Fan Forum - Page 21

I will tell you, she is not in good health, and this is a detail that I think you should jump on, you may contact me, and I will be more than happy to mediate, and send messages, and she is more than willing to give you her phone number. She once thought she would turn this irreplaceable collection to Julie and Randy and Charlie. Now she says Hall of Fame, but more important, to someone she knows will see to it that it is put in the mueseum in Winchester... We have waited LONG for this.

I know much has been said about the changing head stone, let me say even if I am in the minority, Per, we are not amused... We GUARD Patsy and her memories, and knowledge VERY closely... Least anyone try to take and exploit her, Julie, Randy or Charlie thru a little bit of truth, and we do not like people who put into fact what is fiction, that's why I personally love this site, and what you all do here. So, we are a bit unerved about the new headstone with her stage name... But I supposse in the long run it will help the museum, and everyone won't get lost off that first bend in the road in the cemetery looking for it.

Btw, I also know that Loretta Lynn bought personally (and gathered) the personal effects, some of from the airplane wreckage, she did not want to see Patsy exploited in death, and states she can't bear to think of strangers mauling over it, and she has VERY personal, VERY intimate objects on display in Butcher Holler. Not the Big House, just down the pike a bit, her childhood home, and some in Nashville. Just a thought, someone may want to aproach her about possibly lending and relenquishing these items, as she took them because she said she just didn't know what else to do with them... And couldn't let strangers get ahold of them... There is a bottle - can - of hairspray, a dress sewn back together, one of her cowgirl outfits, one of hers that she gave to Loretta, and one that she had her Moma make for Loretta because she ahd so little starting out, God rest Patsy's Mothers soul... A make-up caboodle, some other apparell, shoes, etc... And I don't think she would be adverse to lending them, but then again, she was very close to Patsy and as you well know, named one of the twins after her.

About this Henry fellow someone asked about, ask Julie or Charlie, when Patsy first started out in the joints here in Martinsburg or Winchester and surrounding areas, and was not known really, there was a Henry who played guitar with her, and a guy named Buddy Abshire. Larry - my dad - (unfortunately he died not long after Patsy, so I never heard a lot about her from him, but as he and Anna Louise Pickering were buddies and best friends, she has been gracious enough to extend them to me) and a few others that played along with Patsy, there were many many many...

I LOVE that you guys have this site still going. I wish I had time to stay. Per, edit whatever you want to out, that you feel does not pertain or is not relevant. But definetly get my email addy to Bill, because those items and the stories she can tell you about Patsy - some funny, some sad - are priceless. She WANTS the right person to go to with this, I redirected her to you, told her I thought I could get into contact with Bill, so, she is counting on getting thru to someone, just email me. You met Anna as "Louise" that night, Bill. You and your wife made the find of her, and you noticed the commotion and went over and about dropped over when she pulled out the letters, she says... Anyway, that is who Patsy called Anna, Louise.

I have got to ask Per, Louise (Anna), wants me to write up the last time she saw Patsy, and the events (as I am a writer) to post here, so that her memories of Patsy will go on after her, she feels. Would that be allowable, only after Julie or Charlie read it over so you can be rest assured they are all true accountings. I think the forum would love to hear some of how Patsy talked, her mannerisms, I felt I got to know her thru those priceless memories of Louise (Anna). I would not ask to put ANYTHING on board, that was NOT true, as we work hard to keep this from happening here in town and Winchester anyway! Let me know, and Bill, I am telling you, once in a lifetime offer from her here, take it... If you don't, I will! ;-)
Respectful as always, Michael Birmingham
Michael Birmingham <Michaellmj01@msn.com>
Martinsburg, WV US of A - Saturday, June 01, 2002 at 15:55:08 (MET DST)

The event announcement was covered in the local paper with a great article:

"Crazy for the Blues is All-Day Festival to Benefit Patsy Cline House"

WINCHESTER, VA (April 26, 2002) Preservation of Historic Winchester announces that the girlhood home of Patsy Cline will benefit from a musical event in her hometown of Winchester, Va., at which contemporary and traditional blues will be performed live all day. Blues House 2002, entitled "Crazy for the Blues" is scheduled for June 22, and will devote proceeds to the preservation of Cline's home as well as others in its neighborhood. Celebrating Patsy Cline Inc., a Winchester-based nonprofit organization dedicated to conserving Cline's story and her artifacts, is working on this event together with Preservation of Historic Winchester, a non-profit concerned with architectural preservation. This is the fourth annual Blues House event.

