At 16 years old I had the privilege of traveling with him and really getting to know him, she said per the Peoples Defender. The answer to all of those what if questions is that its highly likely Cline would have survived, and would have went on to create a wealth of new music for country fans to enjoy. "It's wonderful that whenever her name is mentioned, people's voices fall and they become right sentimental," Maya Angelou, poet and civil rights activist, said about the singer in Patsy Cline: The Making of an Icon. Who Is Already in the Country Music Hall of Fame. Profession. She graduated from Oberlin College, where she earned a double degree in American History and French. Virginia Patterson Hensley was born on a Thursday in September of 1932 the eighth of the month to be exact. Though enrolled in the local high school, Ginny never attended. talked with his wife in Nashville by telephone, and she informed him that the sun was shining in Nashville. "It was her way or not at all. 5. The tragic and untimely death of Patsy Cline was devastating to the country music genre, as well as fans across America. Her hits " Walking After Midnigh t," "Crazy," and "She's Got You" are still listened to by Patsy's. No further contact was made after takeoff. To help support her family, Patsy dropped out of school. And Charlie and Patsy's fights were legendary. !", followed by 248 people on Pinterest. The plane left Dyersburg at a little after 6PM. Then, in the spring of that year, while performing at an armory dance near Winchester, she met Charlie Dick. She only had two chart-topping hits to her name at the time of her death, but she went down in history as a country music legend. | PRIVACY POLICY | TERMS OF SERVICE, {"email":"Email address invalid","url":"Website address invalid","required":"Required field missing"}, __CONFIG_colors_palette__{"active_palette":0,"config":{"colors":{"f3080":{"name":"Main Accent","parent":-1},"f2bba":{"name":"Main Light 10","parent":"f3080"},"trewq":{"name":"Main Light 30","parent":"f3080"},"poiuy":{"name":"Main Light 80","parent":"f3080"},"f83d7":{"name":"Main Light 80","parent":"f3080"},"frty6":{"name":"Main Light 45","parent":"f3080"},"flktr":{"name":"Main Light 80","parent":"f3080"}},"gradients":[]},"palettes":[{"name":"Default","value":{"colors":{"f3080":{"val":"rgb(23, 23, 22)","hsl":{"h":60,"s":0.02,"l":0.09}},"f2bba":{"val":"rgba(23, 23, 22, 0.5)","hsl_parent_dependency":{"h":60,"s":0.02,"l":0.09,"a":0.5}},"trewq":{"val":"rgba(23, 23, 22, 0.7)","hsl_parent_dependency":{"h":60,"s":0.02,"l":0.09,"a":0.7}},"poiuy":{"val":"rgba(23, 23, 22, 0.35)","hsl_parent_dependency":{"h":60,"s":0.02,"l":0.09,"a":0.35}},"f83d7":{"val":"rgba(23, 23, 22, 0.4)","hsl_parent_dependency":{"h":60,"s":0.02,"l":0.09,"a":0.4}},"frty6":{"val":"rgba(23, 23, 22, 0.2)","hsl_parent_dependency":{"h":60,"s":0.02,"l":0.09,"a":0.2}},"flktr":{"val":"rgba(23, 23, 22, 0.8)","hsl_parent_dependency":{"h":60,"s":0.02,"l":0.09,"a":0.8}}},"gradients":[]},"original":{"colors":{"f3080":{"val":"rgb(23, 23, 22)","hsl":{"h":60,"s":0.02,"l":0.09}},"f2bba":{"val":"rgba(23, 23, 22, 0.5)","hsl_parent_dependency":{"h":60,"s":0.02,"l":0.09,"a":0.5}},"trewq":{"val":"rgba(23, 23, 22, 0.7)","hsl_parent_dependency":{"h":60,"s":0.02,"l":0.09,"a":0.7}},"poiuy":{"val":"rgba(23, 23, 22, 0.35)","hsl_parent_dependency":{"h":60,"s":0.02,"l":0.09,"a":0.35}},"f83d7":{"val":"rgba(23, 23, 22, 0.4)","hsl_parent_dependency":{"h":60,"s":0.02,"l":0.09,"a":0.4}},"frty6":{"val":"rgba(23, 23, 22, 0.2)","hsl_parent_dependency":{"h":60,"s":0.02,"l":0.09,"a":0.2}},"flktr":{"val":"rgba(23, 23, 22, 0.8)","hsl_parent_dependency":{"h":60,"s":0.02,"l":0.09,"a":0.8}}},"gradients":[]}}]}__CONFIG_colors_palette__, Patsy Clines Death Was the Most Tragic Day in Music History, More about the 6 Country Artists Who Performed the National Anthem at the Super Bowl Part I, Sugarlands Something More Might Change How You See Life, Celebrating Ray Charles Birthday with his Hit I Cant Stop Loving You, Wynonna Judd Honors Her Promise By Releasing New Song Other Side After Her Mothers Death, Remembering Patsy Clines Sad Song I Fall to Pieces, The Best Songs From One of the Greatest Country Singers of All Time, Patsy Cline, Two Biggest Nashville Sound Stars: Jim Reeves & Patsy Cline, Randy Travis Updates His Fans Amidst The Pandemic and Social Distancing, Maddie and Tae Received a Surprise During their We Need Christmas Photoshoot, Yesterdays Wine: From Willie Nelson to George Jones Version, 18 Best Country Songs About Best Friends to Add to Your Playlist, 15 Best Country Songs About Faith To Build Your Confidence In God And His Word, 25 Best Country Songs About Home and Hometowns You Should Listen To, Here Are the 15 Best Country Songs About Working Hard To Keep You Motivated, 15 Most Patriotic Country Songs Of All Time To Celebrate This Great Country Of Ours, Heres How Suspicious Minds Rebuilt Elvis Presleys Legendary Career. I just made up my mind that Im not the only person in the world whose lost two loved ones at the same time, she said. