Sun 2/14 @ noon
Of all the people who ought to be in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and are not, no one is a more glaring and unjust omission than Patsy Cline. A second-rate knockoff of her — Brenda Lee — is already in. Yes, she’s country, but Johnny Cash, Hank Williams and Jimmie Rodgers are all in. Influential blues performers like Bessie Smith, Robert Johnson and Billie Holiday, who are by no stretch of the imagination rock and roll, are in. And if you were to ask any of today’s multitude of great Americana/ roots rock bands who their major influences are, virtually everyone is likely to mention Cline, especially since so many are fronted by women.
One of northeast Ohio’s excellent Americana bands is Rachel & the Beatnik Playboys. And no way is lead singer Rachel Brown not going to mention Cline — you can hear it oozing from her sultry, heartbreak vocals. And so it’s fitting that she and her group will be presenting a tribute to the singer who, like Williams was cut down in her prime (unlike Williams, who died after years of drug and alcohol abuse, Cline was killed in a plane crash at the age of 30, after a whirlwind career of only seven years.
They include hits like “Crazy,” “Walkin’ After Midnight,” “I Fall to Pieces” and “She’s Got You” which helped make her one of the first country artists to cross over in a big way to the pop charts. Brown’s interpretations will undoubtedly be thrilling and moving; she’s one of the area’s best singers of this type of song.
“A Tribute to Patsy Cline,” a Patsy Cline Brunch event, takes place at the Music Box Supper Club with doors opening at 11am and music starting at noon. A brunch reservation is required. Admission is $10.
rachelandthebeatnikplayboys.com
musicboxcle.com/patsy-cline-brunch/
Cleveland, OH 44113