September 9, 2002:

"... and it was so funny, she then said, 'I'm going to take a break from my website for awhile.'"  Yeah, right!  And I am a hat.

The Patsy calendars for 2003 are spectacular, better than ever!  There are some left if you still want to get one.  If you miss out, you'll be empty-handed, forced to hang a calendar on your wall that has 365 meatloaf recipes on it, or kittens, or babies in ridiculous costumes... don't let that happen!  Surely your wall deserves only the best!

Get one for yourself, and make sure to get a few more to give as Christmas gifts.  It's a marvelous way to show your support for the fan club.  The cost is $15 each, and that includes postage to anywhere on planet Earth.  Make the check payable to "Always Patsy Cline" and send it NOW to:

3144 Niagara Way
Virginia Beach, VA  23456

James at RetroGroove writes:

I am a big fan of retro country... Let me recommend “Me and Paul” by Willie Nelson. As you know, Willie wrote “Crazy” and this album has the same kind of jazzy country music. It was out of print for ten years and will most likely go out of print again very soon; so grab it quick. I promise you will be nothing but amazed by it.

I just wanted to take a sec and extend a huge "thank you" to several folks who donated generously to the tip box yesterday.  While such support is of course not necessary, it really does make a difference:  it leaves me some extra room for maneuvering for some fun for faithful Patsifans.  Should it be a drawing or a contest?  Hmmmmm....

(Plus, it always makes me cry to see y'all being so generous, and I know how much y'all like to see me cry... every bit as much as my dentist does.  Sadists, every last one of ya.)

Two things:  I'm going to be forced to make 2 changes to this site (already) to make your lives better.  First, I'm going to remove the massive main navigation bar from each page and replace it with text, so the pages will load faster for you.  Broadband is scrumptious, but not everyone has it yet.  Give me a few days to get it done.  No one has complained (yet) but I'm no fool.  I used to be on dialup, I know that anytime I saw a page that took more than one nanosecond to load, I was outta there (patient I ain't).  I'll try to use the pretty little navigation tabs anytime I can, though.  (They are pretty, aren't they?  Damn.)

Secondly, I'm going to see what I can do about bringing back the Real Audio files of Patsy singing her gorgeous 30-second samples.  I've had some emails that indicate that these Patsy sounds are sorely missed at the new-'n-improved Patsified! and that you want them back.  I do too, but I need to check on server space availability.  I can probably swing it if I only bring over the 56K samples and leave the 28.8K samples behind.  One of these days I'll convert them into mp3s so I can be a part of the new century.  I'll ask Bill how to do it, he'll know.  The beauty of it is, he'll know off the top of his head.

September 8, 2002:

(Annual birthday page is here!)

There's no better way for me to celebrate this day than to fire up a cleaner, more organized version of Patsified! in honor of The Golden Voice (apart from the gorgeous birthday cake I ordered from the bakery).  I'm so pleased to have this site at its very own dot-com, at long last.  Sure, there were some things left behind, but hopefully you won't miss them, because it will make room for even better things in the future!  (Read more about the changes here.)

Now that Bill Cox is handling news about Patsy at the Cline Chronicle (and doing a fabulous job), I've gone back to having a Notes page here at Patsified!... it acts as sort of a personal Patsy Blog, if you will.

Remember when I went to the National Cowgirl Hall of Fame in my hometown of Ft. Worth, Texas this past June and how they wouldn't allow anyone to take photos?  I so desperately wanted to convey to y'all how great Patsy looks up on that rotunda when you first walk in!  Well, click on this photo that I snagged from the museum's website ~ they've recently posted it.  Even though it is dark, you can still get an idea of what it looks like.  The room itself is extremely bright, white and airy, too bad it looks so dark here.  Also, the pics are huge, but they look tiny here!  Guess you'll just have to go visit this place yourself to see what it's really like!

Okay, so last week I was in the store with Sidekick, who had "forced" me to play "Tra-Le-La-Le-La Triangle" a dozen times in the car.  He was now belting the song in the store, to my private glee.  Then he stopped singing as he heard some kind of glop coming from the Muzak overhead... he looked up at the ceiling and cried in despair worthy of King Lear, "Patsy!!  Where are you???"