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. Clines songs Walkin After Midnight and I Fall To Pieces were chart-toppers. Country music singer Patsy Cline was only 30 years old when she lost her life in a plane crash 90 miles away from Nashville. Jessica Lange earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress in 1985 for her portrayal of Cline in the biopicSweet Dreams. They were about 90 miles from their destination. He'd once boasted of subsisting on "angel food". In case you need a refresher on what happened that night, here are a few facts: As previously mentioned, many focus on the circumstances surrounding the crash and often wonder what if?. See more ideas about famous graves, famous tombstones, celebrities. This photo shows debris spread out across the crash scene and the mangled red-and-white Beechcraft Bonanza plane Credit: Getty Images - Getty. 1960: (AUSTRALIA OUT) Photo of American Country singer Patsy CLINE (1932-1963)posed circa 1960. They flew right into a thunderstorm and crashed. In a letter to a friend, she wrote: "It's wonderful but what do I do for '63? Mildred KeithA Kansas City resident named Mildred Keith snapped what is believed to be one of the last photographs of the country music star. Marty Thomas & DIVA (@martysdivas) June 1, 2012. By 1952, Virginia Patterson Hensley was touring the local clubs regularly in the Virginia, Maryland, and Washington, DC, area with bandleader Bill Peer and his group, the Melody Boys and Girls. She just froze and couldnt move, even thinking for a moment she was going into labor. Though she became known around the world as Patsy, Cline was born Virginia Patterson Hensley. Inspection She is considered one of the most influential vocalists of the 20th century and was one of the first country music artists to cross over into pop music. Unfortunately, the crash was reportedly due to the inexperience of the pilot, Clines manager, Randy Hughes. What if Cline passed away as a result of the injuries she sustained in the 1961 car accident? It was critical for her to recover, as The Mayo Clinic describes the disease as being able to cause permanent damage to the heart, including damaged heart valves and heart failure.. indicated his intention to continue the flight and would return if he found it necessary. According to her, she resented the way it was presented, as if no one but Cline died in the crash. pilot taxied out and took off. Then, browse these 44 fabulous pictures of Dolly Parton. Shortly after takeoff, a witness reported hearing a low-flying aircraft. Her musical talent was likely a gift she inherited from her amateur singer father who, unfortunately, was also abusive, according to the Country Music Hall of Fame. Photo of Patsy Cline | Photo: Getty Images. When they landed at that airport, they were only 90 miles away from home. See Kris Kristofferson Reunite With Johnny Cashs. But what do I do for 63? Cline released one final single, "Leavin' on Your Mind," in Januaryof 1963 beforeher death in March. Tragic. Patsy Cline died at 6:20 pm, as marked on this watch which broke at the exact moment her plane collided with the earth. Patsy Cline, who was only 30 years old during that time, was survived by her husband, Charlie Dick, along with her two children, Julie and Randy, who were respectively four and two then. Cline came down with a throat infection and rheumatic fever, and had to be hospitalized. On March 5, 1963, a plane carrying Opry regulars Patsy Cline, Lloyd Copas, Hawkshaw Hawkins and Randy Hughes dove into the hard, cold winter woods near Camden, Tenn., 85 miles west of Nashville. At 1705 c.a.t., the pilot landed N-7000P at Dyersburg, Tennessee to obtain weather information for the remaining portion PATSY CLINE'S DAUGHTER REVEALS HOW SHE'S KEEPING LATE COUNTRY ICON'S LEGACY ALIVE "He became completely devoted to her," said Pilato. Patsy Cline was one of the fastest rising stars when her life was tragically cut short, but what most people did not know was that her journey to stardom wasnt smooth sailing. Consider the words used to describe her icon, trailblazer, a lady of firsts. He essentially forced the country music legend to learn to perform and pushed her on stage for the first time when she was 27. However, a childhood friend of George's has recently alleged that the singer's true cause of death was grief over the loss of his first love. By the time Patsy Cline died in 1963, she had made a name for herself as a country music staple. Born Virginia Patterson Hensley on Sept. 8, 1932, in Winchester, Virginia, Cline had suffered an unhappy and abusive childhood. She only had two chart-topping hits to her name at the time of her death, but she went down in history as a country music legend. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. Died. At 29 years old, with a successful career and several hits climbing the charts, Patsy Cline was almost killed in a head-on car collision. A series of essays on "Heroine Worship" included Patsy Cline with such "feminine icons" as Eleanor Roosevelt, Martha Graham, Indira Gandhi, Aretha . But he ignored the warning. After reading about how Patsy Cline died in a plane crash, check out these photos of when a B-25 Bomber made a wrong turn into the Empire State Building. She was really happy that day.. As Phifer recalled, he was amazed how people immediately began to arrive on the scene after the crash site was located, taking what they could find from the Sweet Dreams singers scattered belongings and other wreckage. But the hyper-local fame didn't lead to instant renown. Glenn Miller (1944) The popular swing-era bandleader disappeared over the English Channel on December 15, 1944, while a passenger on a single-engine UC-64-A Norseman. Following her final performance, Cline returned to the Town House Motor Hotel in Kansas City. But then, shortly after takeoff, Hughes became lost in the clouds. 1 hit in "She's Got You." Updates? So, Hilda Hensley posed as her daughter's talent scout and introduced Cline to the Godfrey audience never once mentioning the family connection. All the while, she kept her sights on Nashville, and Gerald kept his eyes on making a home. I had children to raise and with help and faith, I got through it.. At 13, Patsy Cline was hospitalized with a throat infection & rheumatic fever, which affected her throat and changed her tone. She thereby gained national exposure both for herself and for her song. A newspaper clipping from the era. But, eager to get home, they pushed ahead. Shortly before Patsy Clines death in a grisly plane crash, the country music star made an eerie prediction. During taxi, the pilot was again furnished with weather information by the tower operator. It was her final TV appearance. Inside The Plane Crash That Killed A Country Music Icon. Their last stop for refueling was in Dyersburg, Tennessee, only 90 miles from home. She had already made it through two near-death experiences before: the first being a bout of rheumatic fever when she was a child, and the second being a 1961 car crash in which she was severely injured. Country music singer Patsy Cline was only 30 years old when she lost her life in a plane crash 90 miles away from Nashville. Still, young Virginia "Ginny" Hensley had dreams of making it big, of making it all the way to the Grand Ole Opry (then at the Ryman Auditorium) and into the homes of millions. Patsys plaque in the Hall of Fame paid tribute to her deep-rooted impact on country music. Despite intermittent fog, wind, and lightning, Cline boarded the flight along with fellow stars, Cowboy Copas and Hawkshaw Hawkins. March 6, 1963 Patsy Cline, a Country & Western music legend, died at age 30, when her Piper PA 24 Comanche crashed in a forest near Camden, Tennessee, killing her, singers Cowboy Copas, Hawkshaw Hawkins, and her manager Randy Hughes. Eventually, she developed a good style.". "And, rightly so. Just over 30 years later, Patsy tragically perished in a plane crash in Camden, Tennessee. "Have you had any hits?" Cline's father Samuel Hensley died of lung cancer in 1956. It took 12 years after the death of JonBent and two years after Patsy's passing for the Boulder District Attorney to clear John Ramsey and his late wife of any wrongdoing in their daughter's death. There, Cline closed the show with some of her hits including "She's Got You," "Sweet Dreams," "Crazy," and "I Fall to Pieces." Cline's legacy as one of the most influential voices in country music is as much notable for her cross-genre appeal into pop music and pioneering the Nashville Soundas it is for swearing with abandon and calling everyone she knew "hoss.". After playing a benefit concert in Kansas City, the Crazy singer and others all boarded a small plane. She was back to performing just weeks later, and actually recorded her now-timeless hit, Crazy, while on crutches. Nov 5, 2020 - Explore Kimberley Koogle's board "Celebrities Graves, Photos And Casket Photos---Warning Dead Photo's! 55 Years Ago: Johnny Cash Marries June Carter in Franklin, Ky. 17 Years Ago: Alan Jackson Releases Precious Memories, His First Gospel Album, Remembering 90s Country Artists We Lost Far Too Soon. Looking cool and collected, she sang her own version of Bob Wills' "San Antonio Rose," as well . It is a shame that just a year earlier in March 1963 that many photos of the plane crash scene where Patsy Cline, Hawkshaw Hawkins, Cowboy Copas, and Randy Hughes, lost their lives, were not taken. