Patsy Cline Fans: Current "Political" Info

[featphoto]

phils said:

Below is an email response I got from an individual who runs on her her largest fan websites, and with his permission, I have pasted it below if anyone would be interested in helping out.

Patsy Cline?? oh fer chrissake ...

[Mike]

phils said:

Patsy Cline was born and raised in Winchester, VA.
Quote:

This lack of recognition may be due in part to "the wrong side of the tracks" thing, or due to the "reputation" Patsy had (which stemmed from jealousy more than anything else). However, it seems that for many in Winchester it has boiled down to the simple matter that Patsy was an "entertainer" and the blue blood elite deem anyone in that profession unworthy of honoring. That is, until they see the dollar signs that promoting the city's ties to Patsy can generate.

Good luck man. I love Patsy Cline and have her records.
You should have gone through this process in Port Arthur, TX...home town of Janis Joplin (also George Jones, Johnny and Edgar Winter). Talk about image problems with the blue bloods! F*ck em!!! Janis finally got her museum.
Last year a group wanted to name a Highway in Texas after Willie Nelson. It was almost a done deal before our "ever protective" ultra-conservative republican state senators nixed it completely cause Willie just wasn't the image they wanted to represent our state. ;D They're such idiots that apparently, they prefer Dubya and Tom Delay as a proper image.
Willie told em to "keep their damn highway. With the current so-called "leadership" of our state, he didn't care to be part of any state property anyway!"

Could it be, that all of our hero's are outlaws? It's all relevant.

[phils]

Wondering what this all means?

Here is the original post that got deleted for some strange reason by me...Patsy Cline is a native of Winchester, VA. Things there aren't going so well to get a museum built in her honor. The following is an email I received from the webmaster of one of her largest fan sites, pasted here with his permission....it tells the whole story...

Quote:

The issue of Winchester and its seeming love/hate relationship with Patsy Cline is something fans have wondered about for quite a while. Many of us have found it unimaginable that the powers that be want little or no recognition of Patsy in the city.

This lack of recognition may be due in part to "the wrong side of the tracks" thing, or due to the "reputation" Patsy had (which stemmed from jealousy more than anything else). However, it seems that for many in Winchester it has boiled down to the simple matter that Patsy was an "entertainer" and the blue blood elite deem anyone in that profession unworthy of honoring. That is, until they see the dollar signs that promoting the city's ties to Patsy can generate.

For many years, the organization called Celebrating Patsy Cline tried very hard to gain support from the community for its goal of establishing a Patsy Cline Museum in Winchester. With only a handful of exceptions, they were never able to get it. Fans, such as myself, who supported and believed in this dream rallied to CPC's side and did our best to garner support, donations, etc. from the fan community with campaigns and promotions on various websites.

Knowing that there is a strong "Insider" vs. "Outsider" mentality in Winchester, I was pleasantly surprised when an "outsider," Philip Martin (a Nashville native who lives in Reston, VA), was elected President of CPC in February of last year. Based on comments made by CPC board members who I had become acquainted with, Mr. Martin was everything they said they wanted in a President. He had the passion, the energy, the skills, the business acumen and the connections to get things done. Prior to Mr. Martin's election, I had actively encouraged Judy Sue Huyett-Kempf, an area resident and member of the CPC Board, to seek the Presidency when it became known the position would soon be open.

With Mr. Martin leading the charge and directing the troops, CPC traveled from the bleakest of prospects to the precipice of opening a Museum in only 10 short months. A list of CPC's accomplishments under his tenure is posted on several websites (including mine). So, it was with utter shock and dismay, at the end of November, I learned there was a movement within CPC to remove Mr. Martin from the board and the Presidency. Even more disturbing was the fact that the board members who were behind this movement launched the effort without discussing it with the entire board. When the remaining board members learned what was taking place, several of them asked what was going on, what was behind this, and were completely rebuffed. When they were asked for their reasons during the official board meeting where the vote took place, these board members refused to put those reasons on record.

There were enough "Yes" votes to cast Mr. Martin off the board. A number of board members abstained. One board member, disgusted by what she had seen and learned, resigned in the wake of these events. Following Mr. Martin's dismissal, Ms. Huyett-Kempf was elected President of the organization. The webmasters of the five largest Patsy Cline fan sites (including myself), in response to these actions and to the deaf ears that met concerns we had raised, issued a joint statement in early December withdrawing our support and endorsement of the organization. In addition, we removed all website links and contact information for CPC from our sites.

Several announcements have been made by CPC in the two months since Mr. Martin's removal. These announcements seem to paint a picture that all is well. But, this is probably not the reality. The roles of support now seem to be reversed. The majority of the fan community has turned away, yet CPC now appears to have a broad base of local support. Why the change? Apparently, the "Insider" vs. "Outsider" fears reared their head. A lot of stories and insinuations are floating around, but it appears that the qualities that attracted CPC to Mr. Martin scared the old guard of Winchester.

The following is strictly my opinion, but is based on pieces of information I have learned and comments that have been made to me and other fans. It seems that the old guard wants to keep progress at bay. They feared if Philip Martin stayed at the helm of CPC, and kept the organization on the pace of success that had been achieved from February to November of 2005, those terrible outside influences would creep in and they would lose their grip. Beginning some time after the annual fan club gathering over Labor Day Weekend, probably early October, it appears that certain CPC board members began getting pressure from members of the community to get rid of Mr. Martin. In return for Mr. Martin's dismissal, these people would give their support and financial backing to the organization. The board members who were kept "out of the loop" were "outsiders" as well.

The board members who led the effort to remove Philip Martin from CPC tried to keep their actions from becoming public knowledge, with one going so far as to threaten legal action if it did. They were hoping Philip would walk away quietly, then they would issue a statement saying he had departed the organization without giving specifics. This was going to be a challenge, but, it was one they would meet it head on with the help of the fans and supporters. That didn't happen, and I am convinced they were unprepared for the fallout. I also think they were stunned by the fan reaction. They seemed to believe that the fans would continue to support them simply because of our love for Patsy, and they have found out the hard way that's not the case. Yes, we love Patsy. But, we want to see everything done upfront, and done right.

I believe that this newfound local support will only last so long, then CPC will have a Mt. Everest sized challenge ahead of them to stay afloat. Especially without the support of a majority of fans. They have "plans," but, in my opinion, don't have the personalities or the ability to see them to a successful end.

Mr. Martin, even with this series of disappointments, remains a devoted fan of Patsy Cline and is committed to establishing an enduring and loving tribute to Patsy (and her legacy) that she so richly deserves. If you would like to discuss this, and your other questions, with him, I know he would be glad to hear from you.

You can reach him by e-mail at [e-mail].