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Thanks, as ever, to Amber Miller for sharing this Patsy treat with us! This Xerox-copied article appeared in late April of 1957. I have hand-typed the material below, since it is difficult to read otherwise.
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Patsy relaxes in front of the fireplace as she autographs pictures for fans. She also has a large selection of pictures of other singers she has appeared with across the country. Her first record will be "Three Cigarettes in an Ash Tray."
Answering the telephone takes up most of Patsy's time these days. It rings continuously, long distance calls from people in the television industry, Decca, and various others who want her for personal appearances. Her friends in Winchester do not neglect her either. She gets dozens of calls from people who want to know how she's getting along, what she is going to do next and when is she getting married.
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(First paragraph is
missing)...
While in New York, Patsy will make "Three Cigarettes in an Ash Tray," backed
with "Angel," (sic) to be released right away. She also will cut 12
records for an album for Decca.
The singer left Sunday on the personal appearance tour with Ferlin
Husky and Faron Young, both of the Grand Ole Opry. Their itinerary included Penscola
(sic) Fla.; Swainsboro, Ga.; Macon, Ga.; Augusta, Ga.; and Columbia, S.C.
Patsy was born in Winchester 24 years ago as Virginia Patterson
Hensley, daughter of Mrs. Hilda Hensley and the late Samuel Hensley. She attended
Handley until the age of 16 when she began working as a clerk at Gaunt's Drug store.
It was at this time that she made her first appearance as a singer ~ over WINC.
In March, 1953, she married Gerald Cline of Frederick, Md. They
separated three years later. She has announced her engagement to Pfc. Charles A.
Dick of National Ave., who is stationed with the U.S. Army at Fort Benning, Ga. She
said they plan to be married in September.
After her first appearance over WINC, Patsy, a forthright person, says
she worked in the daytime at Gaunt's and sang "wherever I could be seen or
heard" for the next few years. However, she didn't start cashing in on it until
several years later.
Her first good singing job was with Bill Peer and his Melody Boys at
the Moose Club, Brunswick, Md. She sang there every Saturday night for three years.
Her next job was at Quantico. From there she went to Jimmy Dean's
"Town and Country Time" over a Washington television station. While she
was appearing there, she also guested on the Grand Ole Opry on a coast-to-coast television
hook-up and was on their radio program a number of times. She has appeared twice on
the Ozark Jubilee, which originates in Springfield, Mo., and has made personal appearances
with members of the Grand Ole Opry and other country style singers. About six months
ago she made her first appearance at the Town Hall in Los Angeles, Calif.
Then she won Arthur Godfrey's Talent Show and her stock really begin
(sic) to rise. She has been in demand for personal appearances and television shows
since that time.
She appeared on Godfrey's morning show a number of times but won't be
back for several weeks.
On March 14, Patsy appeared on Bob Crosby's show in California and the
following Friday and Saturday on the Town Hall in Los Angeles.
Shortly after returning from California, she left for personal
appearances in Des Moines, Iowa. She did two record hops on local television shows
there and appeared with Webb Pierce at the Des Moines Auditorium. They have asked
her back to Iowa and she will sing with Tony Pastor's band in Dubuque, Iowa the first part
of May, right after the Apple Blossom Festival.
She plans to stay home for the Festival, although it meant re-arranging
her schedule.
Patsy was due to be on Ed Sullivan's show on April 7 but had to cancel
for the time being on the advice of William McCall, president of Four-Star Records and
Sales which holds her contract. (The Homesick Texan's note:
Eeeek!) She hopes to get everything ironed out after Arthur
Godfrey returns from Africa. He has been advising her on her career and as far as
Patsy is concerned, he is tops.
Since her appearance on Godfrey (sic) show, fan mail has been pouring
in. Tressa (sic) Miller of Tennessee is president of the Patsy Cline Fan Club and
anyone wishing to join may write her at Route 1, Telford, Tenn.
Patsy launched "Walking After Midnight" on Arthur Godfrey's
show and it proved to be the best of her career.
Patsy ~ her mother calls her Virginia ~ is under contract to Four-Star
Records. Mr. McCall leased her contract to Coral Records, which is a subsidiary of
Decca, then to Decca after that lease ran out. Patsy said that she had been told by
Paul Cowan (sic) of Decca that she was outselling The Platters, Jerry Lewis and Bill
Haley.
Although she had been under contract since 1953, her first release was
in 1955. Her first record was "A Church, A Courtroom, Then Goodby" (sic)
backed with "Honky Tonk Merry-Go-Round." Others as they were released were
"Hidin' Out," backed with "Turn the Cards Slowly"; "I Love
Honey," (sic) and "Come On In"; "Stop, Look & Listen" &
"I've Loved and Lost Again"; "Poor Man's Roses" is on the back of her
most recent release, "Walking After Midnight."
She also recorded two sacred songs, "Dear God" and "He
Will Do For You What He's Done for Me." This record will be used for
promotional use only until they find out if it will be big enough to be released.
Patsy says she has an advantage by being under contract to Four-Star,
which takes the songs put out by Decca, puts four on a record then sends them to all the
radio stations and out of the way places Decca would never reach.
While in California for Bob Crosby's Show, the owner of the motel in
which she was staying handed Patsy a song without music and asked her to put a tune to it.
So for the first time in her life, Patsy composed music for a song. This
record, "A Stranger in My Arms" will be in the album she will make in New
York.... (final paragraph missing).
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