she changed her name to Patsy Cline. With hits such as “Walkin’ After Midnight” and “I Fall To Pieces,” she was actually self-taught and credits her incredibly beautiful voice to a throat infection. She was hospitalized with a throat infection and a rheumatic illness when she was 13. After her recovery, her voice noticeably changed to the sound you know and love.
It has been 60 years since Patty Cline’s untimely death
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Unfortunately, Cline was not able to see her full success come to fruition. After her death, her music was re-released and several of the songs including “Sweet Dreams (Of You)” and “Faded Love” topped the charts. She became the first female solo artist to be elected into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1973, 10 years after her death.
Cline’s only daughter, Julie Fudge, will be having a meet and greet on March 5, the anniversary of her mother’s passing at the same home where Cline lived from 1948 until 1953. It is now known as the Patsy Cline Historic House and offers tours and a look inside her life.
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Fudge shared with the Northern Virginia Daily, “I’ll be able to talk and take pictures and different things like that with everybody that might want to come by. We’ve done it before in Nashville and it really makes for a nice day seeing everybody.” She added that there will be a celebration of life on Sunday at Omps Funeral Home in Shenandoah Memorial Park, which they also did a decade ago for the 50th anniversary.
Remembering Patsy Cline and Loretta Lynn’s iconic friendship
Though Cline and Loretta Lynn were only friends for about two years before Cline’s death, their friendship remains one to remember and has inspired several films including the Lifetime film Patsy & Loretta. Cline was a mentor to Lynn and before her death in 2022, Lynn told Biography, “She taught us everything about singin’, about how to act onstage, how to stagger the numbers, how to dress.” Lynn even admitted that Cline would help her with rent before she hit it big in country music. Lynn went on to honor Cline in many ways during her long career, including her 1977 album I Remember Patsy.
What is your favorite Patsy Cline song? I must admit that I am partial to “Crazy” because it just sounds so smooth.
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