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Historical society announces 'Everybody Loves Patsy'
HOT SPRINGS - On Sunday, May 18, at Bath County High School, the Bath County Historical Society will sponsor a multimedia presentation about the life and times of Patsy Cline. "Everyone Loves Patsy" will begin at 2 p.m. with remarks by historical society president Richard Armstrong.
The featured speaker is history professor Warren R. Hofstra, Shenandoah University, Winchester. Professor Hofstra will present a survey of Cline's life, a retrospective of her music, and a discussion of her impact on the music scene in mid-century America and in the years following her early death in 1963.
In addition to teaching in the fields of American social and cultural history, in the 18th thRough 21st centuries, most recently Hofstra's research has focused on the Shenandoah Valley in the 20th century. Hofstra has been applauded by The Virginia Historical Society for his day-long symposium on Cline given in early April. His presentation here is drawn from research for that event and ongoing scholarship in planning for the Patsy Cline Museum to be built in Winchester.
Following Hofstra's presentation, Michael Sharp, director of the recently organized Mountain Valley Players, will produce musical highlights from "Always Patsy," which he directed at the Greenbrier Valley Theatre and in New York. Sharp, a native son of Bath County is a graduate of Shenandoah University. Singer Bitsy Davis will perform several of Cline's more famous hits. Davis, of Clifton Forge, enjoys a considerable reputation for her interpretation of the Patsy Cline song book.
At the conclusion of the auditorium program, refreshments will be served in the foyer. All community members and families from neighboring counties are invited.
There is no admission charge. Doors will open at 1:30 p.m. at the atrium entrance, and the program begins at 2 p.m.
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