The neat thing is, I'm not even trying to Patsify him; there's no need to.  Patsy does all the work herself!

Don't forget to join the new message board... a great place to talk with fellow Patsifans about things Patsy (or not) ~ we're having a good time!  Drop in and join the fun ~ we're making up the rules as we go along.  If you're shy, you can just lurk, as many folks are doing!

I read a column that was joking about Jim Morrison still being alive.  "I hire him to seal my driveway every few years.  He does a great job and whistles 'Love Me Two Times' as he's spreading the tar around."  Then I began to wonder, what if Patsy had only gone underground in March 1963 so she could start a new life?  What would she be doing today?  What sort of innocuous job would she have taken, just to be a "regular" person again?  It's interesting to think about!  I suppose that's the whole idea that got PatsyToons started.

Y'all check out Bill's Chronicle... there's a new Patsy book on the horizon... WOW!!!

It's about time someone put out a "coffee table" book of mostly Patsy photographs!  That one on the cover is scrumptious, I've never, ever seen it before.  I want to blow it up and hang it on the wall!  It's got a playful, Marilyn Monroe quality.  The publishers are clinically insane not to release this book in time for Christmas so folks could give it as a gift to folks like me.

Also, I hope the person who wrote the blurb isn't the author... "a West Virginia girl????"  Please tell me the author didn't write that!  Because if so, that tells me that the author isn't someone who really cares about Patsy, it is someone who doesn't know anything about her, just trying to make a fast buck.

Drooling here in anticipation, at any rate!

August 23, 2002:

I'm a Patsifan because I'm a dreamer; so forgive me when I go on one of my Patsy-related rants. I don't mean to be so disgruntled, but I suppose one part of being a Patsy Cline fan is the part about dashed hopes, isn't it? Let me explain.

There are more than a few unreleased pieces of film footage and audiotapes that contain Patsy's voice and image; a mother lode of gold, just waiting to be mined and shared with fans worldwide. And every few years, we are told that something wonderful is coming… and we lean forward expectantly… we imagine the glory of exposing our hungry eyes to Patsy images we've never seen, of exposing our ears to new Patsy ecstasy… but the "wonderful" thing is seldom what we expect. We never seem to get what we really want for Christmas (what about cimarron oh shut up i'm trying to make a point here).

For example, a recent Washington Post article mentioned Leon Kagarise, who owns some of the most precious recorded material on earth: Patsy recorded live in concert. The article tempts you with descriptions of the musical delights that await you in Mr. Kagarise's vault… it states that, because of all of these wonderful recordings… because no one has ever heard these glorious sounds… because fans everywhere would die if they wrapped their ears around these sounds… well, it's obvious something must be done…

…Mr. Kagarise is going to be profiled on PBS.

HUH?

That's not the logical conclusion! That's like me telling Sidekick, "Because you've been so good today, and because I know how much you love going to the zoo… and because we haven't been to the zoo in awhile… and because there's a new polar bear exhibit at the zoo which I know you'd love to see…

…we're going to the doctor to get a flu shot!"

In a similar vein, I read an article today about how MCA's new Patsy tribute CD will be a glorious thrill for Patsifans, because… (get ready)… (wait for it)…

…because fans will be able to revel in their Patsifandom by hearing assorted singers sing Patsy's songs.

The sound you heard was that of total underwhelm-ment. Mine.

I am resolved, however, to continue to be brave in the face of one disappointment after another. Standing firm with faith in the face of disappointment is a part of being a Patsifan ~ after all, each one of us continues to wait at Cornelia Fort Air Field, don't we? Well, I intend to stay here with my bouquet for Patsy… I will wait to welcome her… she will come… and when she does… when she does…

…then I'm taking Sidekick to the zoo!

