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Me & Patsy Kickin' Up Dust: My Friendship with Patsy Cline
Me & Patsy Kickin' Up Dust shares the never-before-told complete story of the remarkable relationship between country music icons Patsy Cline and Loretta Lynn.
Loretta Lynn and the late Patsy Cline are legends--country icons and sisters of the heart. For the first time ever Loretta tells their story: a celebration of their music and their relationship up until Patsy's tragic and untimely death.
Full of laughter and tears, this eye-opening, heartwarming memoir paints a picture of two stubborn, spirited country gals who'd be damned if they'd let men or convention tell them how to be. Set in the heady streets of the 1960s South, this nostalgia ride shows how Nashville blossomed into the city of music it is today. Tender and fierce, Me & Patsy Kickin' Up Dust is an up-close-and-personal portrait of a friendship that defined a generation and changed country music indelibly--and a meditation on love, loss and legacy.
Loretta Lynn and the late Patsy Cline are legends--country icons and sisters of the heart. For the first time ever Loretta tells their story: a celebration of their music and their relationship up until Patsy's tragic and untimely death.
Full of laughter and tears, this eye-opening, heartwarming memoir paints a picture of two stubborn, spirited country gals who'd be damned if they'd let men or convention tell them how to be. Set in the heady streets of the 1960s South, this nostalgia ride shows how Nashville blossomed into the city of music it is today. Tender and fierce, Me & Patsy Kickin' Up Dust is an up-close-and-personal portrait of a friendship that defined a generation and changed country music indelibly--and a meditation on love, loss and legacy.
240 pages, Hardcover
First published April 7, 2020
292 people are currently reading
3995 people want to read
About the author
Loretta Lynn
41 books132 followersLoretta Lynn was an American country music singer-songwriter whose work spanned almost 60 years. She was the only woman to be named "Artist of the Decade" for the 1970s by the Academy of Country Music. Lynn was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1988.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 462 reviews
December 1, 2020
This is a story of friendship between two women. The book is written in a conversational style that made me feel that I was sitting having tea with Loretta Lynn talking about her past. The book provides a view into what life was like for women singers in the 1950s. These two women helped women brake through the male dominated barrier in country music. The book is short and an easy read.
I read this as an audiobook downloaded from Audible. The book is four hours and fifty-eight minutes. Patsy Lynn Russell does a good job narrating the book. Patsy is one of Loretta Lynn’s twin daughters. She is also a singer as is her twin. Patsy was named for Patsy Cline. Patsy helped her mother write the book.
I read this as an audiobook downloaded from Audible. The book is four hours and fifty-eight minutes. Patsy Lynn Russell does a good job narrating the book. Patsy is one of Loretta Lynn’s twin daughters. She is also a singer as is her twin. Patsy was named for Patsy Cline. Patsy helped her mother write the book.
November 22, 2020
"Somebody - I don't recall who - seein' how nervous I was [to perform at Nashville's Ryman Auditorium], said some snide remark to me like 'You'll never make it.' [Pioneering country music singer] Kitty Wells piped up and said, real kind, 'She'll do alright' . . . and I did." -- pages 38-39
I don't listen to very much country music, but if I do it's likely it's the hits of 60's-era superstars like Johnny Cash, Buck Owens, Patsy Cline, and Loretta Lynn. 'Timeless' can be an overused word, but if nothing else their collective discography still sounds very agreeable, even in the 21st century. Also, I think it's sort of amazing that all of them came from impoverished or poor backgrounds during the Great Depression, yet they were able to achieve success / acclaim way beyond their imaginations.
I read Ms. Lynn's first autobiography Coal Miner's Daughter about twenty years ago, and have viewed the excellent biopic version (with the outstanding Sissy Spacek and Tommy Lee Jones) numerous times. Ms. Lynn's latest book, Me & Patsy Kickin' Up Dust, is written in an easy-going and anecdotal style like her previous work, but unfortunately it also felt like much of the material was lifted from it (and the movie) as well. So this new book may seem a bit overly familiar and/or repetitive at times. However, it was sweet reading about the sisterly bond that existed between Ms. Lynn and Ms. Cline, and how they watched out for each other back when the hit music biz was largely male-dominated. Ms. Cline sounds like she was quite the character - she jokingly referred to herself as 'The Cline' in conversation, called men 'Hoss' as a term of endearment, and could pound a beer with ease. All that, AND she had one of the most soothing voices that makes for easy repeat listening of her songs.
I don't listen to very much country music, but if I do it's likely it's the hits of 60's-era superstars like Johnny Cash, Buck Owens, Patsy Cline, and Loretta Lynn. 'Timeless' can be an overused word, but if nothing else their collective discography still sounds very agreeable, even in the 21st century. Also, I think it's sort of amazing that all of them came from impoverished or poor backgrounds during the Great Depression, yet they were able to achieve success / acclaim way beyond their imaginations.
