inmemoriam

IN MEMORIAM

MARCH 5, 1963
was the darkest day in country music history ...
Patsy Cline,
Cowboy Copas, Hawkshaw Hawkins and Randy Hughes
were killed in a plane crash near Camden, Tennessee

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Grand Ole Opry Memorial
March 9, 1963 ~

for Patsy Cline, Cowboy Copas, Hawkshaw
Hawkins and Randy Hughes
Among the stars, from left, Merle Kilgore,
Sonny James, Lonzo & Oscar (foreground,
next to piano), Porter Wagoner, Buck Trent
(next to piano), Jack Greene (behind Trent),
Marvin Hughes (at piano), the Jordanaires
(at left microphone), Roy Acuff (behind right
microphone), Ernest Tubb (right of Acuff),
Teddy Wilburn of the Wilburn Brothers and
Oswald (far right, holding hat). Minnie Pearl,
out of photo, had the hardest job. Under the
axiom "The show must go on," she went on
at the end of the tribute and did comedy.

Sunday, March 3, 1963 : Kansas City

Patsy on stage at Memorial Auditorium
for benefit concert. This is one of the last
photos taken of Patsy Cline.

[ Courtesy of Alfredda Rhodes and Erma Schofield ]

LEST THEY BE FORGOTTEN ...

These stars of country
   music and the Grand Ole
   Opry persished with Patsy
   Cline on March 5, 1963.

COWBOY COPAS ~
He was Randy's father-in-law

HAWKSHAW HAWKINS ~
He was married to country star
Jean Shepard

RANDY HUGHES ~
He was married to Cowboy
Copas' daughter Kathy

Fans pay tribute
in Nashville at cemetery
sites of Cowboy Copas,
Hawkshaw Hawkins
and Randy Hughes

FOR AN APPRECIATION OF THE CAREER OF PATSY CLINE,
A REMEMBRANCE BY CLOSE FRIEND FAYE MORGAN,
A STARTLING STORY OF EVENTS ON THE NIGHT OF MARCH 5, 1963,
NASHVILLE NEWSPAPER HEADLINES
AND
A TRIBUTE TO PATSY'S MOM,
HILDA HENSLEY . . .