Editing Patsy Cline (section)

===1954–1960: Four Star Records===
In 1954, Bill Peer created and distributed a series of demonstration tapes with Cline's voice on it. A tape was brought to the attention of Bill McCall, president of [[Four Star Records]].{{sfn|Nassour, Ellis|1993|p=30}} On September 30, 1954, she signed a two-year recording contract with the label alongside Peer and her husband Gerald Cline.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Thompson |first1=Gayle |title=Country Music Memories: Patsy Cline Signs First Recording Contract |url=https://theboot.com/patsy-cline-first-recording-contract/ |website=The Boot |access-date=August 18, 2019}}</ref> The original contract allowed Four Star to receive most of the money for the songs she recorded.<ref name="NPR">{{cite web |last1=Ward |first1=Ed |title=Patsy Cline: A Country Career Cut Short |url=https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=129526320 |website=[[NPR]] |access-date=August 18, 2019}}</ref> Therefore, Cline received little of the royalties from the label, totaling out to 2.34% on her recording contract.{{sfn|Nassour, Ellis|1993|p=32}}<ref name="Encyclopedia"/> Her first recording session took place in Nashville on January 5, 1955. Songs for the session were handpicked by McCall and [[Paul Cohen (record producer)|Paul Cohen]]. Four Star leased the recordings to the larger [[Decca Records]]. For those reasons, [[Owen Bradley]] was chosen as the session's [[Record producer|producer]], a professional relationship that continued into the 1960s.{{sfn|Nassour, Ellis|1993|p=33}} Her first single release was 1955's "[[A Church, a Courtroom, Then Goodbye]]". Although Cline promoted it with an appearance on the [[Grand Ole Opry]], the song was not successful.{{sfn|Nassour, Ellis|1993|pp=38–42}}<ref name="Country Music Hall of Fame"/>
{{Listen
| filename = Patsy Cline--Walkin After Midnight Audio.ogg
| title = "Walkin' After Midnight"
| description = Cline's first major hit as a recording artist, released in 1957 on Decca Records
}}

Cline recorded a variety of musical styles while recording for Four Star. This included genres such as [[gospel music|gospel]], [[rockabilly]], [[country music|traditional country]], and [[pop music|pop]].{{sfn|Wolff, Kurt|2000|pp=302–303}}{{sfn|Oermann, Robert K.|Bufwack, Mary A.|2003|p=216}} Writers and music journalists have had mixed responses on Cline's Four Star material. Robert Oermann and Mary Bufwack of ''Finding Her Voice: Women in Country Music'' called the label's choice of material "mediocre". They also commented that Cline seemed to have "groped for her own sound on the label".{{sfn|Oermann, Robert K.|Bufwack, Mary A.|2003|p=216}} Kurt Wolff of ''Country Music the Rough Guide'' commented that the music was "sturdy enough, but they only hinted at the potential that lurked inside her.{{sfn|Wolff, Kurt|2000|p=303}} Richie Unterberger of ''[[Allmusic]]'' claimed it was Cline's voice that made the Four Star material less appealing: "Circumstances were not wholly to blame for Cline's commercial failures. She would have never made it as a rockabilly singer, lacking the conviction of [[Wanda Jackson]] or the spunk of [[Brenda Lee]]. In fact, in comparison with her best work, she sounds rather stiff and ill-at-ease on most of her early singles."<ref name="Allmusic Bio">{{cite web |last1=Unterberger |first1=Richie |title=Patsy Cline: Biography & History |url=https://www.allmusic.com/artist/patsy-cline-mn0000014651/biography |website=[[Allmusic]] |access-date=August 18, 2019}}</ref>
[[File:Patsy Cline II.jpg|thumb|left|Publicity photograph, March 1957]]

Between 1955 and 1956, Cline's four singles for Four Star failed to become hits, but she continued performing regionally, including on the ''Town and Country Jamboree''.<ref name="Country Music Hall of Fame"/> In 1956, she appeared on ABC's country music program, ''[[Ozark Jubilee]]''.{{sfn|Nassour, Ellis|1994|p={{page needed|date=September 2022}}}} It was at one of her local performances that she met her second husband, [[Charlie Dick]].{{sfn|Nassour, Ellis|1993|pp=52–57}} In 1956, Cline received a call to perform on ''[[Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts]]'', a national television show for which she had auditioned several months prior. She accepted the offer, using her mother Hilda Hensley as her [[talent scout]] for the show.{{sfn|Nassour, Ellis|1993|pp=66–67}} According to the show's rules, talent scouts could not be family members. For those reasons, Cline's mother lied to appear on the show. When [[Arthur Godfrey]] asked if Hensley had known Cline her entire life, she replied, "Yes, just about!"<ref name="10 Things">{{cite magazine |last1=Betts |first1=Stephen L. |title=10 Things We Learned From the New Patsy Cline Documentary |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-country/10-things-we-learned-from-the-new-patsy-cline-documentary-126274/ |magazine=[[Rolling Stone]] |date=March 3, 2017 |access-date=August 19, 2019}}</ref>

