Singer Patsy Cline helped create the Nashville sound, a crossover between country and pop, in the 1950s and 1960s. But in 1963, she died in a plane crash at just 30 years old.
Still, her legacy lives on. And it’s continuing to grow with a new album, “Imagine That: The Lost Recordings (1954-1963).” It includes live tracks that have never been released until now, from live performances during her early days to the big hits from her prime.
Music historian and lifelong fan George Hewitt said that the unreleased songs came from all over; some were held in private collections, while others came from institutions like the Grand Ole Opry and the Country Music Hall of Fame.
“We’re very fortunate that many of these recordings were saved for posterity,” Hewitt said.
Julie Fudge, Cline’s daughter, said fans have been asking for new music from Cline for decades.
“This is something that, exactly like the title says — ‘Imagine That’,” Fudge said. “We never imagined that this day would come where we would have something that had not already been released or had not already been heard of, and that’s exactly what we’ve ended up with here.”
4 questions with George Hewitt and Julie Fudge
Tell us about Cline’s early career.
George Hewitt: “The tenacity, the confidence, I think was there from day one. And you know, Patsy learned to belt the way she did at the roadhouses she was at.
“I believe she famously once told one of the members of The Jordanaires — her vocal backup group — Ray Walker, that ‘the beat has kept me eating.’
“She really honed her craft those early days on the road. And one of the things about this new set is it’s mostly comprised of live performances on stage and on television and radio, and you can just hear the joy she derived from performing. I think it must have been her favorite thing in this world to get up on stage in front of a crowd and just really touch people through music.”
So many of Cline’s songs were about heartbreak and betrayal. Were those themes present in her personal life?
Julie Fudge: “I’m sure that any of us could say we’ve had those days. Life wasn’t a bed of roses at that time. Actually, she never saw a ton of what you would really consider success.
“She was raised in a poorer neighborhood. She didn’t have both parents around while she grew. Then to go into a marriage that, not that it was that bad, it just wasn’t what she wanted. Her first marriage was short, and it just didn’t fulfill what she imagined her life would be like. So, she went into a second marriage, which had everything she wanted, and yet it was a little trouble now and then is the way that you would imagine it. She did not live an easy life.”
George, you’ve been a fan of Cline since you were a child. What drew you to her?
Hewitt: “My earliest memory of hearing recorded music is at the tender age of 4, my mom taught me how to use the record player, the family record player. And my earliest memory of music is hearing Patsy singing ‘She’s Got You.’
“There’s something so hypnotic about the way she handles that song and the arrangement that Owen Bradley gave her on that number with the famous members of The Nashville A-Team of musicians, and it just reached down inside me and it struck a chord. And we’ve been connected ever since.
“I think she performed as she lived: very honestly. There’s a lot of both personal and artistic integrity with Patsy Cline and her musical legacy. And she taught me a lot about life and love through her music.
“I built a discography website for her and fans started coming forward. Collectors would email me with questions about her recordings and offering rare items. And that’s how all of this got started, and it’s been a lifelong fascination for me.”
Julie, you were just 4 years old when your mother died. When you hear her music, what comes to mind?
“It makes her very alive. These are original recordings that are just as if you’re watching it today, and it keeps her alive.
“This is a whole new breadth and a whole new taste. And I’m just very happy that I’ve been able to see this come about.”
This interview has been edited for clarity.
____
Julia Corcoran produced and edited this segment for broadcast with Todd Mundt. Grace Griffin adapted it for the web.
This article was originally published on WBUR.org.
Copyright 2025 WBUR