The Cline Chronicle - Patsy News (September 2, 2000

September 2, 2000:

From Carl Sperr comes this tidbit: Martina McBride's managers have confirmed that Martina has been selected to portray Patsy in a new IMAX film, tentatively called "The Legends of Country." Details were few, but Martina is scheduled to be on the movie set on September 8 (Patsy's birthday) to begin production.

Also, Kevin Adams, President of Celebrating Patsy Cline, Inc., has been successful in his bid to purchase the Hensley homes at 605 and 608 S. Kent Street. They will be incorporated into the Patsy museum plans.

August 6, 2000:

Thanks to Patsifan John B. for the news that Patsy's old home at 608 S. Kent in Winchester is for sale. Phil Hunter also sends word on the Hensley homes: "608 & 605 South Kent Street are both for sale through the George W. Glaize, Jr. Realty Company. Both homes were owned by Patsy's mom, Hilda. I assume both are being sold to settle Hilda's estate/will. There's a rumor that someone from Winchester may buy both homes and donate them to the museum project.... Will let you know when I get some more news on Hilda's homes." Thanks, Phil, this is very interesting indeed! Can't imagine anything better than having both homes owned by Patsifans who care!

May 23, 2000:

Julie Fudge, Patsy's Daughter, sends word that Patsy's 12 Greatest Hits has reached 9 million in sales!

April 23, 2000:

BRENTWOOD, TN (AP) -- Neal Matthews Jr., who sang backup to Elvis Presley, Patsy Cline and many others as part of the singing quartet The Jordanaires, has died. He was 70.

Matthews died Friday of an apparent heart attack at his home outside Nashville.

The Nashville native joined the Jordanaires as second tenor in 1953 and the group began performing with Presley in 1956. Their gospel-influenced background harmony was an integral part of numerous Presley recordings, including "Hound Dog" and "Don't Be Cruel."

The group also recorded with Ricky Nelson, Marie Osmond, Jimmy Dean, Merle Haggard and Tom Jones. On stage, they backed stars like Marty Robbins, Kitty Wells, Jim Reeves, Tennessee Ernie Ford and Don Gibson.

January 1, 2000:

As we enter the new millennium, we pause to look back on the people and events that have shaped our lives. From The Winchester Star, here's how her hometown feels about Patsy Cline.

'I Felt Like She Was One of Us'
Decades After Her Death, Fans Are Still Emotionally Attached to Winchester’s Patsy Cline

By: Don Worthington
The Winchester Star

The news spread quickly that rainy March day of 1963.

Patsy Cline was dead, killed in a plane crash somewhere in Tennessee.

Details were rapidly forthcoming.

Cline, her manager, Randy Hawkins, and two other Grand Old Opry stars, Cowboy Copas, and Hawkshaw Hawkins, were returning from a benefit concert in Kansas City in Randy Hawkins’ Piper Comanche.

They’d stopped at the airport in Dyersburg, Tenn., late on the afternoon of March 5 so that Randy Hawkins could call home to Nashville. Only a couple hundred of miles away, the quartet expected to be home soon.

Later that evening, residents of the farming community of Camden reported hearing something that sounded like “a Ford motor running wide open.”

The next morning police found the scattered remains of Hawkins’ Comanche, as well as a few personal items. It appeared the plane had descended almost vertically.

All of the plane’s passengers were dead. At 30, Cline’s voice was immediately frozen in time.

Fast forward to 1999 . . .

It’s been a busy year for Cline.

Click Here For More. . .

October 4, 1999:

Thanks to Jimmy Walker for the news that Patsy's duet with John Berry, "There He Goes," is currently at #74 on Billboard! Also, the album itself has charted.

August 3, 1999:

Patsy got her own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame today!

(Courtesy www.cnn.com)

Thanks to Johnny Franklin for letting us know that Patsy's star is located at 6160 Hollywood Boulevard, among such luminaries as Lucille Ball, Gregory Peck, Rudolph Valentino and Rock Hudson.

