Patsy Cline–Always

We recently listened to Willie Nelson’s rendition of Irving Berlin’s hit song, “Blue Skies,” a song that had been interpolated into the Rodgers and Hart 1926 flop, Betsy. Any number of rock and roll singers and country singers rediscovered Irving Berlin songs late in their careers. I think it is a right of passage, something that occurs when performers learn that there was good music before they were born. And that music can still be sung and appreciated. Patsy Cline came to that same conclusion, but she came to it in 1963 at the height of her career.
She resurrected Berlin’s love letter to his wife, written in 1925 and performed for the first time in 1926. Patsy recorded the song, “Always,” on 2/5/63, exactly one month before her plane crashed. Who knows how many American standard she might have recorded if she had survived. Pointless to even consider this question. Let’s just listen to this poignant performance.