Patsy Cline, 'Greatest TV Performances' CD Collects Iconic Hits

Posted Nov 15th 2012 8:30AM by Stephen L. Betts
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Michael Ochs Archive

Patsy Cline, one of country music's most recognizable stars around the world, was among the first to take advantage of the early phenomenon of television in the late 1950s and early '60s, appearing on a handful of popular series showcasing country music. Now, for the first time ever, 14 audio recordings of her best-loved songs, performed during various TV appearances during her lifetime, have been collected on a single CD, Patsy Cline on the Air: Her Greatest TV Performances, released this week (Nov. 13).

Issued by Universal Music Enterprises, the CD includes her performance of the crossover hit, "Walking After Midnight," on "Country Style U.S.A." from February 1962. Several songs performed on the "Pet Milk Grand Ole Opry" are among the collection, including her performance of "Crazy," the 1961 smash penned by then-unknown songwriter Willie Nelson.

Other songs on the CD taken from "Pet Milk Grand Ole Opry" telecasts include "She's Got You," "Strange," "A Church, a Courtroom, Then Goodbye," "So Wrong," "Why Can't He Be You" and more. The set also features a Feb. 18, 1963, appearance on the show -- her last -- singing her version of Bill Monroe's "Blue Moon of Kentucky," and her Top 10 hit, "Leavin' on Your Mind."

Of special note is the Feb. 28, 1963, guest spot on the "Glenn Reeves Show," during which Patsy performed "San Antonio Rose" and her 1961 country-pop classic, "I Fall to Pieces." She was killed in a plane crash five days after that appearance. She was just 30 years old. Elected to the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1973, Patsy is the subject of an extensive exhibit currently on display at the Hall of Fame and Museum, set to run through June 2013.

Patsy Cline On the Air also features an essay by noted author and editor Holly George-Warren.

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