Fifty-five years ago this week, country music icon Patsy Cline passed away in a tragic plane crash outside of Camden, Tennessee. Hawkshaw Hawkins and Cowboy Copas were also victims of the fatal accident. Ironically, the trio were on their way back from a benefit concert in Kansas City, Kansas, being held for DJ Jack Call who died in a car crash. Despite having the flu, Cline still took the stage. After the shows, weather conditions did not allow for flights to leave the area. So, the “I Fall to Pieces” singer decided to spend the night. Dottie West had also performed at the concert and invited Patsy to ride back to Nashville via car. Sadly, Cline passed on the offer, saying, “Don’t worry about me, Hoss. When it’s my time to go, it’s my time to go.”
Following the storm, the Virginia native checked out of her motel just after noon and headed down to the Fairfax Municipal Airport in Kansas City. The private plane she boarded belonged to her manager, Randy Hughes, who proceeded to fly the airplane. The group landed to refuel in Dyersburg, Tennessee, and took off again around 6PM. Less than half an hour later, a phone call was received reporting a low-flying plane. It wasn’t until the next morning that the wreckage was discovered.
Last April, The Patsy Cline Museum opened in Nashville, adding another “must-see” attraction to the list for Music City’s eager tourists and locals. The museum houses the largest collection of Patsy Cline artifacts in the world featuring personal letters, photographs, costumes, clothing, and household furnishings from her Nashville dream house that had been locked away for more than fifty years.
In honor of Pasty’s legacy, listen to one of her most popular hits, “Crazy,” below!
“Crazy” Lyrics
Crazy
I’m crazy for feeling so lonely
I’m crazy
Crazy for feeling so blue
I knew
You’d love me as long as you wanted
And then some day
You’d leave me for somebody new
Worry
Why do I let myself worry?
Wondering
What in the world did I do?
Oh, crazy
For thinking that my love could hold you
I’m crazy for trying
And crazy for crying
And I’m crazy for loving you
For thinking that my love could hold you
I’m crazy for trying
And crazy for crying
And I’m crazy for loving you
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