"Crazy for the Blues" will be staged rain or shine at 537 North Cameron Street, a large indoor-outdoor venue with a covered stage and seating. It kicks off at 11 a.m. and is scheduled to continue through 9 p.m. Performing will be The Kinsey Report, the Nighthawks, Eddie Shaw & the Wolf Gang, Michael Burks, the Glenn Kaiser Band, Mary Ann Redmond, Roy Dixon & the Winchester Blues Band, Bugsy Cline, and Gary Carroll's Winchester Sound.

Tickets to Blues House are $10 in advance and $15 at the gate, and are available at the Old Town Welcome Center on Cameron Street, the club Sweet Caroline's on Boscawen Street, and Blind Faith Enterprises, a music shop on the Old Town Winchester pedestrian mall. Blues House is PHW's largest annual fundraising event. Detailed information is available on the web-site, www.blueshouse.org.
Karen Helm <khelm@wininva.com>
Winchester, VA - Monday, April 29, 2002 at 18:37:59 (MET DST)

Celebrating Patsy Cline, Inc also made their announcement the same day that we are buying the house and will renovate it and turn it into the Patsy Cline Museum. After many years our dream is finally coming true -- and her house is to be the museum site -- everything in one big package -- isn't this wonderful!!!!

If anyone has any questions please call me at 1 800 662 1360 and I will be happy to share our plans with you! As Always and with a BIG GRIN ON MY FACE, Judy Sue
Judy Sue Kempf <cvb@winchesterva.org>
Winchester, Va - Monday, April 29, 2002 at 18:37:48 (MET DST)

Almost a year later, and after a few phone conversations with Charlie, I am honored to announce that a Limited Edition of 300 prints from each of my portraits has been Authorized by The Estate of Patsy Cline! The prints are of exceptional quality, not just a poster-type print. Each is numbered and signed by the artist includes a Certificate of Authenticity. They are sure to make a great addition to any Patsy fan's collection. I want to welcome fans to drop by my web site for a visit at www.tjeffries.com.

Thanks again to Per for helping get the word out! And for the fantastic Tribute to Patsy he has created! Celebrating Patsy, Todd Jeffries
Todd Jeffries <todd@tjeffries.com>
Atlanta, GA USA - Sunday, March 03, 2002 at 21:45:16 (MET)

"Always," 1925. In 1924 Berlin fell in love with socialite-journalist Ellin Mackay; as a wedding gift he assigned her the rights to this perennial. It transcends its waltz-schmaltz mood with a bridge that almost jumps off itself in ascending keys but manages to sound inevitable. The tune spawned two #1's (for Vincent Lopez and George Olsen) in its first incarnation. There were four more hit versions in 1944-45. In 1959 smooth Sammy Turner took the song to #2 on the R&B chart (#19 pop). Finally it became Patsy Cline's post-mortem anthem; the Virginia thrush's rendition hit #18 on the country chart in 1980, 17 years after her death. And still it didn't die: a tribute musical called "Patsy Cline... Always," with the song as its emotional centerpiece, played a two-year Nashville run that ended in 1995 - 70 years after the song was introduced.

Charlie and Julie are very active with Patsy's fans, and Julie posts here in the Fan Forum on occasion. Charlie attends the Fan Club weekend each September in Winchester, Virginia. I have posted an article about the 1998 Fan Club Weekend on this site. I have the same article, with pictures, on my Patsy Cline site (click on my name for the link).
Bill Cox <Clinetime2000@aol.com>
Knoxville, TN USA - Thursday, February 14, 2002 at 20:34:37 (MET)

Sirs:
My husband John and I visited Winchester on December 31, 2001, January 1 and January 2, 2002. We travelled out of our way to claim some of the memories of Patsy Cline in her own hometown. I must tell you that we were too affected by the insignificant respect that was given to her. Yes, I am a fan of Patsy Cline. But, I know that my connection to this spirit is deeper than mere FANaticism. I do not share my innermost thoughts and feelings readily. However, I shall always be among the first to celebrate genius. Patsy ranks as genius! I celebrate her.

I am thrilled to have even known OF Patsy. I did not even know that she lived here on this Earth until three short years ago. Restless one night and unable to sleep, I grabbed that demon called a controller and flicked on the tube. A&E was broadcasting a biography of her life. I was intrigued. Then, she sang, like no one has sung before. I was swallowed up by her uncanny ability to translate human emotion into musical note. God must have lent us an angel.

