It’s rare that I visit a place only for it to shutter once I get to writing about it, but that is sadly what has happened with the Patsy Cline Museum in Nashville. Located in the same building as the Johnny Cash Museum that I wrote about earlier, the Patsy Cline Museum closed yesterday to clear space for an expansion of the Johnny Cash Museum. I hope that this post gives you a glimpse into Cline’s wonderful career, but tragic life, and inspires you to visit your own local museums, since they are nearly always at risk of closing, especially as government grants continue to evaporate. So far there has been no information on what is happening to the artifacts, but I hope to update this post once information is released. In the meantime enjoy this look into the now closed Patsy Cline Museum.

Born Virginia Patterson Hensley in Virginia, she began singing locally, later adopting the name “Patsy.” But before hitting it big, she waited tables at her local drug store, Gaunt’s, one of the booths she served reminds visitors that the trope of being a server while waiting to become a star is very real.

When Patsy took to the stage to perform she often donned costumes made by her mother, Hilda, who was an accomplished seamstress. Often Patsy designed the costumes herself, and embellished them with rhinestones. The brown suede ensemble above is believed to be the oldest surviving costume of Patsy’s.

While mostly remembered as a country star, Patsy was a true crossover artist, with hits like “Walkin’ After Midnight” that charted on both country and pop lists in 1957. Her rise landed her on some of the biggest stages, includuing The Grand Ole Opry, Carnegie Hall and the Hollywood Bowl, along with several television performances. She is perhaps best remembered for her song “Crazy” written by a young Willie Nelson.

Sadly, Patsy’s life was cut short when she died in a plane crash in 1963 at just 30. While she was gone too soon, she became the first solo female artist inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame, would go on to inspire generations of female country music artists, and in 1985 had a film made about her life with Jessica Lang as Patsy titled Sweet Dreams.

While based in California, Nudie Cohn was the most in demand tailor for country and western stars, including those based in the south. Nudie is credited with being the first to apply rhinestones to western attire, creating an enduring tradition that continues with musicians to this day. As mentioned, most of Patsy’s costumes were made by her mother, but she had purchased a few off-the-rack neckerchiefs and possibly boots from Nudie, and in February of 1963 she wrote to him requesting two costumes. Nudie wrote back, agreeing to do the pieces, just one day before her accident. During the brief revival of Nudie’s, the pieces were finally made in Patsy’s honor in 2017.

It’s sad that the Patsy Cline Museum has shuttered, but I hope that a new location is found, so her legacy can live on and give fans of hers a place to see such unique pieces of her life.

Sources
Davis, Molly. “Nashville’s Patsy Cline Museum to close and make way for Johnny Cash Museum expansion.” The Tennesseean, 14 April 2023.
“Patsy Cline.” Country Music Hall of Fame.
Information on site.