When Patsy Cline began working in country music, female headliners were rare. Her tenacity and talent allowed her to overcome bias and become one of the first female solo artists in country music.
This clip recounts the challenges Cline faced when she arrived on the Nashville scene — described as a ‘good ol’ boy’ network by Troy Tomlinson (President / CEO Sony ATV Nashville) and actress Beverly D’Angelo (portrayed Cline in Coal Miner’s Daughter). The clip also features Reba McEntire, Callie Khouri (Oscar-winning screenwriter of Thelma & Louise, creator of TV series Nashville) and Wanda Jackson, who recalls: “In the early days that I came along, women weren’t headliners. It was really a man’s field, and if they had women at all it was just one. Never more than one on a bill.” Sadly, all these issues still exist today across music scenes.
