Remembering Patsy Cline....

 

 

What can you say about Patsy Cline? Words cannot describe her unmatched

talent. Her incredible career in the recording industry and live performing

touched thousands of people in the late 50’s and early 60’s.  Her biggest years

were from 1957-1963, she was putting out hit after hit, packing theaters

across the country and performing on the Grand Ole Opry. If you were one of

the lucky ones out there to have seen her in person… you were truly blessed.

She was the first female country singer to be inducted into the Country Music

Hall of Fame in 1973. Her music touched the soul, whether you were a country

music fan or not. Sweet Dreams, Crazy, She’s Got You, the list is endless. We

lost her crystal clear voice when she was just thirty years old, and we were all

cheated because of her untimely death. Play her music, remember her, and

pass it on……

Cowboy Copus, a young man from Ohio who started is music career while

appearing on local radio stations, as so many entertainers did fifty years ago.

A member of the Grand Ole Opry, Copus was known as the Country Gentleman

of Song. He was a solid entertainer who played the circuits of fairs, country

music halls and special events. His hits included Signed, Sealed and Delivered,

Tennessee Waltz and Alabam. His band was known as the Gold Star Rangers.

Cowboy Copus was just 50 when he was killed on that foggy, rainy day in March

of 1963.

Hawkshaw Hawkins, born in West Virginia, a country singer who had a rich,

smooth vocal presentation. With a six foot five inch frame, Hawkshaw commanded

the stage when he made an appearance in his spangled outfit and boots. I was

lucky to see him perform at the Steuben County Fair in Bath, NY. My father who

had a country and western band himself loved Hawkshaw and took me to see

Him, I believe it was in August of 1960, perhaps 61.  Hawkshaw performed for

years on WWVA in Wheeling and his signature song was Sunny Side of the Mountain.

In 1962, his biggest hit was released, just three days after his death was

Lonesome 7-7203 and that song was huge for weeks and months to follow.

Hawkshaw was just 42 when he died, but his fans continue to enjoy him. 

Randy Hughes, a session guitarist had met Patsy in 1959 and soon after became

her manager. He was the pilot and owner of the aircraft flying the night of the accident.

Hughes, age 34, was also the son-in-law of Cowboy Copus. Hughes did hold

a private pilot’s license but did not have an instrument rating, so he had to fly by

visual flight rules only. Hughes bought the aircraft in 1962, less than a year before

the day of the fateful crash. He had only logged 44.25 hours in the Piper Comanche

and only had a total of 160.10 hours flight time in his career.