Some of you in Winchester (as I have experienced) will surely scoff and claim stories that deny angelic connection. Go ahead, but remember to be free of sin when you point that proverbial finger at another child of God. I consider my own life. I hope that I am a good Christian, yet I know that I, too, am haunted by the proverbial skeleton in the closet. I understand that skeleton. I believe that our Creator presents us with skeletons; they keep us in touch with our own fallibilities. So, let us leave those anomalies in the shadows where they belong and look at the blessings that we have been given, instead.

I shake my head in disbelief when I consider my visit to Winchester. So few people acknowledged Patsy's success. A resident in Gaunt's Drug Store at the time of my visit remarked, "She wasn't that good." How intensely foolish! Look at the records in the Country Music Hall of Fame. They proclaim to the world that she is THAT good, even better. Patsy has become the standard against which all others are measured. We need such standards. We need standards of excellence to emulate. How else can we continue to develop quality in achievement?

Too few people in Winchester appreciate Patsy's contributions to this world. Not many people even know enough of her magnificence. A young resident waitress at Chile's unsuredly replied, "Didn't she go to Handley High a little while ago?" How can folks of Winchester be so complacent? How can some of the folks of Winchester be so affected by the green-eyed monster? Toss all that shallow sickness aside! Claim the priceless legend of Patsy as your own! Brag of her accomplishments: pioneer in the "Nashville sound", insistor of equality in women's rights, translator of emotion into the realm of sung words. God, I can go on and on. I recognize her impact upon so many venues in our time. Why is it so difficult for those of Winchester to do the same?

I am simply a person who lives her life in the hopes that people will treat me with the same respect that I give them. It seems to me that Patsy understood this - a simple Christian principle. Yet, those of Winchester have not answered her in kind. It is time, Winchester, to stand up and claim this marvel as your own. Celebrate her life. Celebrate her connection with Winchester. Celebrate her fame as your own. Embrace her magic. Let it flood your being as it has flooded mine. Cry out that a child of yours is so graced to affect the rest of this world in such an enriching fashion.

I close my eyes and conjure up visions of Patsy. I see her clipping down South Kent Street towards Handley High School. I watch her dark, soft curls bob about her milky white face. Those ruby red, wet lips invite every anxious teen boy to taste their excellence. Her snug and temptuous clothing excite ageless minds with her voluptuous curves - soft and sensuous - a dream unfolding before your eyes. Wow! That, alone, is a talent worth celebrating! Now, consider Patsy's voice and her songful interpretations. I am lost for words. The world is lost for comparison.

I linger here, longing to be comforted by her so sweet sound. I play her songs, and I am transported in time to the halls of the Ryman Auditorium where Patsy stands and challenges you to defy your connection with her. She wins, each and every time. One cannot deny her superior position with the gods of musical notes. I wanted to purchase a CD of Patsy's hits - just to have purchased it in her hometown of Winchester would have been exhilarating! However, I could not find a copy of her most famous releases in her own hometown of Winchester. No, the CD was not bought out. It was simply absent. How very sad for Winchester! I searched through Wal-Mart (2 copies of some album), Target (6 copies of another album), Fye in Apple blossom Mall (6 selections with few copies), Kurtz Cultural Center (no CDs - a few cassettes), and the Visitor's Center (the best selection and information of all - but inadequate). We visited a number of other sites; no store carried enough of Patsy's work. SHAME ON WINCHESTER!!!

How much revenue are you willing to caste aside for neglecting Patsy Cline? I tell you, if Patsy was from my town, I would offer too much merchandise to promote her connection with me. I would advertise and solicit fans to join me in celebrating her accomplishments. I would advertise and invite everyone to join me in sharing her life and contributions to our world. I would praise her and challenge outsiders to meet her neighbors. Tell me, Winchester, what have you done to celebrate Patsy Cline? Occasions in September and October are stupendous - but, they are not enough! The celebration must be CONTINUOUS! When will you be graced with such exception, again? The rest of the world is waiting for their turn!!!!!!!

My husband and I stayed at the Hampton Inn in Winchester - very close to Patsy Cline Boulevard. Nothing in that building acknowledged her connection with the town. People at Hampton Inn, construct some center of information about her. Offer some of her CDs for purchase. Position someone with information of her to invite the rest of the world to enjoy her.

