Sunday, February 19, 2006
PATSY CLINE LIVES!
I went to see a Patsy Cline tribute show on Saturday night at the Little Theater in Sullivan. I am always a little reticent about these things because sometimes the production is so poor it really isn't a tribute to the artist at all. I know some of the supposed tributes have the artist looking down and saying, "didn't I suffer enough during my life?" NOT this one!
Patsy, played by Katie Deal of Gainesville GA, was truly taking us on a walk through the past. At times, she sounded just like my Patsy Cline CDs. It was spectacular which is what I told her after the show.
I think what I really admire most about Patsy's story is that she really was just a hillbilly from Winchester Virginia who could sing like an angel. She refused to change her country-girl, down home sense of self even when performing for an increasingly non-country audience. Her voice could convey all the human emotions to her listening audience was another reason I think she was so popular.
Patsy was who she was. And if you treat simple country folk like they are "simple" then you do so at your own peril. Patsy's songs transformed not just country music but popular music as well. It did not transform her. She remained true to her roots which cannot be said of many contemporary artists today.
Katie was backed up by Kevin Murray who was absolutely hilarious as the "comic". And her band Daniel Oliver on piano, Josh Patterson on guitar, and Gil Hunter on drums.
When Murray, playing the DJ of WINC radio station, announced Patsy's death on March 5, 1963 in a plane crash towards the end of the show, you felt like you had lost a friend, that's how moving the performance was.
Then Deal came out and sang Just A Closer Walk With Thee for the finale, you really might have had to believe in reincarnation. WOW! Small town girl makes GREAT!
Patsy, played by Katie Deal of Gainesville GA, was truly taking us on a walk through the past. At times, she sounded just like my Patsy Cline CDs. It was spectacular which is what I told her after the show.
I think what I really admire most about Patsy's story is that she really was just a hillbilly from Winchester Virginia who could sing like an angel. She refused to change her country-girl, down home sense of self even when performing for an increasingly non-country audience. Her voice could convey all the human emotions to her listening audience was another reason I think she was so popular.
Patsy was who she was. And if you treat simple country folk like they are "simple" then you do so at your own peril. Patsy's songs transformed not just country music but popular music as well. It did not transform her. She remained true to her roots which cannot be said of many contemporary artists today.
Katie was backed up by Kevin Murray who was absolutely hilarious as the "comic". And her band Daniel Oliver on piano, Josh Patterson on guitar, and Gil Hunter on drums.
When Murray, playing the DJ of WINC radio station, announced Patsy's death on March 5, 1963 in a plane crash towards the end of the show, you felt like you had lost a friend, that's how moving the performance was.
Then Deal came out and sang Just A Closer Walk With Thee for the finale, you really might have had to believe in reincarnation. WOW! Small town girl makes GREAT!
