Patsy Cline

Call me redneck or culture challenged, but I want you to know my favorite female country singer is the late Patsy Cline. I have a boxed set of “The Patsy Cline Collection;” I watched the movie version of her life, “Sweet Dreams;” I attended the stage version of the Patsy Cline Story, (Well. OK. It was the Jekyll Island outdoor theatre version); I sprinkled every Patsy Cline song I had into my iPhone “playlist.”

On this day, March 5, fifty-seven years ago, Patsy Cline died in a heartbreaking airplane crash—in bad weather. She was thirty. She made her first professional appearance at the former WINC radio station. Patsy’s career rose rapidly. She was one of the first country music artists to crossover into pop. Patsy was a member of Country Music’s prestigious “Grand Ole Opry,” and was considered an avant garde for women in country music. She was the first female performer to be inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame.

Two other country singers died in that woeful airplane crash, Cowboy Copas and Hawkshaw Hawkins; the pilot died also . This tragic event cut short Patsy’s soaring career. Nevertheless, she had paved the way for countless other female singers, both country and pop.

Willie Nelson wrote “Crazy ” for Patsy. It remains one of her most popular songs. A primary attraction I have to Patsy Cline is her spectacular vocal range. Not quite up to that of my all-time favorite female singer, Julie Andrews, but Patsy’s range was astonishing. And she could yodle. OK, If you don’t know yodeling I’ll clue you; yodeling is vocally switching quickly back and forth from low notes to falsetto notes. Patsy raised her vocal gift to an art form. Listen to Eddy Arnold‘s “Cattle Call” —it is Yodeling at its best. I understand my namesake uncle was a good yodeler—I didn’t inherit the gift, for which you should be grateful. But I digress.

The tragic plane crash is a direct link to lost perspective; the facts are in the transcript from The National Transportation Safety Board’s report (NTSB): ——– “(The pilot) was informed that the en route weather was unfavorable and that the destination weather was below VFR (Visual Flight Rules) minima with further deterioration indicated before any improving trends could be expected. After receiving the weather briefing, the pilot talked with his wife in Nashville by telephone, and she informed him that the sun was shining in Nashville. The pilot then indicated his intention to continue the flight and would return if he found it necessary. Shortly thereafter, at 1807, (6:07 p.m.) the pilot taxied out and took off. During taxi, the pilot was again furnished with weather information by the tower operator. After takeoff, there were no further radio contacts with N-7000P “(–the airplane tail ID.) (Bold face mine).

The Pilot was Patsy’s manager. The fatal flight was fraught with failure. They had a performance scheduled for the next day. Pilots know that tension: it has a name; “The Get-Home-itis Syndrome.” In light of the NTSB report , to me, the pilot’s decision harks to that very human hubris–“I have to be there. I will go matter what! Ignore the signs. Get going!”

A sorry old country song, “Detour,” portends grim perspective;

Headed down life’s crooked road lots of things I never knowed
Because of me not knowin’, I now pine
Trouble got in the trail, spent the next 5 years in jail
Should have read (should have read) that detour sign!

Human history is cluttered with debris from ignored warnings; which we ignore to our peril. It doesn’t have to be that way. We have choices. I like how Jesus turned “Thou Shalt Not’s…” into positive “Thou Shalt’s…” . As instead of “Thou shalt Not Kill” he said, “Love your enemy…” Instead of “Thou shalt have no other gods before Me…” Jesus said, “Love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, mind, and soul…” Words that help and heal. When there is a warning (detour) sign, consider it. Think through the “Why.” Find the positive it harbors. Follow it. Usually it is for you own benefit. We can be better.