MARCH 5, 1963 The darkest day in country music history... Patsy Cline, Cowboy Copas, Hawkshaw Hawkins and Randy Hughes were killed in a plane crash near Camden, Tennessee
Crazy Written by Willie Nelson Recorded by Patsy Cline August 21 1961
Legends aside this crash was a tragedy of enormous, personal proportions.
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.
"Three familiar voices are suddenly silent today. And over an ugly hole on a Tennessee hillside, the heavens softly weep." Paul Harvey
The most popular female country singer in recording history, Patsy Cline has achieved icon status since her tragic early death at age thirty in 1963. Cline is invariably invoked as a standard for female vocalists, and she has inspired scores of singers including K D Lang, Loretta Lynn, Linda Ronstadt, Trisha Yearwood, and Wynonna Judd. Her brief career produced the #1 jukebox hit of all time, Crazy (written by Willie Nelson) and her unique, crying style and vocal impeccability have established her reputation as the quintessential torch singer. [Country Music Hall Of Fame, Nashville, Tennessee]
Trivia: Had Patsy lived to get back to Nashville, the next song she was to record was entitled simply "Blue". After her death, no artist would go near the song. It's rumored several female artists including Patsy's good friend Loretta Lynn were offered the chance, no one took Patsy's record company on the offer. The song went unrecorded for over thirty years, until a young LeAnn Rimes was offered the chance to sing the song. To honor Patsy, LeAnn tried to sing the song in Patsy Cline's style. "Blue" would go on to be LeAnn's first #1 single. "Blue", was released when LeAnn was only 13 years old, and by age 24 she had sold over 37 million albums.
Patsy Cline ~Crazy~ Now Playing
Listen to LeAnn Rimes sing Blue (Stop ~Crazy~ First)
