Which country singer was born Virginia Patterson Hensley?

Patsy Cline was born Virginia Patterson Hensley.

She was born on September 8, 1932, in Winchester, Virginia, and later adopted the stage name Patsy Cline. “Patsy” came from her middle name, Patterson, while “Cline” came from her first marriage to Gerald Cline. Her powerful contralto voice helped make her one of the defining singers of early 1960s country music.

Cline’s major hits included “Walkin’ After Midnight,” “I Fall to Pieces,” and “Crazy.” “Crazy” was written by Willie Nelson, who was then a young songwriter. Cline’s recordings also helped bring country singing to a broader pop audience through the Nashville sound.

Cline died in a plane crash near Camden, Tennessee, on March 5, 1963. She was only 30. Her short career nevertheless had a lasting influence, and she became one of the first female solo artists inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame, in 1973.