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Cline was elected to the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1973. And her single "Crazy" is one of the most played jukebox songs of all time. The accident occurred as the three artists were returning home to Nashville, Tennessee, after performing in Kansas City, Kansas . The cause of the crash was blamed on the inexperience of the pilot. The third one will either be a charm or itll kill me.. The body of Charles H. Holley was clothed in an outer jacket of yellow leather-like material in which 4 seams in the back were split almost full length. To make ends meet, her mother worked as a seamstress, while Ginny found messy work in a poultry plant plucking chickens, scrubbing the Greyhound bus station, and jerking sodas at a local drug store, according to PBS Newshour. But life has to go on., The Plane Crash That Killed Patsy Cline and the Other Country Tragedies Surrounding It, RELATED: Patsy Cline: Plane Crash First Responders Found Broken Guitars, Cowboy Hats, and Rhinestones. By 1996, Patsy Cline had become such an icon that The New York Times magazine positioned her among a pantheon of women celebrities who transcended any single cultural genre. Patsy Cline (born Virginia Patterson Hensley; September 8, 1932 - March 5, 1963) was an American country music singer. By 1955, Patsy was a regional star, now appearing on a local variety show that attracted DC politicians as much as country folks. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). Patsy Cline perished in a plane crash at age 30 in 1963. Its getting so even Cline cant follow Cline., Just one week before the plane crash that took her life, Patsy reportedly told singer Ray Walker that shes walking a fine line between life and death: Honey, Ive had two bad ones [accidents]. She performed several jobs, including singing on a local radio station. Omissions? Instead, she settled into life with Charlie Dick, who had returned from the Army in 1959, and their daughter. Patsy Cline (September 8, 1932 - March 5, 1963), born Virginia Patterson Hensley in Gore, Virginia, was an American country music singer who enjoyed pop music crossover success during the era of the Nashville sound in the early 1960s. After spending a second night atthe motel, Cline checked out around 12:30PM and left for the Fairfax Municipal Airport in Kansas City. When the plane carrying country stars including singer, Patsy Cline, went down on Mar. Well be [back in Nashville] before you know it.. But folks around town often reminded her not only that achieving fame was hard, but that it was nearly impossible for someone growing up "on the other side of the tracks." Patsy Cline was one of the fastest rising stars in country music when her life was tragically cut short on March 5, 1963. But with the exposure and radio play of "Leavin' on Your Mind" and "Crazy," Cline was on her way to stardom. Of course, that didn't stop her from becoming a musical genius. After no autopsy was conducted and the cause of death was listed as a blood clot, her daughters grew suspicious and filed a wrongful death lawsuit against her doctor and husband/manager,. 5, 1963, the plane carrying country stars Patsy Cline, Cowboy Copas, and Hawkshaw Hawkins crashed in Tennessee, killing everyone on board. Roger Miller and a friend searched for the wreckage the next morning, and ended up being among the first to find the plane and its passengers. Knowing about her past near-death experiences makes us all the more grateful that we had her voice to enjoy for the years that we did, even if those years were far too few. 2, and she subsequently scored another No. She eventually met and married Hughes, Clines manager. The what if questions many fans have never thought to ask about Cline connect to her two near-death experiences. Once, when she asked for a raise from the variety show Town and Country Time, she was told she was "being paid more than enough for a woman in the business.". While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. On March 5, 1963, country music star Patsy Cline was killed in a plane crash near Camden, Tennessee pic.twitter.com/5b7eXapcHU, RetroNewsNow (@RetroNewsNow) March 5, 2018. Eventually, they hit some treetops and crashed into a wooded area. Lloyd Cowboy Copas was 49 when he died. Then, in 1960, desperate for money, she signed onto a new record label, Decca Records, and laid down "I Fall to Pieces." Its never an easy time of year, she said. Flying blind, he entered a graveyard spiral and accelerated straight