On This Day in 1962, Patsy Cline Released the EP That Included Her Final No. 1 Single

On this day (April 20) in 1962, Patsy Cline released She’s Got You, her second EP of the year. The four-track release contained two cuts from Showcase and two new tracks, including the title track, which was sitting at the top of the country chart at the time.

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“She’s Got You” was a milestone track for Cline, whose career was on the rise. It topped the country chart for five nonconsecutive weeks between late March and early May. The song started climbing the Hot 100, where it reached No. 14, weeks before it reached the country chart. It was also her first single to reach the UK Singles Chart, where it peaked at No. 43. The song’s success also landed her a spot on American Bandstand, which put her in front of a national audience.

[RELATED: On This Day in 1957, Patsy Cline Released What Would Become Her First Hit, a Signature Track She Initially Disliked That Was Later Covered by Garth Brooks]

In August 1962, “She’s Got You” and “Strange,” the other new song on the EP, would be included on Sentimentally Yours.

The Stars Aligned for This Patsy Cline Hit

Everything fell into place perfectly for what would be Patsy Cline’s final No. 1 single. It all started when legendary songwriter Hank Cochran called Cline at home with big news. He told her he’d just penned her next No. 1 single. Excited, she told him to come over and play it for her and Dottie West, who was visiting at the time.

Cochran had already made a name for himself as a songwriter. So, it was no surprise that Cline liked “She’s Got You” when he played it for her. What is surprising, though, is that producer Owen Bradley was instantly on board with Cline cutting the song.

Cline and Bradley often clashed over the songs she recorded. For instance, she didn’t want to record her 1957 hit “Walkin’ After Midnight.” At the same time, she wanted to record “A Poor Man’s Roses (Or a Rich Man’s Gold).” Bradley pushed her to record the hit while trying to dissuade her from recording the other track. Finally, they compromised, and “A Poor Man’s Roses” became the B-side to “Walkin’ After Midnight.”

Bradley, an architect of the Nashville Sound, knew a hit when he heard one. As a result, he had no problem putting his stamp of approval on what would be Patsy Cline’s final No. 1.

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