July 12, 2002:

A note of encouragement from Meade S.:

Hey Lisa, In response to the angry post, I just want to say, for the record, that I've been visiting your site for close to three years now, and I don't find your site the least bit negative. In fact of all the Patsy Cline websites I have visited, yours is by far the most intelligent, creative, and informative. I think you're just trying to do your very dang best to tell the Patsy Cline story as accurately and as honorably as possible, and like many other Patsy fans, you feel betrayed by all the corporate greed and imperialism associated with making money off her unfortunate, and all too early, demise. I myself see nothing wrong with your laments over the fake Patsys and all the girlie singers on CD's nobody really wants. Like you said, why pay money for a fake Patsy when you can have the real thing? If it weren't for people like you, and other concerned fans, Patsy's memory would be lost. It is up to those of us who value Patsy as a true artist and musician to keep her memory alive, and not have her snubbed out by false marketing schemes and novelties. I support you 100%, and I also thank you for having the courage to tell it like it is.

Meade, the check for the entire sum of my savings account is in the mail to you, and I've already submitted the necessary forms to change my firstborn's name to Meade... thanks for the incredible support!

July 2, 2002:

Lemme tell ya, I went to the Cowgirl Museum today and nearly died, it is so unspeakably gorgeous... two stories of glory! Patsy's husband loaned them Patsy's platinum records for the 4mill mark, it was lovely to see. I wish I could convey how it felt to be there, I think I cried from the minute I got out of the car in the parking lot, as I surveyed this massive, beautiful building. There is an awesome mural on the side of it, I'll post photos when I get back home. I wanted to photograph Patsy's star, but no photography is allowed inside the building, dammit. Also, Patsy is the first thing you see when you enter the building. There is a massive rotunda and her smiling face is up there... Lord, it was something. If y'all are ever in Ft. Worth, this is a place you must visit. The exhibits are so creative!! They're building a new museum next door to honor cattlemen. I just love coming home to Foat Wuth a few times each year. I've seen lots of fluffy hairstyles and gals named Pam. You don't see these up in Michigan....

Another note from John in Nashville:

I appreciate you being so open to my opinion and accepting it gracefully. I visit every day and you are right....95% of all my visits are completely positive and enjoyable. I guess you and I are a lot a like really....we both like to state our opinion. I agree that you don't ever call anyone an "untrue" Patsy fan. I guess what I meant is I sometimes feel like you are talking down/lecturing other Patsy fans, but in all honesty, I've been known to act the same way...especially about Patsy.Also, I have a good friend who works at the Hall Of Fame and who was responsible for the exhibit of the letters from "Love Always, Patsy" and I know how hard he worked on it....and how important it was to him to create an exhibit that was tasteful and glorifying. And because I have a few connections at the HOF, I am sort of defensive, only because I know how much the establishment truly does celebrate Patsy and I am aware of the obstacles they face. There are "fanatics" like us for many country singers and it's impossible to please everyone (otherwise they'd need a much larger room to display HUGE exhibits on everyone (Conway, Loretta, Reba, Dolly, Hank, etc). But, I did want to write and say thanks for being so open minded and for reminding me that there is more positive than negative at Patsified! Keep up the great work. As a Patsy fan, I appreciate having such a great constant resource for news and fun.

The main thing, John, is that we all care about Patsy, even if we have different ideas about how to express it and honor it.

May 29, 2002:

From the inbox, here's John in Nashville:

I am concerned about your hatred for MCA, Patsy Cline impersonators, The Country Music Hall Of Fame, and current stars of the day. Patsy Cline was the kind of artist who would have embraced all of the entities which you so obviously dislike.

Hate?  Heavens no, I harbor no hatred for any of the above.  I do think that MCA, the impersonators and the HOF are misguided.  I wish that MCA would listen to what Patsifans want, and 99% of my mail says that Patsifans want the Patsy videos and the "secret recordings" released.  If anyone can get it done, MCA can.  They've got the money and the muscle to pay off anyone who needs to be paid off for these gems.  I wish the HOF would've tried harder to obtain the plane that changed music history ~ that doesn't mean I hate them.  As for impersonators (phfttt), they'll always be with us... it's fun to tease them.  I think they'd be doing themselves a favor if they tried to figure out what they do best, rather than try to copy what Patsy did best.  And I can't think of any stars whom I hate, I merely prefer to listen to Patsy.

There are millions of people around the world who have been impacted by Patsy's music. And I'm sure many of them bought MCA records and tapes to indulge in her music. MCA is a business, it's not the Patsy Cline Fan Club. And therefore, they have to try to repackage Patsy in a new format every year in order to keep sales up and in order to pad the pocketbook of Patsy's heirs.