downward. Aviation Accident And Incident. She laid down four records with Four Star, all while struggling to pay her bills. Patsy Cline (born Virginia Patterson Hensley; September 8, 1932 - March 5, 1963) was an American singer. Shortly thereafter, at 1807, the Although Cline preferred traditional country music, which typically included vocalizations such as yodeling, the country music industrycoming into increasing competition with rock and rollwas trying to increase its appeal to a more mainstream audience. She posthumously received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement award and was the first female solo artist to be inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1973. Cline finally earned a membership in the Grand Ole' Opry, a lifelong dream of hers. Copyright 2023 Endgame360 Inc. All Rights Reserved. For a long time, I tried but got nothing in return,"For Patsy's part, she said, "In the beginning, Gerald and I had a good marriage, as marriages go. Singer Dottie West, worried about her good friend flying, offered Cline a car ride back to Nashville, according to Behind the Grand Ole Opry Curtain: Tales of Romance and Tragedy. She survived the impact, but was not in good condition when the ambulance arrived. In 1954, Cline signed with Four Star Records, an independent label owned by William McCall, a talent scout with a "spotty reputation." When she died, the 30-year-old singer was married to her second husband, Charlie Dick. Cline spent a month in the hospital after suffering injuries including a broken wrist, dislocated hip and a jagged cut across her forehead that required stitches. In 1981 a "duet" with Patsy Cline, "Have You Ever Been Lonely (Have You Ever Been Blue)," reached No. He then observed the aircraft as it descended the low overcast Here are ten things you may not know about the country legend. 1 single in 1961. Since her death in 1963 at age 30 in a private airplane crash at the height of her career, she has been . He was also married and had three children. With Jessica Lange, Ed Harris, Ann Wedgeworth, David Clennon. Coal Miner's Daughter is a 1980 American biographical musical film directed by Michael Apted from a screenplay written by Tom Rickman.It follows the story of country music singer Loretta Lynn from her early teen years in a poor family and getting married at 15 to her rise as one of the most influential country musicians. Patsy married her first husband, Gerald Cline, in 1953. 30 years. His daughter, Kathy Copas Hughes, recalled touring with him as a teenager and getting to hang out backstage at the Grand Ole Opry. While the details of Clines plane crash are universally known, few know about the two near-death experiences she went through earlier in life. So, Hughes was likely unable to see anything above, below, or around them. and directed his attention in the direction of the sounds. The story of Patsy Cline, the velvet-voiced country music singer who died in a tragic plane crash at the height of her fame. 2023 Classic Country Music | Legendary Stories and Songs, Classic Country Music | Legendary Stories and Songs, Wynonna Marks End Of The Judds Final Tour:, Honky Tonk Angels: The Role of Women in Classic Country, Snoop Dogg Finally Gives Details About The Time Willie, 6 Facts About Daisy Duke Actress, Catherine Bach. My problem was that I don't think I knew what love was.". Eerily, she added: When its my time to go, its my time to go.. She shared premonitions of her early death with fellow country stars June Carter and Loretta Lynn. Alternate titles: Virginia Patterson Hensley. She Was a Favorite Among Songwriters 1960:. (BUSINESS) Private; age 34; 160 total hours; 117 in type; not instrument rated. All three were killed in a small plane crash near Clear Lake, Iowa, as they were traveling to Moorhead, Minnesota. There, Hughes was cautioned about high winds and low visibility. Ginny moved with her mother and two siblings to a blue-collar neighborhood in Winchester, Virginia, into a house without running water or electricity. Born Virginia Patterson Hensley in Winchester, Cline began singing professionally to help support her family. This new Nashville Sound revived Cline's career, but she initially fought the cross-genre style. Advertisement. Her attitude was strong. After her recording of I Fall to Pieces remained a popular seller for 39 consecutive weeks, she was marketed as a pop singer and was backed by strings and vocals. But it's clear that her music will live for generations to come. They were supposed to make an easy hop home to Nashville, Tennessee. A newspaper headline shortly before the site of Patsy Clines plane crash was discovered. A week later, Cline climbed into a tiny Piper PA-24 Comanche aircraft after a show in Kansas