The Turntable

Welcome. Sort of a unique name for a web blog, don't you think? Some will go "Yeah, yeah. I get it. Sounds like a broken record." Anyway, from time to time I'll share my thoughts about Patsy Cline, the music industry, and answer questions I've received. I can't say how often it will be updated, but keep checking back. You never know when I'll spin something on The Turntable.

February 1, 2005:

You know what they say about the best laid plans of mice and men. . .

No, I didn't forget about this page. I had every intention of posting something here on a regular basis when this site was launched last year. And, you would think with the many different "incidents" in the music world I would have posted something.

Well, a funny thing happened on my way to the keyboard. . . I didn't get here until now. Oh, sure, I've added a few pages here and tweaked a few there. But, I haven't sat down and finished the pages that need to be finished, nor have I kept this "blog" up-to-date.

Let's just say that things in my life have been a little chaotic the past year. The company I worked for announced that it was closing its local office and laying off most all employees. So, I've been wrapping-up one phase of my career and preparing for the next. I have an interview next week, and pray that it turns out well.

Once things calm down, and I can get my mind focused on the details, I hope to post here more frequently. I want to take this opportunity to thank everyone who has visited this site during the past year, contributed items for the different sections, and offered encouragement when I needed it.

To be sure, Patsy Cline has been by my side all the way, as she has been for the past 30 years. I wouldn't have it any other way. This site exists because of my love and appreciation for this lady. Although I never met her in person, I know her through her music. Like she does for most fans, Patsy speaks the words and echoes the emotions that I feel but somehow can't put into words. For that, I say Thank You!.

I'll be back in a little while. . .

March 5, 2004:

Bill, What Were You Thinking?

Over the past year, I've asked myself that question on many occasions.

When I made my first foray onto the Internet in 1997, I immediately began searching out all of the websites I could find that were dedicated to Patsy Cline. At the time, there was only one - Per Jonsson's A Tribute To Patsy Cline. I introduced myself on his Fan Forum, and fairly quickly made a few good friends. I contributed what I could to Per's site, and was content to do that for the next couple of years. Not having a computer at the time (I was a dedicated user of WebTV), the idea of creating my own website was just a passing notion. In the meantime, Guy Cesario unveiled his Patsy Cline Tribute and Lisa Flood opted to show the world exactly what it meant to be Patsified!.

In Summer 1999, WebTV added a Community section to its member's accounts, and included tools to help novices (like me) build web pages. I thought "Let's try this out, and see what I can do." I first created the Discography, then a couple other pages, then decided to go ahead and build a limited website. WebTV's Community Section allowed a 3MB maxium for graphics, pages, etc. I didn't figure I would need more, because Per, Guy and Lisa pretty much had everything else covered.

Much to my surprise, I maxed out the allotted WebTV server space in no time at all. I decided to go ahead and move the site over to GeoCities in early August. Tools created by the WebTV user community allowed me to transfer everything without any problem, and without the use of a computer. I thought "This will work. After all, I'm not planning to buy a computer in the near future." He who speaks too soon. . .

Wouldn't you know, toward the end of August, Gateway advertised some attractive computer offers. Having a newly opened Gateway Country store in town, I stopped by just to check things out. I should have known better. I left with a new Gateway system on order, and nothing has been the same since.

I immediately saw the benefits of owning a computer. With different programs and tools, I could be a little more creative and original rather than just having to point and click, drag and drop. I kept working on the site at GeoCities, adding pages and sections, and felt their service was just what I needed. After all, how could I possibly come close to using the generous 15MB of space they offered? Plus, it was free. What more could I ask for?

I guess you've figured out by now that I end up eating my own words. In August 2002, as she prepared to launch a revamped version of Patsifed!, Lisa Flood asked if I would take over her PatsyNews section and merge it with my existing news forum, called "The Cline Chronicle." To do so, I created a second GeoCities site and linked it to the original. While that arrangement had its benefits, I decided to bring both sites together under one roof.

For several months, I had toyed with the idea of purchasing my own domain and redirecting it to the GeoCities site. In April 2003, I took the plunge and registered patsycline.info. But, instead of redirecting it to GeoCities, I said to myself "Bill, if you're going to do this, do it right." So, the decision was made to rebuild all of the pages from scratch and move everything to a new server when ready.

Using Netscape Composer, which came free with a Netscape Navigator upgrade, I began the reconstruction process. The primary reason for doing this was to freshen the look of the site and give the pages a uniform appearance. Thinking I could do that fairly easily, I initially planned a launch date of June 2003. A flood of ideas came to me, and I realized it would take me a while longer to get the site just as I wanted. So, the launch was pushed back to September, then November, then January 1, 2004. When January 1 rolled around, and I still hadn't finished the work I felt was necessary, I knew some tough decisions had to be made. Since most Patsifans view March 5 as a date to celebrate Patsy's life, and not dwell on how it ended, I decided I would launch on that date. Ready or not.

Guess what? The site is not completely ready. The Patsy biography isn't written, the Owen Bradley profile isn't written, and the history of Decca Records is about 75% complete. I haven't been able to scan all of the pictures I want to include, and I need to rescan many of the album covers and picture sleeves in the records section.

Still, at Noon today, I turn the page to a new chapter in the history of this site. Thanks to everyone who has given their time, their input and encouragement. I hope you like what you see here. Kick off your shoes and come on in.