"Hawkshaw" Hawkins had a strong stage presence. He was tall, handsome, and had rich, smooth vocals. His tasteful western suits set him apart from the usual rhinestone gaudiness seen on other male Country singers. Jean Shepard was married to Hawkshaw Hawkins who was killed along with Patsy Cline and Cowboy Copas in the plane crash. She was pregnant with Hawkshaw's son at the time. Kathy Hughes lost not only her father, Cowboy Copas, but, her husband, Randy Hughes who was ALSO the pilot of the plane and who made the decision to fly onto Nashville, after refueling in Dyersburg, even though the weather was bad. Charlie Dick, Patsy’s widower, was left with two small children who now had no mother. Legends aside… this crash was a tragedy of enormous, personal proportions.
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