Me & Patsy Kickin’ Up Dust: My Friendship with Patsy Cline

A cracking good storyteller, Grammy Award–winning songwriter and singer Lynn reminisces on her friendship with country music legend Patsy Cline (1932–1963) in this humorous and loving memoir. Holding nothing back, Lynn (Loretta Lynn: Coal Miner’s Daughter) shares stories of Cline’s generosity—she sewed curtains for Lynn’s first house—and her fierce way of speaking her mind. By the time the two met in 1961, Cline was already a star, while Lynn’s career was just beginning. When Lynn signed with Decca Records that year, she felt like just one of many singers trying to make it in country music, and it never crossed her mind that she could become famous. After she learned that Cline was nearly killed in a car accident, Lynn performed at the Grand Ole Opry and sang a song Cline had just released titled “I Fall to Pieces.” When Cline heard Lynn on the radio, she sent for Lynn, and they soon discovered how much they had in common: they were the same age, they both grew up poor, and both had to grow up too fast. Over the course of their friendship, Cline taught Lynn how to handle grabby men like bluegrass musician Bill Monroe, as well as how to take control of her own business affairs, how to drive, and, ultimately, how to stand up for herself. Recalling Cline’s death in a 1963 plane crash, Lynn writes, “Reliving all the times Patsy and I had together for this book has been good, but it’s also reopened that feeling of empty sadness.” As in her songwriting, Lynn imbues her tribute with honesty and tenderness. (Apr.)