Patsy Cline
USA, 1948–1963
American singer (1932–1963), one of the most influential vocalists in country music. Her rich, emotive contralto and lush 'Nashville Sound' crossover hits ('Walkin' After Midnight', 'Crazy', 'I Fall to Pieces') broke country into the pop mainstream before her death in a plane crash at 30.
MusicRoots documents 2 artists who influenced Patsy Cline and 5 artists Patsy Cline influenced in turn. Every connection cites a published source.
Who influenced Patsy Cline?
- Hank Williams — Hank Williams's raw honky-tonk emotion was a foundational influence on Cline, whose heartbreak ballads carry his country songcraft into the pop era.
- Kay Starr — Kay Starr's big, blues-tinged pop-jazz singing was a key vocal model for the young Cline, feeding the crossover crooning of her Nashville Sound hits.
Which artists did Patsy Cline influence?
- Martin Hannett — An unlikely source he named himself for the bass-heavy, spacious sound: Patsy Cline's records - 'that echo, those low notes, the drums'.
- Loretta Lynn — Cline befriended Lynn when she arrived in Nashville and taught her how to dress, sing and handle the business.
- Linda Ronstadt — Linda Ronstadt has named Patsy Cline as a major influence, drawing on her emotive phrasing and country-pop crossover approach.
- Cyndi Lauper — Cyndi Lauper counts Patsy Cline among her influences and recorded a country album steeped in Cline's torch-ballad tradition.
- Dolly Parton — The crossover proof: a country singer who could be sung with strings and sold to a pop audience without the song losing its spine.