[Editor’s Note: The following post is part of American Masters’ #InspiringWomanPBS campaign, which highlights the powerful, creative, and innovative women in our lives. Visit the Inspiring Woman page to join the campaign and submit the story of a woman who inspires you.]
On this day in 1963, at only 30 years old, Patsy Cline was killed in a multiple-fatality plane crash after performing to a packed house in Kansas City, Kansas.
In her short career, Cline re-defined femininity, developing a unique sense of style while cutting a fiercely independent path for herself. Despite growing up in poverty with an incomplete education, Cline made a place for herself as a mother and an artist, putting her full energy behind every endeavor.
The young, tenacious musician was a groundbreaking icon and paved the way for female solo artists in country music. Cline’s legacy lives on through the work of artists like LeAnn Rhimes, Reba McIntire, and Loretta Lynn.