Then why don't they obtain and release the "mystery" videos and recordings?  They'd make a massive fortune ~ I bet they'd make even more money than they will with a CD of gal singers performing "Crazy."  It doesn't bother me that they want to take my Patsy money, but I do wish they'd offer me, in return, some really cool, new Patsy stuff!

And believe it or not, I understand what MCA faces (except they make money with Patsy, I lose money).  I have a website for someone who has been off this planet now for almost 40 years ~ I'm even fool enough to have a NEWS page for her!  It ain't easy trying to create excitement day after day when there are no concerts, no interviews, no new songs in the Top 40.  But we still have to try... I'm doing my damndest for Patsy, and I would like to hope that MCA is doing its damndest for Patsy, too!

We've recently got the Millennium Collection and Live At The Cimarron. What's wrong with a tribute album? I realize that no one can even come close to Patsy, but that doesn't mean that it wouldn't be fun to hear other artist interpretations.

I agree, but my view is this:  if there were nothing else of Patsy's music left, THEN let's do tribute albums; but why are we doing tribute albums when we know there is lots of Patsy stuff still out there, hidden from the public?  Time's a-wastin!

I also know (for a fact) that the Hall Of Fame celebrates, adores and exposes Patsy to hundreds of thousands of people every day of every year. Exposure is exposure, and these organizations work hard to keep introducing new generations to Patsy Cline.

Again, I agree.  But why settle for the status quo if there is the possibility of improving the manner in which Patsy is exposed?  Why are they hiding some Patsy artifacts in a dusty back room?  My viewpoint is that she deserves her own wing in the museum, but your viewpoint is that because the HOF is not the Patsy Cline Fan Club, we shouldn't pester them to do better for her...?

As for Patsy impersonators, they are just paying tribute and trying to emulate their idol (no matter how impossible emulation may be).

And God bless their hearts, but I merely prefer to listen to a Patsy CD... shoot me?  I admit that it is a total mystery to me why people will pay money to spend an evening listening to a Patsy impersonator, when they can listen to a Patsy CD at home for free.  When I write about the subject, I'm just ruminating about it the way some people ponder the origin of the universe:  I write about it in order to understand it, but I never am able to.

You do not own Patsy Cline, her legacy or her music, so try not to criticize everyone under the sun, because there are those of us who are TRUE Patsy fans who appreciate the hard work of these organizations.

I don't dismiss their hard work, I merely believe they can do better.

I am a TRUE Patsy fan, as true as you. I've spoken several times with her daughter and husband and they recognize my genuine love for Patsy, so don't dismiss me as another person who's "not a true fan", because I am.

If you can find anyplace at this website where I have called a Patsifan "not a true fan," I'd really like to see it.  I don't judge people that way.  In fact, several months ago, I explored the different types of Patsifans, and my conclusion was that we're all simply going to hold different opinions about how Patsy's legacy should be advanced.  I also said that this little rented corner of cyberspace is naturally going to appeal more to fans who agree with me than fans who disagree with me.  My views are just opinions, like everyone else's.

Now, if you're talking about my disdain for people who are feeding off of Patsy Cline for their own sick reasons while calling themselves "fans"... people who don't really give a damn about her music, and don't really care about her as a human being, but who really like the money she brings them... my opinion stands.

I just think it's a shame that you may turn off other Patsy fans with your negativity. I visit your site every day and become more disheartened every time you bash these people and organizations who so obviously love Patsy and her legacy.

I'm sorry, John, I've just never been a status quo kinda gal.  If I see something that (in my opinion) needs change or improvement, I'm going to say something about it.  I like to light fires under people, I like to see people (and institutions) being the best that they can possibly be.  It's not enough that Patsy's name is "out there," I want it in solid 24K gold letters 100-feet high!  Is that negative?

I suggest you think about it and maybe you'll realize that you are not the only one trying to promote Patsy. MCA, The Hall Of Fame, impersonators, and today's leading female stars (who almost always list Patsy as a major influence) are also out there, trying just as hard as you to make people realize that Patsy was the best, is the best, and will remain the best. Thanks for the informative site.

