Tragic Facts About Patsy Cline, Music’s Fallen Star
Patsy Cline was a trailblazer who was destined to make country music history—but sadly, she met a shocking and early end.
1. She Was Tragic
Patsy Cline wasn’t just a woman in country music, she was the woman in country music. The one who sang her way out of a horrific childhood, poverty, near death experiences, messy relationships, and the industry’s “men only” gates.
But through it all, Patsy couldn’t stop having eerie premonitions—and when they came true, music would never be the same.
2. She Had Troubled Parents
Patsy’s life gave her endless material for sad songs from its start in 1932. We don’t have to look any further than her parents Hilda and Samuel Hensley. Samuel was a 41-year-old widower and deadbeat dad to a set of kids from his previous marriage. Hilda was the 16-year-old he rushed to marry months before Patsy’s birth—and then, he became even more wicked.
3. She Had An Evil Dad
Patsy Cline grew up with two Great Depressions—the economic one, and the one her dad caused. Samuel’s job hunting led to the family moving around Virginia 19 times. The only thing they could rely on him for was drunkenness and brutality.
Patsy had it the worst, and Samuel abused her in every way. Her way out was unexpected and dangerous.
4. Her Heart Stopped
Patsy’s vocals had a one-of-a-kind origin story. Rheumatic fever and throat infections hospitalized the 13-year-old—and then stopped her heart. It looked like the three Hensley siblings were about to become two. But the aspiring singer woke up, opened her mouth, and shocked everyone.
Her voice wasn’t the same—it was even better. She needed this silver lining, because her life was about to get even more depressing.
