ALWAYS PATSY CLINE Glossary October 2017, Jewel Theatre ... · PDF filePATSY CLINE Glossary October 2017, Jewel Theatre Company Shaun Carroll ... Sol Hensley (above) ... , Sol had

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ALWAYSPATSYCLINEGlossaryOctober2017,JewelTheatreCompanyShaunCarroll,DirectorSusanMyerSilton,DramaturgeNote:thisglossarynotonlyprovidesworddefinitions,butincludesadditionalinformationrelevanttotheplayanditscharactersKey:DJ(discjockey),LA(LosAngeles),NYC(NewYorkCity),UK(UnitedKingdom),US(UnitedStates),WWI(WorldWarI)ACTICast,p.5 AllpagenumbersrefertothenumbersimprintedonthescriptinthelowerrightofthepagePatsyCline:PatsyClinewasbornVirginiaPattersonHensleyonSeptember8,1932,intheWinchester(Virginia)MemorialHospital.ShediedinaplanecrashMarch6,1963inthehillcountrynearCamden,Tennessee,attheageof30,justashercareerwasatitshighestpeak.CountryperformersHawkshawHawkinsandCowboyCopasdiedwithher,asdidhermanager,RandyHughes.HugheswaspilotingalloftheminhisPiperComanchehomefromabenefitconcertinKansasCity,KansasforJackWesleyCall,akaCactusJack,oneofCountryswell-knownMidwesternDJs,whohaddiedinacarcrashamonthearlier.AlsoperformingintheshowwereGeorgeJones,GeorgeRiddleandTheJonesBoys,BillyWalker,DottieWest,WilmaLeeandStoneyCooper,GeorgeMcCormick,andtheClinchMountain.AccordingtoMargaretJonesinherbiography,Patsy:TheLifeandTimesofPatsyCline,Countrypeoplearefamousforcomingtotheaidofthoseinneed.

SamandHildashomeinGore,wheretheylivedbeforePatsysbirth

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WhenPatsywasborn,herparentshadbeenmarriedforsixdays.Hermother,HildaVirginiaPattersonwas15yearsold.HildametSamuelLawrenceHensley,43,awidowerfromhisfirstmarriage,whileheworkedinasandmineinElkton,Virginia.TheiraddresswaslistedasGore,asettlementofflintyhillfolk(Patsy:TheLifeandTimesofPatsyCline)intheheavilywoodedmountainsneartheWestVirginialine.AfewweeksafterVirginia,orGinny,wasborn,SammovedherandHildabacktoSolsburg,thefamilyestatejustoutsideofElkton,onthebanksoftheShenandoahRiver.TheimpressivehomesteadwasbuiltbySolomonJobeHensley,Patsyspaternalgrandfather.TheHensleyswereamongVirginiasfirstfamilies;theytakeupfourcolumnsintheElktontelephonebook.

SolHensley(above)andSamHensley(below)duringWWI

Solwasoneoftheoriginalhillbilliesathird-generationVirginian,bornonhisgranddaddysfarm,HensleyHollow,deepintheheavilywoodedBlueRidgeMountains.Bythetimehestartedafamily,Solhadalreadytransformedhimselfintoacountrysquire,withathousandacresofprimeRockinghamCountyfarmlanddistributedoverthreefarms.Hisfortuneswouldchange,however,ultimatelycontributingtothedemiseofthefamilydynastyhehadbuilt.SouthernagriculturedeclinedafterWWI,exacerbatedfurtherbyaseveredrought.Thencamethestockmarketcrashof1929,andtheGreatDepression,whichdebilitatedthefewproductivefarmsthatremained.Buriedinunsellablegoodsandmortgageforeclosures,hewasforcedtounloadhislandinbitsandchunks.Atthesametime,Solgotinvolvedinascandalwithafifteen-year-oldgirlfromElkton.Her

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GoldieandJamesPatterson,Patsysmaternalgrandparents

familyextractedasubstantialamountofmoneyforhisindiscretion.WhenPatsywasborn,theironyofthesituationpromptedfolksinElktontoremark,Likefather,likeson,althoughSam,unlikeSol,couldntbuyhiswayout.Sam,thefirstbornson,wasindeedlikehisfatherinmanyways,inheritinghishandsomelooks,pride,musicalability,aggression,independence,extravaganttaste,ungodly,uncontrollabletemper(Patsy:TheLifeandTimesofPatsyCline)andtyrannicalpatriarchalattitude.Amasterblacksmith,hewasalsoanexpertwheelwright,horseshoer,toolmaker,quarrymanandgeneralmechanic.Hisgreatestgift,however,washissinging.Hehadinherited,ashewouldpassontoPatsyandhisotherchildren,theHensleymusicaltalent.Heplayedthepiano,andinhisstrong,sweettenorwithitslucid,almosttheatricaldiction,hesangalwayssoloinweeklymutigenerationalfamilysongfestsandthechurchchoir.ThedayaftertheUSenteredWWI,Samenlisted.HewouldparticipateincombatintheArgonneForest,oneofWWIsbloodiestbattles.Hereturnedchanged,withanewedgetohisalreadyformidabletemper.Theslightestthingswouldsethimoff,andhebegantogoonharddrinkingbingesthatlastedtheentireweekend.ItwasaroundthistimethatSammarriedhisfirstwife,WynonaJones.Shewaspregnantwiththeirfourthchildwhenshediedinacaraccident,alsolosingthebaby.Hewasdevastated,anditdidnthelpthat,inthewakeofWynonasdeath,hisfatherwasswiftlylosingthefamilyfortune.Samwouldvirtuallyabandonhischildrentoahousekeeperwholateradoptedthem,and

