Available November 1, 2023
Few stars have the longevity of Patsy Cline. She died in a plane crash in 1963, yet her voice still moves us, so much so that she consistently appears on the best country artist lists from publications such as “Rolling Stone” and “Billboard.”
A collection of 48 letters written from 1955-1959 to her first fan club president and friend give us a rare opportunity to glimpse the woman behind the sons. She doesn’t come across as bold and brassy as some movies have portrayed her. We discover she’s determined as well as traditional. Against the backdrop of her recording sessions, tours and television appearances we find she was also a housewife who often did the cooking, laundry and ironing before going to the stage. It didn’t always pay as expected either. In 1957 she wrote to Treva, “Bill McCall still hasn’t give me my money on “Walkin.” I’ve got 2 lawyers working on it.”
One can imagine, through these letters, that Patsy is sitting across the table from her friend chatting about her job, love and everyday life We get to know Treva through these letters too. When Treva plans to marry against her mother’s objections, Patsy said, “You are all she has and you are her baby, but then too, all these chickens have to find out about life their own way.”
In September 1960 Treva was killed in an automobile accident. She was 22. Less than a year after, Patsy was a passenger in a near fatal, head-on car crash. Two months later, still on crutches, Patsy recorded one of her defining hits, “Crazy.” Her career was finally taking off. Just three years after Treva’s tragic death, Patsy was killed in a plane crash.