Cline and Hensley flew into New York City's [[LaGuardia Airport]] on January 18, 1957. She made her debut appearance on the program on January 21.<ref name="Country Music Hall of Fame"/><ref name = smithsonian1>''Mother Country'' by Amanda Petrusich Smithsonian magazine April–May 2022 edition  Pages 32-34</ref>  The day of the show, she met with the show's producer, [[Janette Davis]]. Cline had chosen "[[A Poor Man's Roses (Or a Rich Man's Gold)]]" to perform on the program, but Davis preferred another song she had recorded, "[[Walkin' After Midnight]]". Cline initially refused to perform it, but ultimately agreed to it.{{sfn|Nassour, Ellis|1993|pp=71–73}} Davis also suggested Cline wear a cocktail dress instead of the cowgirl outfit created by her mother.<ref name="10 Things"/> She performed "Walkin' After Midnight" and won the program's contest that night.<ref name = smithsonian1/> The song had not yet been released as a single. To keep up with public demand, Decca Records rush-released the song as a single on February 11.{{sfn|Nassour, Ellis|1993|pp=74–80}} The song ultimately became Cline's breakthrough hit, peaking at number two on the ''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]'' [[Hot Country Songs|Hot Country and Western Sides]] chart. The song also reached number 12 on the [[Billboard Hot 100|''Billboard'' pop music chart]].<ref name="Country Music Hall of Fame"/> The song has since been considered a classic in [[country music]] since its release.<ref name="Allmusic Bio"/>

Music critics and writers have positively praised "Walkin' After Midnight". Mary Bufwack and Robert Oermann called the song "bluesy".{{sfn|Oermann, Robert K.|Bufwack, Mary A.|2003|p=216}} Richie Unterberger noted "it's well-suited for the almost bemused aura of loneliness of the lyric."<ref>{{cite web |last1=Unterberger |first1=Richie |title="Walkin' After Midnight": Patsy Cline: Song Info |url=https://www.allmusic.com/song/walkin-after-midnight-mt0050772759 |website=[[Allmusic]] |access-date=August 19, 2019}}</ref> The success of "Walkin' After Midnight" brought Cline numerous appearances on shows and major networks. She continued working for Arthur Godfrey over the next several months. She also appeared on the Grand Ole Opry in February and the television program ''Western Ranch Party'' in March.{{sfn|Nassour, Ellis|1993|pp=80–81}} The money she had earned from her numerous engagements totaled $10,000. Cline gave all the money to her mother, which she used to the pay the mortgage on her Winchester house.<ref name="10 Things"/> In August 1957, her [[Patsy Cline (album)|debut studio album]] was released on Decca Records.{{sfn|Nassour, Ellis|1993|p=251}}

Cline's follow-up singles to "Walkin' After Midnight" did not yield any success.<ref name="Country Music Hall of Fame"/> This was partially due to the quality of material chosen for her to record.<ref>{{cite web |title=Patsy Cline's aching voice blazed country music trail |url=https://www.greenbaypressgazette.com/story/news/local/door-county/entertainment/2014/10/14/patsy-clines-aching-voice-blazed-country-music-trail/17055635/ |website=Green Bay Press Gazette |access-date=August 19, 2019}}</ref> Cline was dissatisfied with the limited success following "Walkin' After Midnight". Bradley recounted how she often came to him, saying, "Hoss, can't you do something? I feel like a prisoner."{{sfn|Nassour, Ellis|1993|pp=71–73}} Around the same time, Cline was fired from her regular slot on ''Town and Country Jamboree''. According to Connie B. Gay, she ran late for shows and "showed up with liquor on her breath."{{sfn|Nassour, Ellis|1993|p=83}} In September 1957, Cline married Charlie Dick, and he was soon sent to [[Fort Bragg, North Carolina]], on a military assignment.<ref name="Encyclopedia Virginia">{{cite web |last1=Gomery |first1=Douglas |title=Patsy Cline (1932–1963) |url=https://www.encyclopediavirginia.org/Cline_Patsy_1932-1963 |website=Encyclopedia Virginia |access-date=August 19, 2019}}</ref> Cline also gave birth to her first daughter Julie. In hopes of restarting her career, Cline and her family moved to [[Nashville, Tennessee]].<ref name="Country Music Hall of Fame"/>