Free Republic

The Hank Cochran and Harlan Howard composition is a country classic, but it certainly wasn’t an instant hit.No one would argue that the Patsy Cline song “I Fall To Pieces” is anything but a country classic. But an instant hit? It certainly wasn’t one of those. On August 7, 1961, the song written by the prolific writers Hank Cochran and Harlan Howard climbed to the top of the Billboard country chart — six months after it was released, and nine after it was recorded on November 16 the year before. In the 2020s, it’s not uncommon for a song...

PATSY CLINE, (Virginia Patterson Hensley), was born in the Shenandoah Valley in Winchester, Virginia, on September 8, 1932. The family home was in nearby Gore. Legend has it that she was entertaining her neighbors as early as age 3! Her natural talent and spirit took her to the top of the country charts in 1962, and her style and popularity has never waned. Patsy's big break came when she won an Arthur Godfrey Talent program in 1957 with the hit Walkin' After Midnight. From there she pursued a recording career appearing at the mecca of country music - the Grand...