Publishers Weekly - Publisher's Weekly
This memorable biography of one of country music's most enduring legends is a revised abridgment of Patsy Cline , published in 1981. According to Nassour, Cline (1932-1963) was the first woman to demonstrate that country music could appeal to a wide audience. Bold and ambitious, she was a free-living, earthy performer whom producers sometimes found difficult to work with. She apparently had few close friends, but she showed generosity to any number of people, particularly talented young women singers such as Dottie West and Loretta Lynn. Her long-term association with producer Bill McCall was, financially, ``probably the single biggest mistake Patsy made in her professional life,'' claims Nassour, but he gives McCall great credit for promoting Cline's career. Although Cline died in a plane crash 30 years ago, her musical influence has persisted. Photos not seen by PW. (Feb.)
Lifestyles: Long Island Edition
[Nassour's] definitive, biographical account of Patsy Cline's poignant and explosively creative career, unrequited loves and ultimately reckless life, is the stuff of Greek Tragedy.
From the Publisher
"Done with great respect and humor and just enough down-and-dirty detail." —New York Daily News
"Patsy Cline's immortal voice sings in Honky Tonk Angel . . . it brings tears streaming down your face. . . . Larger than life, yet still intimate. Honest and respectful." —The Virginian-Pilot
"Gazes unflinchingly at its subject. . . . Filled with poignant memories and amazing detail." —Nashville Tennessean
"With a clear, concise style, Nassour reconstructs Cline’s life. . . . [The] painstaking interviews provide an insightful and comprehensive look at one of country music's pioneers. It’s a good read." —Rocky Mountain News
"Cline was a woman of great passion, prone to her own style of sexual braggadocio, and Nassour gives us all the earthiness of this most sublime singer." —Phoenix Gazette
"Revealing and absorbing . . . a winner." —Liz Smith
"Ellis Nassour’s biography doesn’t just paint an image of the Patsy Cline I knew and loved. What really emerges is a poignant tribute to one of our greatest singing legends." —Brenda Lee, American pop singer and member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the Country Music Hall of Fame, and Rockabilly Hall of Fame
"Honky Tonk Angel brought back wonderful memories. It brings home the fact that Patsy was an original in her cowboy outfit with red boots and western hat singing her butt off, singing her soul at you. There's been no one quite like her." —Roger Miller
