An American country singer known for the rich tone and emotionally expressive voice who made the transition from country to pop which made her one of the most influential and revered female vocalist of the 20^th century.

Patsy Cline was born on September 8^th 1932 in Gore, Virginia to Sam and Hilda, who worked as a blacksmith and seamstress, Patsy was the eldest child born to Hilda when she was just sixteen years old. She later added a son, Sam, and another daughter, Sylvia Mae, to the family.

Patsy’s father abandoned the family when she was just fifteen years old and after that the family moved from place to place over the next few years.

From an early age Patsy sang with her church choir and played the piano by ear and also had perfect pitch. She looked up to stars such as Judy Garland and Shirley Temple and often told friends that someday she would be famous herself.

Patsy Cline’s earlier performances were in the area of variety and talent shows and she once went to the local radio station in Winchester and the DJ if he would let her sing on his radio show. He agreed and this opened the door for Patsy to showcase her skills and her unique sound. As she grew older, she began to play in popular nightclubs.

For financial reasons Cline dropped out of school to support her family after her father left and worked as a waitress by day and by night she sang in local night spots.

Patsy was married in 1953 to Gerald Cline but the marriage only survived four years and the couple divorced in 1957.

Despite being divorced, 1957 was a year of great change in Cline's life as she found national stardom and married the man whom she called the love of her life, Charlie Dick.

After the birth of their daughter Julie in 1958, she and Charlie moved to Nashville, Tennessee.

In 1959, Cline met Randy Hughes, who became her manager. With Randy's promotion and a new contract with Decca Records - Nashville, Cline's stardom would begin its ascent to the top. In 1960, Cline signed with Decca Records-Nashville and worked under producer Owen Bradley who was also responsible for the success of Brenda Lee and Loretta Lynn.

In 1961 Patsy was elected as a member of the Grand Ole Opry, the realization of a lifelong dream. It was also the year she would give birth to a son, Randy. However, things took a turn for the worse in Patsy’s life when on June 14, 1961, she, and her brother Sam, were involved in a head-on car collision, the second and most serious of two during her lifetime. The impact of the accident threw Patsy through the windshield, nearly killing her.

Probably the most famous hit for Patsy was written by Willie Nelson and called "Crazy," which she originally hated. However, the night Cline premiered "Crazy" at the Grand Ole Opry, she received three standing ovations.

In March 1963 Cline boarded a plane bound for Nashville but the plane flew into severe weather and crashed at 6:20 p.m, (a time that was calculated by the time on her watch,) in a forest just outside of Tennessee, only 90 miles from the destination. There were no survivors. Patsy Cline was 30 years old.

Since her death Patsy has sold millions of albums and won countless awards, which has given her an iconic fan status, similar to that of music legends Johnny Cash and Elvis Presley.

It was Cline who opened the door to greater pop-influence for country female vocalists, like Lynn Anderson, Crystal Gayle, Reba McEntire, Faith Hill, Shania Twain and Carrie Underwood.

ABB