July 8, 1999:

A Press Release from Luck Media & Marketing:

SWEET DREAM COMES TO LIFE WITH RELEASE OF PATSY CLINE DUETS SEPTEMBER 14

Original Tracks Digitally Re-created to Pair Beloved Icon with Country Legends including Willie Nelson, Crystal Gayle, Glenn Campbell, Bob Carlisle, Michelle Wright

In the history of country music, Patsy Cline is more than revered; she is, to many, a member of that rarefied cadre of legendary artists who occupies sacred ground. So versatile was this beloved, soulful songstress, her appeal spilled over into the mainstream, transforming her into a pop icon as well. Her tragic demise in 1963 at the age of 30 only intensified popular devotion to the singer, who, had she lived, would have become an enduring superstar.

More than three decades after her death, evidence of her legacy for contemporary artists is abundant, and many tout Cline as one of the central influences on their style and phrasing. Indeed, some of country’s greatest stars admit to being Patsy Cline fanatics, citing the terrible void that she left in the music world. Still, human nature is a curious thing: when we lose something rare or precious, we often attempt through innovation to recreate that which we have lost, whether it be youth, health, riches or love.

Recent years have witnessed this desire to revive the extraordinary voices of those such as Nat King Cole and Frank Sinatra, weaving contemporary voices into their classic recordings. Such projects transcend mere nostalgia, allowing us to enter a realm where the world of the dream becomes real. This Fall, with the release of the Patsy Cline Duets, fresh territory of that dream-like world will be revealed.

Click Here For More. . .

We also note the passing of one of Patsy's favorite singers, Roberta Sherwood. It must be such an honor to be an artist that Patsy Cline admires and loves to listen to! Rest in peace, Ms. Sherwood.

June 30, 1999:

You’ve heard the rumor, now get the facts. Set for release on September 14, 1999 is a Patsy musical treat that is guaranteed to knock your socks off. Patsy sings duets with some of the greatest talents in country music! Blakey, the project’s producer, has applied the latest technology in this undertaking ~ you’ve never heard anything like it, and no other previous Patsy duet/overdub project can compare to this one. Even Charlie Dick himself has heartily endorsed the sound you’ll hear. He says it’s as if Patsy is standing and singing right in front of you! There are nuances in these songs that you haven’t heard before. Song tracks were recut/reconstructed note by note. Flavorings and strings were added. Some of the old "gang" made a reappearance. And, the result is one of the richest, fullest sounds your ears have ever devoured.

The project is almost complete, with just one artist left to record. What an honor to leave your vocal imprint alongside HERS!! The song selections and some of the artist choices will pleasantly shock y'all. The first single is set to be released on August 23, 1999 (the song title and Patsy’s "guest artist" are a surprise). Gary Snyder is putting together some incredibly creative multimedia pieces to accompany this endeavor and enhance your enjoyment, as well as all sorts of exciting "companion goodies" for you to purchase. The icing on the cake? To commemorate this incredible event, you’ll have a chance to obtain a limited edition framed copy of Patsy’s original 1954 recording contract for your own collection!

The official announcement is forthcoming very soon ~ keep checking the Luck Media website! And let's all spread the word about this heavenly project!

June 11, 1999:

There is a possible project in the works in which some of today's hottest singers would sing "duets" with Patsy, a la her foray with Jim Reeves. This project is in the "thinking" stage, no commitments yet.

Patsy's very own star on the "Hollywood Walk of Fame" is officially set to make its debut on August 3, 1999, thanks in no small part to Patsifan Mario Munoz.

Patsy has received the most nominations in the Virginia Legends Walk, thanks to our rallying cries that Patsy Cline is a hotter Virginian than Thomas Jefferson! The Walk honors "special Virginians who have made our nation and the world a better place." Ain't it the truth?! The initial 24 Legends will be introduced next month in the 13th Street Park in the resort area of Virginia Beach, as a free public attraction.

Patsy is still a hit across the Atlantic, although she never set foot there. On April 9, 1999, BBC2 in Britain polled its listeners as to their favorite country song. The result? Why, "Crazy," of course!.

December 11, 1998:

Patsy's Mother, Hilda Hensley, passed away yesterday in Winchester, Virginia. As our hearts break, we must also remember the good times they had together. Hilda Hensley was no less than Patsy's very favorite person on this earth. She and her mother were more like best friends than mother/daughter, as they were only 16 years apart. We must remember the joyous reunion that awaits them now!