On This Day in 1966, Patsy Cline Released the Final Studio Album of Her All-Too-Short Career

On this day (August 6) in 1966, Patsy Cline released her third and final studio album, Sentimentally Yours. Less than a year later, her life and career were cut short when a small plane she was on went down in a forested area outside of Camden, Tennessee. Along with being her final LP, Sentimentally Yours contained her final No. 1 single.

Cline is proof that chart success cannot measure the true quality of an artist’s work. She released 24 singles between 1955 and 1963. Two of those topped the country chart. Four more tracks broke the top 10. However, most of those singles failed to chart. Her sophomore album, Showcase, was the only one of her full-length albums to make it to the charts. It peaked at No. 73.

[RELATED: On This Day in 1957, Patsy Cline Released the First of Three Full-Length Albums She Recorded While Still Alive]

Despite not being a massively successful artist by the numbers, she remains one of the most influential and impactful vocalists in country music history. Reba McEntire, Trisha Yearwood, Kacey Musgraves, Lucinda Williams, and Loretta Lynn are among the superstars who count the “Crazy” singer among their major influences. More than that, her work with legendary producer Owen Bradley helped to solidify the Nashville Sound. The slick production style would dominate the country world for decades.

Patsy Cline Scores Her Final No. 1 with the Lead Single from Sentimentally Yours

Penned by legendary songwriter Hank Cochran, Patsy Cline released “She’s Got You” as the first single from her final studio album. The heartbreak tune peaked at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart. It also landed at No. 14 on the all-genre Hot 100.

According to UDiscover Music, after finishing the song, Cochran called Cline and informed her that he’d just written her next chart-topper. Excited, she told him to come to her house and play it for her. He did, and she immediately loved the song and learned it that evening. Then, she called Owen Bradley to play the song for him over the phone.

Usually, Cline and Bradley argued over song selections. This time was different, though. They agreed that “She’s Got You” sounded like a hit. They were right.

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