Virginia Patterson Hensley (Patsy Cline)born September 8, 1932 in Winchester, Virginia; died March 5, 1963 in Camden, Tennessee), better known as Patsy Cline, was a Grammy award winning American country music singer who, despite her short life, is known as one of the most influential and acclaimed female singers in the history of popular music. Cline was best known for her rich tone and emotionally expressive bold contralto voice, which along with her role as a mover and shaker in the country music industry, has been cited as an inspiration by many vocalists of various music genres. Her hits included Walkin’ After Midnight, I Fall to Pieces, She’s Got You, Crazy and Sweet Dreams. Posthumously, millions of her albums have sold over the past 50 years. She has been given numerous awards, which have given her an iconic status with some fans similar to that of legends Johnny Cash and Elvis Presley. Ten years after her death, she became the first female solo artist inducted to the Country Music Hall of Fame.

 

Cline was the last name of her first husband, Gerald Cline, a construction industry mogul, whom she married in 1953 and divorced in 1957. That same year, Cline married Charles Allen Dick, who worked as a linotype operator for the Winchester Star. They had a daughter, Julia Dick (b. 1958), and a son, Allen Randolph Dick (b. 1961).

 

Cline rocketed to fame after she performed her breakthrough hit “Walkin’ After Midnight” (1955) on the Arthur Godfrey’s Talent Scouts, written by Don Hecht and Alan Block. She became a mainstay on the country music showcase Grand Ole Opry in 1960. Though she began her career recording rockabilly, it became clear that Cline’s voice was best suited for pop/country crossover tunes, especially love songs. Some signature songs are “Crazy” (written by Willie Nelson but forever linked to Cline), “She’s Got You”, “I Fall To Pieces” and Don Gibson’s “Sweet Dreams”.