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joinotherDepression-eranomads,livinginhiscarandtravelingtodifferentstatestoworkonfarms,quarriesandtherailroad.ItwasduringareturnvisittohishometownthathemetPatsysmother,thefifteen-year-olddark-hairedbeauty,Hilda.Theirunionwastempestuous,characterizedbyviolentdisputesthatwerefueledbySamsdrinking.Theimpoverishedfamily,whichwouldsoonincludeanotherdaughter,Sylviaandson,SamJr.,calledJohn,becameitinerant.Theycouldntpaytheirrent,sotheydmovesometimestwoorthreetimesayearintosomebighousethatsatempty(Patsy:TheLife

AyoungGinnyHensley(Patsy)andherbrother,SamHensleyJr.,calledJohnbythefamily

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andTimesofPatsyCline),vacatedbyitsownerswhosoughtworkoutsidetheareatheylivedduringtheDepression.Asaresult,Patsyhadsporadicschooling,droppingoutnearlyeverygradebecausethefamilymovednineteentimeswhenshewasgrowingup.Shedroppedoutforthelasttimeinhersophomoreyearofhighschool.

PatsyatJohnHandleyHighSchool,inthelastschoolphotoshewouldtake,1947

Withinayear,thefamilywouldstopsquattinginabandonedhouses,andmoveintoarun-downduplexoncrowdedKentStreetinWinchester,whereDepression-eraruralfamiliesmovedwhentheylefttheirhardscrabblefarms,hopingtofindworkinthecity.SouthKentStreetwasconsideredthewrongsideofthetracks.Becauseshewasfromthere,PatsywaslookeddownuponbythepeopleofWinchesterherentirelife,evenaftersheachievedrenownandsuccess.WhenshewonArthurGodfreysTalentScoutShowin1957withWalkinAfterMidnight,theWinchesterEveningStarnoted,shelivesat608S.KentSt.,withsuchtalentandability,asiftalentcomingfromsuchanaddresswasunheardof.Threeyearslater,whenshehadherhitIFalltoPieces,sheperformedattheWinchesterDrive-Inbetweenthefeaturedmovies.Thepeoplewatchingleanedontheircarhornsandbooedher.EventhoughshehadmadeanameforherselfandhadalreadyperformedattheGrandOleOpry,theymadefunofher.Shebrokedowncryingandthemanagertookhertohistrailer.Sheaskedhim,WhydopeopleinWinchestertreatmelikethis?MargaretJonesstartsher1994biographywithanimagethatspeakstothedisdainWinchesterhadforPatsywhileshewasaliveandforyearsafterherdeath.InJones

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vignette,Patsyistwenty-fiveyearsold,andridingonthetopofthebackseatofaredOldsmobileconvertibleintheAppleBlossomFestivalparadeinherhometownofWinchester.ThisisherthirdtimeintheannualMayparadethefirsttwotimes,hernamewasomittedfromtheprogram.Insteadofthecowgirloutfitsheworeinherpreviousparadeoutings,asanodtohernewly-mintedstatusasapopsingingsensation,sheisattiredinhercrossoverlookofatight,red,straplesstwo-piecesequinedoutfit,rhinestoneearringsandhighheels.Shehasreturnedintriumph,havingrecentlyandsingularlybrokentheapplause-o-meteronArthurGodfreys"TalentScouts"whilesinging"Walkin'AfterMidnight"beforeacombinedradioandTVaudienceof82millionpeople.Thesonghasalreadyclimbedtothetopofthepopandcountrycharts.

Patsyinthe1957AppleBlossomParade

InthepictureJohnsonpaints,PatsyisnotthequeenofthisparadeherconvertibleisfarbehindMissAnneDeniseDoughty-Tichbornesmassivefloat.TheQueenoftheAppleBlossoms,theidealofSouthernwomanhood,doesnthailfromWinchesterasPatsydoes,notevenfromtherightsideofthetracks.Forthatmatter,sheisntevenfromtheSouth.HerMajestyQueenShenandoahXXXhappenstobea19-year-oldEnglishwomanwithunimpeachablecredentials,apedigreeandanaristocraticbackgroundnoneofwhichPatsyhas.Astheparadecomesintoitshomestretch,Patsyandsomeofherfriendsinthecrowdcanclearlyhearthecatcallsdirectedmockinglyather.Concerned,herfriendsseekheroutaftertheparadeisoverandfindheronasidestreet.Sheiscompletelyaloneevenherdriverhaddesertedher.Theparadeover,sheisignoredagain.

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