cover image Patsy: The Life and Times of Patsy Cline

Patsy: The Life and Times of Patsy Cline

Margaret Jones. HarperCollins Publishers, $23 (335pp) ISBN 978-0-06-016696-0

The turbulent life of the country music star whose popularity continues long after her death in 1963 is chronicled in this biography with compelling sympathy and an attention to detail that will appeal to fans. Cline's stuggle to develop a unique country act began in Winchester, Va., in a musical, if dysfunctional, family. According to Jones, a PW contributing editor, ``a home environment charged with guilt, shame and fear'' led by an abusive father had a direct bearing on the marital problems and hard drinking of Cline's adult years. At the time of her death in a car accident at age 30, Cline was a headliner at Nashville's Grand Ole Opry, a multimillion-dollar recording star and an influence on a generation of country singers with classics like ``Crazy'' and ``Walking After Midnight.'' This sad story follows the grueling hardships and remarkable triumphs of a legendary country musician. Discography included. Photos not seen by PW. $25,000 ad/promo; author tour. (July)