22 Dec Sheridan Opera House: Patsy Cline Tribute
Kelley Zinge
“Crazy.”
“Walkin’ After Midnight.”
“Your Cheatin’ Heart”
“I Fall To Pieces.”
“Sweet Dreams.”
To this day, country music fans make pilgrimages to Wincester, Virginia, Patsy Cline’s hometown to pay tribute to the celebrated country singer whose smooth-sounding, emotive voice turned those tunes into pop hits and chestnuts in the genre.
Patsy Cline, (Virginia Patterson Hensley), was born in the Shenandoah Valley in Winchester, Virginia, September 8, 1932. Legend has it she was entertaining her neighbors as early as age three.
Patsy’s big break came when she won an Arthur Godfrey Talent program in 1957 with “Walkin’ After Midnight.” From there, the singer pursued a recording career appearing at the mecca of country music, the Grand Ole Opry in 1958. National awards (in 1961 and 1962) followed, but one year later, in 1963, it was all over: country music lost this mesmerizing entertainer, arguably one of the greatest female vocalists of all time, to a plane crash in Tennessee.
In 1973, Patsy was elected posthumously to the Country Music Hall of Fame. Other enduring tributes include a bell tower erected in her memory at the Shenandoah Memorial Park, where Cline is interred and two highways named in her honor: the Patsy Cline Memorial Highway, Route 522, and Patsy Cline Boulevard in Winchester.
Then there’s Kelley Zinge.
Kelley brings Patsy Cline back to life in her tribute show “Purely Patsy,” scheduled to be performed as part of the Holiday Concert Series at the historic Sheridan Opera House. The concert takes place Friday, December 27, 8 p.m.
“If you want to see Patsy Cline come alive before your eyes, watch Kelley Zinge who absolutely channels Patsy in her one-woman tour de force, “Purely Patsy.” With a remarkably powerful, perfect-pitch voice, show-stopping good looks, and unforgettable charisma, Kelley is destined to become a big star… her presence is enormous, and she totally entertains and captivates the audience without missing a beat. She is not to be missed!,” raved Rhea Goodman – Living Juicy! KSFR 101.1 FM, Santa Fe.
Kelley Zinge is a cabaret/jazz/blues performer with a voice as big as the Rockies, who recently became a Nashville recording artist (for Grammy Award-winning producer Doc Holiday). She has performed “Purely Patsy,” an regional cabaret show, to sold-out audiences and standing ovations from Sante Fe to Denver and Beaver Creek.
Critics compare her pipes to legends such as Annie Lennox, k.d. lang, Etta James – and Patsy Cline.
For tickets, visit www.sheridanoperahouse.com or call 970-728-6363
To learn more, click the “play” button and eavesdrop on my chat with Kelley.
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