EDITOR'S NOTE: This column originally ran March 23, 2023.
We've all heard the old saying "adversity breeds success," a quotation from a famous philosopher many years ago. But in the case of songwriters, it should have been added that "adversity plus talent, plus determination, breeds success.
And that all applies to Willie Nelson – as Willie has proven that he has enough talent for an entire neighborhood and he could write a book – or several books – on adversity.
Most songwriters have a reason for writing their songs and a lot of songs are pages from the lives of the writers, about his wife or her husband, or their ex's, their love lives or their lack of love lives – and a million and one other reasons and stories.
According to Willie Nelson, he didn't have a special reason for writing "Crazy," which would become the signature song for Patsy Cline and a country music standard. But the song could have been a reflection of Willie's place in life at the time he wrote it.
Willie wrote "Crazy" soon after moving to Nashville, and the first several artists he pitched it to weren't interested in recording it.
But somewhere in the midst of things, Willie gave a tape copy of "Crazy" to Patsy Cline's husband Charlie Dick. Charlie loved the song but Patsy said it was the worst song she's ever heard and would not even consider recording it.
But with songwriting as with life in general, all things are subject to change as it did when "Crazy" was pitched to Patsy's record producer Owen Bradley. He thought the song was ideal for Patsy and despite Patsy's refusal to have anything to do with the song, told her that she would record it.
And despite Patsy's determination NOT to record "Crazy," Bradley was determined that she would record it and we all know who won that argument – as Patsy Cline's Decca Records single "Crazy" came on the country charts November 13th, 1961, peaked at No. 2 and was on the charts for 21 weeks. It also scored in the top 5 on the pop charts.
Patsy Cline placed 20 songs on the country music charts between 1957 and 1999, including two No. 1s. Nine of her 20 country chart singles also placed on the pop music charts.
Patsy joined The Grand Ole Opry in 1961. She was inducted into the Country Music Hall Of Fame in 1973 and was given a Grammy Lifetime Achievement in 1995.
Patsy Cline was killed in a plane crash in 1963.