You know, there's this really terrific website that I visit daily, and this guy goes on and on about his views on all sorts of things.  I'd say that I agree with him 95% of the time.  When that 5% pops up that riles me, somehow the 95% helps me to forgive him for the 5%.  If you visit Patsified! every day, surely you find a whole lot more fun stuff than negative stuff.  I honestly don't think Patsified! is a terribly negative place.  Sure, now and then I spank someone or something that I personally think needs spanking.  But again, it is all just my opinion, and it has always been my assumption that most visitors understand that.  I speak for no other Patsifans than myself ~ no gospel spoken here but the Gospel of The Homesick Texan.

John, I hope you will continue visiting, and if you see something that makes you say, "Dang it, there she goes again," please try to focus on the 95%.  I appreciate your honesty and am glad you spoke up.

Patsifan Jason has ideas for the Powers-That-Be:

I have had this idea for some time now, and wanted to pass it on. I'm sure we've all seen the "rare footage" of Patsy singing songs like "Crazy," "She's Got You," "So Wrong," "Why Can't He Be You," "When I Get Thru With You", etc. on what I believe was called "The Pet Milk Show" in the early 60's.

The several documentaries that have been done on Patsy have included this footage, but they always have people talking over or cutting into her performances. Is there anyone to contact about taking these performances and putting them on video/DVD by themselves? As an extra bonus, they could have an audio CD to compliment it. I think these performances Patsy made on television in the early 60's (1962 especially) capture her at her prime. With such a limited amount of performances available on Patsy, I know these performances would be a "Must Have" for any fan, and I am certain there is enough material to fill an album.

Also:  I'm sure we've all heard of Patsy's scrapbook she gave to Dottie West. How cool would it be to re-create that. I could just imagine it being packaged like an authentic scrapbook, complete with black sleeves. I think this too could be another "Must Have."

Jason, I've always been of the opinion that MCA, with all of its power, might and money, is in the best position to get these things accomplished, but they have instead decided that Patsy Cline fans want YET ANOTHER CD full of girls singing her songs.  Someone in charge believes that we don't want Patsy videos or unreleased TV performances.  No, we want to hear Diana Krall sing "Crazy."  The head dude at MCA says he gets mega-goosebumps when Krall lets loose on it.  Surely he knows more than we do, right?  It's not up to us to question their judgment on these things.

I feel certain that these items will be released to the public someday, I just hope that it is within some of our lifetimes.  Here is the programming code, so you can understand what we're up against:

SELECT * FROM MCA WHERE clue > 0
0 rows returned

Following exchange occurred this week as "Leavin On Your Mind" began to play:

Tot:  That's Patsy.
Mom:  Yes, it is.
Tot:  Is that your favorite Patsy song, Mommy?
Mom:  Yes, it is.
Tot:  That's my favorite Patsy song, too!
(Mom makes mental note to remember to give tot extra cupcake for dessert at dinner.)

Now, here is a Patsy impersonator I can live with... Mario Rocco:

Click to visit his site

... because if you're going to do Patsy, you need to do it totally over-the-top, with the understanding that it is ridiculous from the very start.  It's the serious impersonators with fogged-over eyeballs who turn me off.

May 21, 2002:

I've been debating the issue of website censorship with another website editor.  His values for his site differ from my values for mine, but I suppose that's why we each pay $$ for our respective corners of cyberspace.  It is my personal feeling that webmasters have the responsibility to weigh the tastes and sensibilities of the folks visiting our sites.  I do it every time I sit down at this keyboard.  I don't post every single thought that crosses my mind about Patsy.  Some of it is really dark.  Some of it is really naughty.  Some of it is really hilarious.  But it's my responsibility to CENSOR myself <gasp> and to respect the people who stop by here ~ people from all walks of life, from many different countries, from both ends of the political spectrum.  I do my best to remember what brings us all here to this place:  Patsy Cline.  And my job is to figure out how to express myself here without disrespecting YOU or disrespecting Patsy.  Sometimes I don't do that very well and someone out there gets offended... it's bound to happen.  Cripes, you don't have to agree with every word I write.  Just keep loving Patsy, ok?

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