Crazy Introduction

In a Nutshell

Patsy Cline was not your average country star.

By all accounts, she had a huge personality, a heart of gold, and an extremely hard life. She sang with a singular intensity, and gave her all on stage and in person. She cried during performances, swore at producers, and fought hard for her career.

Before all that, Patsy Cline—born Virginia Patterson Hensley—survived childhood abuse, poverty, and a series of broken relationships with men. When she finally climbed to fame after years of singing in obscurity on a bad recording contract, it was on the force of songs like "Crazy," a simple, tragic country tune that drips with Patsy's sadness, sass, and strength.

Then, less than two years after she finally attained superstardom, Patsy Cline was dead.

Before that fateful plane crash, she'd told a fellow musician, "Honey, I've had two bad ones. The third one will either be a charm or it'll kill me." (Source)

She was talkin' about accidents, and it sure wasn't the charm. And that was only the tip of the iceberg in this series of unfortunate events.

About the Song

Shmoop Connections

With charisma that's been compared to Elvis' and talent that places her among the biggest names in country music, Patsy Cline is one of the most legendary singers in country music history.

Her friend and confidante Loretta Lynn followed close on her heels, but it was Patsy who first showed that a woman could be a country music superstar. Her trailblazing paved the way for the blockbuster careers of Dolly Parton, Shania Twain, and Taylor Swift.

Her premature death also made her a tragic legend, a female Hank Williams in the minds of some. What was it that made Patsy Cline and her version of "Crazy" so special to fans back then? And how does a legacy created in just a few short years live on today?

On the Charts

"Crazy" was Patsy Cline's biggest crossover hit, making it to #9 on the Billboard Hot 100.

"Crazy" charted at #2 on the Hot Country chart and #2 on the Adult Contemporary chart.

Proving Cline's lasting legacy, the soundtrack to a Cline biopic, Sweet Dreams, hit #6 on the Country Albums chart in 1987. Cline's 12 Greatest Hits album charted at #27 on the Country Albums in 1990, nearly 30 years after her death.

In 1973, Patsy Cline became the first woman inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame. The Hall of Fame website calls "Crazy" "the #1 jukebox hit of all time." (Source)

Cline is ranked at #46 on Rolling Stone's 100 Greatest Singers of All Time list.