Forced to drop out of school to earn money, Patsy Cline was an incredibly hard worker, holding several jobs as a teenager while also singing with local groups and competing in talent shows. Cline was unafraid of breaking with social norms and walked her own path, wearing men’s pants and bright red lipstick.
Features
Clip | Making the Film
Clip | Bill Anderson on the tension between Patsy Cline and Jimmy Dean
Clip | Alan Stoker shares some insight on Patsy Cline’s studio work and the gift of her voice.
Clip | Listen to how Patsy Cline “fibbed” to perform on CBS
Clip | How Patsy Cline overcame the good ol’ boys club in country music
Clip | Learn which Patsy Cline songs inspire Reba McEntire
Clip | Learn about Patsy Cline’s first record deal
Clip | How a car crash nearly ended Patsy Cline’s career
Listen: Patsy Cline Themed Playlist
Clip | Hear how Patsy Cline met her husband, Charlie Dick
5 Reasons Patsy Cline Was A Trailblazer For Women
Clip | How Patsy Cline balanced home life and commercial success
PBS Previews: Patsy Cline
Patsy Cline: Trailer
TRANSCRIPT
[SINGING: Confidentially, how much do you love me?
Well, I thought a while, and then I smiled, and this is what I told him, don't you see...] She did outrageous things, like bright red lipstick.
She wore men's pants, men's Dungarees.
You just didn't do that.
The '50s was very prim, very proper.
She told me that she had had to quit school when she was 16 and then she worked at a meat packing place.
And it was her job to slit the throats of the chickens as they came down the conveyor belt.
That job didn't last, because she was underage.
They found out.
From there she went to the local Greyhound bus station where she cleaned the buses, worked the counter, cleaned the restrooms.
Patsy started working at a local drugstore and would do that during the day, and then at night she would sit in with bands around the area and get a chance to sing.
Dr. Gaunt was very lenient with her, and she - if there was a talent contest during the day, he would let her go.
There were a lot of talent contests then, and she never missed an opportunity to enter any contest.
She never won.
The first time I met Patsy, Connie B. Gay brought her into a club I was working in Washington D.C. called The Famous, and we'd all heard about this girl singer that was working with Bill Peer, Ronnie Winchester, and stuff.
By her 20th birthday, Jenny leaves her day job and joins up with Bill Peer and the Melody Boys, playing regular dates in halls and clubs and makes local TV appearances.
