Patsy Cline is best known for two things: being one of the first country artists to successfully cross over into pop music and her untimely death at age 30 in a plane crash.
But for our family, she’s also a distant relative on my mom’s side. Her birth name was Hensley, my mom’s maiden name.
Last week, we took a family trip to her home in Winchester, Virginia, a beautiful fall day trip away from Washington, DC. Our tour of the house revealed several fascinating connections between Patsy and DC, even though she never lived there.
1) It was instrumental in her early career.
Patsy Cline got her first big break performing on Connie B. Gay’s “Town and Country Time”, which was filmed in Washington, DC. Her act garnered industry interest, and she signed her first record contract at age 22.
2) It’s where she made her first demos.
Patsy recorded her initial demos at Tru-Tone Studios on Georgia Avenue. The studio was owned by Ben Adelman, a former US Navy Band member. He later gave those demos to 4 Star Records, who gave Patsy her first record contract.
3) She visited a Coca-Cola plant here.
While the plant no longer stands, you can still find photos from her visit. They were used as part of a promotional shoot because who wouldn’t want to drink the same thing as Patsy Cline?
Despite her short career, Patsy Cline made a huge impact on the early country and pop music industries. Taking a day trip to Winchester to tour her house is a great way to get out of the city during the continued government shutdown, especially if you like music history.
To learn more about the Patsy Cline house, visit their website. It’s open for tours through October 31st, and will reopen again in April.
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