Patsy Cline (St. Clair)

Patsy Cline

In an era when female country music stars were few and far between, Patsy Cline not only took the country world by storm but also redefined the genre. Her tremendous popularity opened the door through which a legion of followers poured, while her gorgeous, sophisticated vocals and lush instrumental settings helped drag country music out of the mountains into the city. Cline died in a 1963 airplane crash, cutting short what would no doubt have been a long and extremely successful career.