Charles Allen Dick (May 24, 1934 – November 8, 2015)[1] was an American Linotype operator who was best known as the widower of Patsy Cline.
Charlie Dick | |
|---|---|
| Born | Charles Allen Dick May 24, 1934 Whitehall, Virginia, U.S. |
| Died | November 8, 2015 (aged 81) Nashville, Tennessee, U.S. |
| Resting place | Shenandoah Memorial Park Winchester, Virginia |
| Occupation | Linotype operator |
| Years active | 1956–2015 |
| Known for | Being the widower of Patsy Cline |
| Spouses |
|
| Children | 3 |
Early life
editDick was born on May 24, 1934, near Whitehall, Virginia. He later moved to Winchester and worked as a Linotype operator for a local newspaper after high school.[2]
Patsy Cline
editDick met Patsy Cline during a dance in Winchester in 1956, and they started dating. Dick married Patsy Cline in Winchester on September 15, 1957.[1] After their marriage, they moved to Fayetteville, North Carolina, where Dick was working as a Linotype operator at Fort Bragg. They moved back to Winchester in 1959 and remained married until 1963 when Cline died in a plane crash.[3]
They had two children together, Julie Sidamore (a misspelling of Simadore) and Allen Randolph (Randy).[4]
Later life
editAfter Cline's death, even though money wasn't a problem as royalty checks were still coming in, [5] Dick went back to work, this time as a record promoter for Starday Records, a record label that was based in Nashville, Tennessee. Dick married country singer Jamey Ryan in 1965 and they divorced in 1970, having one child, Charles "Chip" Dick, Jr.[6] He later took part in many documentaries on Patsy Cline.[7]
According to Rolling Stone, "Throughout his life, Dick worked to preserve the legacy of Cline."[2] Wide Open Country called Dick "a lifelong champion of [Cline's] music" and "dedicated to keeping Patsy's legacy alive".[4] The Tennessean referred to Dick as "a champion of her legacy for the last five decades."[7]
After Coal Miner's Daughter came out in 1980, spurring interest in Cline, Dick played a part in having her albums re-released as The Patsy Cline Collection in 1991.[1] In 1997, he worked on the release of Patsy Cline: Live at the Cimarron Ballroom, a recording of a 1961 concert. This recording placed on the Billboard Country Albums Top 40 chart.[1]
Dick died at his home in Nashville on November 8, 2015. He was 81 years old.[4]
He is buried alongside Patsy Cline at Shenandoah Memorial Park in Winchester.[8]
References
edit- ^ a b c d Stefano, Angela. "Charlie Dick, Patsy Cline's Widower, Dead at 81". The Boot. Retrieved 2019-12-20.
- ^ a b Betts, Stephen L. (2015-11-09). "Patsy Cline's Widower Charlie Dick Dead at 81". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2019-12-20.
- ^ Randy McDaniel. "Widower Of Patsy Cline, Charlie Dick, Has Died". KXRB 1140 AM/100.1 FM. Retrieved 2019-12-20.
- ^ a b c Liebig, Lorie (2015-11-09). "Charlie Dick, Widower of Patsy Cline, Dies at 81". Wide Open Country. Retrieved 2019-12-20.
- ^ The Real Patsy Cline DVD, 1988
- ^ "Passings: Charlie Dick, Widower of Patsy Cline". VVN Music. Retrieved 2020-01-04.
- ^ a b Thanki, Juli (November 8, 2015). "Charlie Dick, widower who championed Patsy Cline's legacy, dies at 81". The Tennessean. Retrieved 2020-01-04.
- ^ Keelor, Josette. "'Charlie' Dick to be laid to rest in Winchester". The Northern Virginia Daily. Retrieved 2020-01-04.