Paul Kingsbury, one of the country’s leading experts on Patsy Cline and country music, will discuss the singer’s career in a lecture, “Patsy Cline’s Search for a Hit Sound.”
Winchester, VA 09/12/13…Paul Kingsbury, one of the country’s leading experts on Patsy Cline and country music, will discuss the singer’s career in a lecture, “Patsy Cline’s Search for a Hit Sound,” at 1 p.m. on Saturday, September 21, in the Museum of the Shenandoah Valley.
This illustrated presentation, suited for Patsy Cline fans as well as those with a general interest in the music industry, will explore the entertainer’s desire to succeed in the field of country music, her crucial relationship with record producer Owen Bradley, and the session musicians who participated in her recordings. Kingsbury also will explain Patsy Cline’s struggle to make consistent hit records with Four Star Records from 1955 to 1960, as well as how her career changed after signing with Decca Records in 1960. He will compare Patsy Cline to other female singers of her day, discuss the tension between her pop music abilities and yearning to succeed in country music, and highlight her Grand Ole Opry experiences, including the Opry concert at Carnegie Hall in 1961. Kingsbury will conclude by sharing his thoughts on what might have been had Patsy Cline not died in an airplane crash at the age of 30.
An author and country music historian, Kingsbury compiled and wrote the extensive booklet for the best-selling boxed set The Patsy Cline Collection (1991), as well as the booklet notes for Patsy Cline: Live at the Cimarron Ballroom (1997) and the album notes for Remembering Patsy Cline (2003). In addition to writing the companion publication for the Country Music Hall of Fame exhibition, Patsy Cline: Crazy for Loving You (2012), he is also the author of several books, including The Grand Ole Opry History of Country Music and Vinyl Hayride: Country Music Album Cover Art, 1947–1989. Kingsbury has directed and edited multi-author books of music scholarship, including The Encyclopedia of Country Music (1998); Country: The Music and the Musicians (1988); and Will the Circle Be Unbroken: Country Music in America (2006). His articles on music and culture have appeared in numerous magazines and journals, including Entertainment Weekly, US Weekly, American Songwriter, Country Music, The Journal of Country Music, Cowboys & Indians, and Guitar World Acoustic. Kingsbury served on the staff of the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum from 1985 through 2001, and now is Tennessee Communications Director for The Nature Conservancy, a leading environmental nonprofit organization.
The MSV Museum Store has a selection of Kingsbury’s publications available for purchase, and a book signing will follow the lecture event.
Kingsbury’s MSV lecture is being offered in conjunction with the Museum’s newly opened exhibition, Becoming Patsy Cline. Organized by the MSV in partnership with the Winchester-based organization Celebrating Patsy Cline, Inc. (CPC), Becoming Patsy Cline uses objects, rare photographs, video and audio recordings, and clothing—much of which is on first-time public display—to illustrate Patsy Cline’s Shenandoah Valley story. The exhibition describes the singer’s family history, examines her early influences, and introduces the people whose support and guidance helped Patsy realize her dream of becoming a professional singer. On view in the MSV through February 2, 2014, Becoming Patsy Cline received critical underwriting support from Grove’s Winchester Harley–Davidson, Shenandoah Country Q102, and Winchester Printers, Inc.
Tickets for the September 21 event, which include the lecture and admission to Becoming Patsy Cline and the Museum’s Glen Burnie Gardens and galleries, are $10 for MSV Members and $15 for all others. Those interested in purchasing tickets should call the MSV at 540-662-1473, ext. 226, stop by the Visitor Information Desk in the Museum lobby, or purchase tickets online at www.theMSV.org. Seating is limited; advance-ticket purchases are recommended.
The Museum of the Shenandoah Valley is located at 901 Amherst Street in Winchester, Virginia. The MSV complex—which includes galleries, the Glen Burnie House, and six acres of gardens—is open Tuesday through Sunday from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. Daytime admission to the MSV, which includes the galleries and gardens, is $10 and $8 for youth and seniors. Admission is always free to MSV Members and children age 12 and under. The Glen Burnie House is closed until 2014 for a preservation project. Additional information is available at www.theMSV.org or by calling 540-662-1473, ext. 235.