Decades After Her Death, Fans Are Still Crazy About Patsy Cline

Decades After Her Death, Fans Are Still Crazy About Patsy Cline

Symposium and Concert by Virginia Historical Society and Shenandoah University Explore Cline's Life and Music

WINCHESTER, Va., March 18 /PRNewswire/ -- At a time in American history characterized by the Cold War, stay-at-home moms, social suppression and suburbia, how did the beer-drinking, rule-breaking, fringe-wearing, divorced, high school drop-out Patsy Cline emerge?

On Friday, April 4, the Virginia Historical Society (VHS), in partnership with the Community History Project of Shenandoah University, will host a one- day symposium to discuss that very issue. "Sweet Dreams: The Life and Times of Patsy Cline" brings together scholars, authors and historians who will survey the life, history and enduring history of recording artist Patsy Cline.

To conclude the conference, Richmond radio personality and music producer Tim Timberlake has created a Patsy Cline review featuring celebrated performers and special guest singers.

"Patsy Cline is arguably Virginia's most significant contribution to 20th century American popular culture," said Paul Levengood, managing editor of the society's Virginia Magazine of History and Biography. "More than 45 years after her death, Patsy's life and timeless music continue to fascinate and entertain. And, the 20th century was the period in which Virginia changed the most. More and more, the Virginia Historical Society is using pop culture stories to demonstrate the scope and depth of changes in the state's history."

Patsy Cline (1932-1963), born Virginia P. Hensley in Winchester, Va., is called "the most popular female country singer in recording history" by the Country Music Hall of Fame. Her brief career produced the number one jukebox hit of all time, "Crazy," and her "Greatest Hits" album, with more than 10 million copies sold, is among the elite few to have reached "Diamond" status (others include The Beatles' "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band," U2's "The Joshua Tree," Michael Jackson's "Thriller," and Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band's "Live 1975-1985").

Despite the hard-luck stories and the tragic nature of a singing career cut short, Patsy Cline is regularly invoked as the standard for female vocalists, both pop and country, and remains a powerful source of inspiration. She has had a lasting impact on the recording industry as a whole and paved the way for the brightest female talents of the 20th and 21st centuries.

By examining various factors in Patsy Cline's story -- the social and political climate, early musical influences, her role as a female pioneer in a male-dominated industry, and her musical accomplishments -- the symposium will shed light on why this Virginian is so important and how her life's journey is entwined with our history as a state and a nation.

"Discussing Patsy Cline's career is a wonderful way of exploring themes in American history in the 1950s," said Warren Hofstra, professor of history at Shenandoah University and symposium co-organizer and presenter. "Her story as a struggling artist says a lot about the period and community from which she came."

To purchase tickets to the event, please visit www.vahistorical.org or call (804) 342-9673. To enhance the experience, symposium and concert attendees are encouraged to wear Patsy Cline-inspired attire.

"Sweet Dreams: The Life and Times of Patsy Cline" is organized with support from the Virginia Foundation for the Humanities and Norfolk Southern.

For more than 175 years, the Virginia Historical Society (VHS) has been the steward of our state -- and often national -- history. Headquartered in Richmond, the VHS is the Official State Historical Society and features award- winning exhibitions that are entertaining and educational for visitors of all ages. In 2008, the VHS received the coveted four-star Charity Navigator rating for sound fiscal management. This "exceptional" designation from Charity Navigator differentiates the society from its peers and demonstrates to the public it is worthy of their trust. Hours: Monday-Saturday 10 a.m.-5 p.m. and Sunday 1 p.m.-5 p.m. (shop and museum galleries only). Admission: $5/adults, $4/seniors 55+, free/under 18 and free/members. Admission to the galleries is free on Sundays. For group tour information, call (804) 342-9652. For more information, please call (804) 358-4901 or visit www.vahistorical.org.

Shenandoah University is a comprehensive Level VI private university with an enrollment of nearly 3,000 students in six schools: College of Arts & Sciences, Harry F. Byrd, Jr. School of Business, Shenandoah Conservatory, Bernard J. Dunn School of Pharmacy, the School of Health Professions (Athletic Training, Nursing, Occupational Therapy, Physician Assistant Studies, Physical Therapy and Respiratory Care) and the School of Education & Human Development. The university offers more than 80 programs of study at the undergraduate, graduate and professional levels. For further information, contact the Public Relations Office at (540) 665-4510 or visit www.su.edu.

Program

8:30-9:30 Registration

9:30-10:30 Introduction and Keynote
"Patsy Cline and a Changing South, from Depression to
Postwar Affluence"
Bill Malone, author and country music historian

10:30-11:00 Break
"Suite Sweet Dreams Interpretive Dance"
Performed by members of the Shenandoah Dance Ensemble
of Shenandoah Conservatory

11:00-12:30 Session One - Dreams and Nightmares: Patsy Cline and Her
Community
"The Cultural Worlds of Patsy Cline's Winchester"
Warren Hofstra, Stewart Bell professor of history,
Shenandoah University, and Mike Foreman, regional
historian, Winchester, Va.
"Patsy Cline and the Problem of Respectability"
Beth Bailey, professor, Department of History, Temple
University

12:30-1:30 Lunch

1:30-3:00 Session Two - Patsy Cline and the Major Media"
'Walking After Midnight': Patsy Cline, Rose Maphis and
East Coast Country Music"
Kristine M. McCusker, associate professor, Department
of History/ Women's Studies, Middle Tennessee State
University
"The Early Years: Hard Times and Good Times for Country
Music in 1950s Washington, D.C."
George Hamilton IV, professional musician

3:00-3:30 Break
"Virginia's Finest" Product Taste Testing in the Museum
Shop

3:30-5:00 Session Three - Sound and Image: Varieties of Patsy Cline
"Mixing Styles, Making Styles: Musical Analysis of Patsy
Cline's Nashville Sound"
Jocelyn Neal, assistant professor of history,
University of North Carolina at Durham
"Who's Patsy? Image, Cooptation and the Celebrity
Process"
Joli Jensen, Hazel Rogers endowed chair, University
of Tulsa

7:00-9:00 Concert

Source: Shenandoah University

CONTACT: Public Relations Office, Shenandoah University,
+1-540-665-4510

Web site:

http://www.su.edu/
http://www.vahistorical.org/

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