"Doc" - at Gaunt's Drug Store - I thank you for the memorabilia that you share with residents and visitors. However, secure some of Patsy's CDs for sale. You will enjoy the profits of sale, and, at the same time, promote Patsy, Gaunt's Drug Store, and your town. Place a very large sign in your window, claiming your business as a Patsy landmark. You can attract many visitors with your enthusiasm. We, my husband and I, spent more than 200 dollars in your store on Patsy memorabilia. We would have spent more, if you had carried any of her music. Remember to stock the CD of her greatest hits. Let's promote her accomplishments by adding to the tally of her most successful release. Help to return her to the position that she commanded for years in the country music world.

People of the Kurtz Cultural Center, always stock a selection of Patsy's CDs for your visitors, especially her greatest hits. While I was there, I looked for her music. Only a few tapes were available - a fading art form. An older gentleman was visiting at the time of my visit. He, too, was looking for some of her CDs. I sent him to the Visitor's Center. You lost out on at least two sales that afternoon - in a span of 15 minutes... What unknown financial losses did you incur for the day?

I have walked down South Kent Street. What a wonder! It invites you to step back in time and visit an era that has long passed. It welcomes you to Patsy's past and allows you to understand her roots. A battlefield from the Civil War holds a treasure of history, but, one cannot touch and view the environment of time past like one can do on South Kent Street. I stood across from her childhood home and desperately wondered what it was like INSIDE. There it still stands, but I could not get in. Let me get close to such a wonder! When will you purchase and transform that pulsing site into a musical and social historic site? It throbs with relevance. Share it with the rest of us!

On South Kent Street, you are transfixed by its ambiance, swept away to a time still resounding in its cobblestone walkways. Streets have risen with years of pavement to kiss the thresholds of homes lining a nestled community. Patsy's home is still there - it begs you to come in. One small home after another hugs each other in relative bond. They stand together announcing the celebrity of their issue. Did you ever read the poem, "The Donkey"? The donkey is a stupid beast of burden. Yet, it was chosen to carry Jesus Christ into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday. This poem conjures up thoughts of Patsy for me. She was from the "wrong" side of the tracks. Blue blooded Virginians must understand this. Yet, Patsy, like the donkey, celebrated a success that was awarded to so few in all of creation.

As I sit here, punching these tiny keys of my keyboard, thoughts of Patsy Cline flood my head. I am haunted by her magnificence. Stories vary about her life - it is of no real significance. The issue that must be addressed is that she, whatever her history, is undeniably essential to the development of country music in our world. Her influence in music is not restricted to the States. Look at the rest of the world. Per Jonsson lives in Sweden, yet, he maintains her fan site. As I travelled to Europe this spring, I met people from around this globe called Earth. England has loved her as long as we have loved her. Belgium is fascinated with her sound. Korea knows and respects her. I can go on, but it is unnecessary. Know that she lives on!

Now, tell me, what is the problem with her own hometown of Winchester, Virginia? People of Winchester, WAKE UP!!!!!!!! Can Winchester not appreciate excellence when it whacks its residents alongside of their heads? How often does God send such a gift to us? He has graced us with her talents. Understand that and revel in the glory! You are not coerced to love His instrument - Patsy Cline - but, know that you are losing floods of richness in your lives. Would you deny celebrating the talents of your own blood? I think not!

So, embrace this unique and wonderful gift - Patsy Cline - Ginny - whatever you wish to call her. But, please, call out her name. Make it known to the rest of the world that she is from you! Celebrate her, and you will celebrate Winchester. Remember, Patsy celebrated you - "Come right in, sit right down, and make yourself at home."

Truly,

Norma Phelps <norma.phelps@psinet.com>
Willington, CT USA - Friday, January 11, 2002 at 18:35:38 (MET)

The phone number will not continue and the street address will not continue. We will have more information in the future about fax numbers and so forth. Please continue to feel free to contact us. Just because we are making "office space" changes doesn't mean that we are not going to be here. Again I want to Thank You all for being so wonderful. It is because of you that Mom is so well remembered and loved. You're the best. Thanks Per! Couldn't do this without you! Love always, Julie Fudge & the family...
Julie Fudge <LegacyInc@home.com>
Nashville, TN USA - Monday, December 31, 2001 at 18:33:44 (MET)