City, Kansas. Then, she went back to Winchester for burial at Shenandoah Memorial Park. The second came years later, after she was already famous and making a mark on country music. She was just 30 years old. This near-death experience of Clines is one you may be a bit more familiar with, as it has been talked about more often. Godfrey required that only professional scouts not family bring talent to him to perform on the show, according to PBS' American Masters. There, she boarded a private plane, owned by her manager, Randy Hughes, who would be piloting the aircraft. It instantly killed everyone on board, and the wreckage was only found the next morning. In 1956, with steady (albeit meager) earnings fromTown and Country Time, Patsy Cline needed money just to keep food on the table. When the crash was discovered the next morning, searchers found a wing embedded in a tree and the engine in a six-foot hole in the ground, suggesting it had plunged head-first into the ground. The next day, Cline boarded Hughess plane at the Kansas City Municipal Airport. Her life story became the Oscar-nominated motion pictureSweet Dreamsin the 1980s, and there are a number of documentaries and biographies about the iconic singer. The rising star was only 30 years old at the time of her passing. One issue was violence. But this did not stop Patsy to continue her career. "Already she possessed a sassiness and the knowledge that she was someone special." Cline declined, saying, Dont worry about me, Hoss. The plane crashed just outside of Camden, Tennessee, pilot inexperience and weather conditions the cause. Some of her personal belongings, including that watch, are on display in Nashvilles Patsy Cline Museum, per Rolling Stone. Considered. Virginia Patterson Hensley, as she was born, was in the best singing form of her life when the . "I can still see her now as a five- and six-year-old, skipping down the street, singing at the top of her voice," recalled a family friend in the biographyHonky Tonk Angel: The Intimate Story of Patsy Cline by Ellis Nassour. A little lie got her there. Patsy Cline, a country music superstar, died in a plane crash in 1963 at the age of 27. further deterioration indicated before any improving trends could be expected. A Kansas City resident named Mildred Keith snapped what is believed to be one of the last photographs of the country music star. Now we know what Lurlene does on her days off from the beauty parlor; she makes morbid videos. Patsy Clinewill always be the woman whose voice broke the mold and changed country music forever. In 1963 Randy flew Patsy to Kansas City for a benefit for the widow of a country disc jockey who had died in a car crash. According to the documentary, a storm enveloped the plane. After the announcement that the pop idol had died of natural causes; those mourning the singer were finally able to get some peace and closure. When weather conditions prohibited Cline from flying out on March 4, West invited Cline to join her and her husband Bill on the 16-hour drive back to Music City. Investigation revealed that N-7000P had crashed on a wooded, swampy area about five miles west of Camden. The 58-year-old singer-songwriter, who won country music's first Grammy for a female vocalist died at 9:43 a.m. CDT, said Barbara Cramer, spokeswoman for Vanderbilt University Medical Center. To this day, the cause of the plane crash was blamed on the inexperience of the pilot paired with poor flying conditions. Hensley died from natural causes in 1998. Sweet Dreams: Directed by Karel Reisz. Hensleydrew on those hardships instead and even turned her first brush with death into a musical advantage. John and Patsy Ramsey (Getty Images) Is she still a suspect in the murder? Cline had several major hits during her eight-year recording career, including two number-one hits on the Billboard Hot Country and Western Sides chart. Eventually, "there wasn't much of a marriage,"he recalled in Honky Tonk Angel. A plane similar to the one in which Patsy Cline died. She left home at 15 in hopes of becoming a professional singer. What if Cline had taken Wests offer to ride in her car to Nashville? "This is a woman who barely had an eighth-grade education, came from a single-parent home, worked to make ends meet to help feed the family, and still figured out how to work the music business," said Barbara Hall, director of the documentary Patsy Cline: American Masters. She tried to fly home to Nashville with Hughes, who was also the planes pilot, the next day but heavy fog prohibited them from taking off. But the poor weather conditions made searching hard, especially in the dark. Theyd also heard Clines plane was four hours overdue for landing. 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