I read Ms. Lynn's first autobiography Coal Miner's Daughter about twenty years ago, and have viewed the excellent biopic version (with the outstanding Sissy Spacek and Tommy Lee Jones) numerous times. Ms. Lynn's latest book, Me & Patsy Kickin' Up Dust, is written in an easy-going and anecdotal style like her previous work, but unfortunately it also felt like much of the material was lifted from it (and the movie) as well. So this new book may seem a bit overly familiar and/or repetitive at times. However, it was sweet reading about the sisterly bond that existed between Ms. Lynn and Ms. Cline, and how they watched out for each other back when the hit music biz was largely male-dominated. Ms. Cline sounds like she was quite the character - she jokingly referred to herself as 'The Cline' in conversation, called men 'Hoss' as a term of endearment, and could pound a beer with ease. All that, AND she had one of the most soothing voices that makes for easy repeat listening of her songs.
December 23, 2023
So glad I read this. Sweet dreams!
June 24, 2020
3.5 stars rounded up
I am not a big country music fan but let's face it: Loretta Lynn and Patsy Cline are both fascinating women! My grandma adored Patsy and I grew up hearing her incredible voice and watching the video of her performing after her car accident, still bandaged up.
I love Loretta's conversational writing; it really feels like you're sitting down with her and she's confiding in you. However, there wasn't a whole lot of new information here; I knew about their friendship from Coal Miner's Daughter and had heard about the tragedies surrounding Patsy's short life from my own grandmother and mother.
Patsy and Loretta obviously had a special and very rare bond. Loretta is kind and humble as always but I feel like this book covered a lot that people already know and shares a couple private stories of their friendship to give a giggle.
It was still a fun read thanks to Loretta's inviting tone and natural storytelling ability and I finished this in just two sittings!
For more reviews, visit www.rootsandreads.wordpress.com
I am not a big country music fan but let's face it: Loretta Lynn and Patsy Cline are both fascinating women! My grandma adored Patsy and I grew up hearing her incredible voice and watching the video of her performing after her car accident, still bandaged up.
I love Loretta's conversational writing; it really feels like you're sitting down with her and she's confiding in you. However, there wasn't a whole lot of new information here; I knew about their friendship from Coal Miner's Daughter and had heard about the tragedies surrounding Patsy's short life from my own grandmother and mother.
Patsy and Loretta obviously had a special and very rare bond. Loretta is kind and humble as always but I feel like this book covered a lot that people already know and shares a couple private stories of their friendship to give a giggle.
It was still a fun read thanks to Loretta's inviting tone and natural storytelling ability and I finished this in just two sittings!
For more reviews, visit www.rootsandreads.wordpress.com
April 20, 2020
I had mixed feelings while I was reading this book. First, I’ll say that all of Loretta Lynn’s memoirs are written as though she is telling beloved stories of her life to the reader as a friend. This gives her books a very down-home, cozy feel. It can also make the reading a bit confusing, because her memories are not told in any particular chronological order.
I really enjoyed the parts about Patsy and Loretta’s friendship. Loretta made it a point in all those scenes to emphasize that she knew how lucky she was to have such a very special friend. I learned things that I hadn’t known before about both women.
For someone who has read both Coal Miner’s Daughter and Still Woman Enough, I found the parts that were strictly about Loretta’s life to be very similar to her stories from those books. I think someone who hasn’t read these would enjoy Still Kicking Up Dust more than I did because of the repetition.
*I won this book in a Goodreads giveaway. All opinions expressed in this review are strictly my own.*
Memorable Quotes:
(Pg.68)-“I said I didn’t know you before that god-awful wreck. All I have to go by is who I see now. I see a brave friend, a great mother and wife, and hey, one of the greatest country singers in the whole dadgum world. I think you just gotta let go of the old Patsy to love the new one. And I think the new one is pretty great.”
I really enjoyed the parts about Patsy and Loretta’s friendship. Loretta made it a point in all those scenes to emphasize that she knew how lucky she was to have such a very special friend. I learned things that I hadn’t known before about both women.
For someone who has read both Coal Miner’s Daughter and Still Woman Enough, I found the parts that were strictly about Loretta’s life to be very similar to her stories from those books. I think someone who hasn’t read these would enjoy Still Kicking Up Dust more than I did because of the repetition.
*I won this book in a Goodreads giveaway. All opinions expressed in this review are strictly my own.*
Memorable Quotes:
(Pg.68)-“I said I didn’t know you before that god-awful wreck. All I have to go by is who I see now. I see a brave friend, a great mother and wife, and hey, one of the greatest country singers in the whole dadgum world. I think you just gotta let go of the old Patsy to love the new one. And I think the new one is pretty great.”
March 19, 2020
Listen, no one loves Loretta Lynn as much as I do, but this book is redundant and not great.
It got 2 stars instead of 1 because her familiar voice was very comforting during these weird and stressful times.
It got 2 stars instead of 1 because her familiar voice was very comforting during these weird and stressful times.
September 21, 2022
An honest unpretentious book about the universal themes of friendship, motherhood, marriage, creative ambition and the synergistic people who meet and help form us. Lately I've been marveling at how music reaches us in our most private and desperate moments, and how this may be technology's greatest gift. This book is also about grief and favorite songs, and I'm going to look some up.
August 24, 2020
Thank you Grand Central Publishing for a complimentary copy. I voluntarily reviewed this book. All opinions expressed are my own.
Me and Patsy Kickin Up Dust
By: Loretta Lynn
REVIEW ☆☆☆☆☆
Are you a fan of classic country music? Living in the deep south, I grew up with it. This is the amazing story of an unbreakable bond between two talented women who shared the unique experience of pioneering and rising through the ranks of country music. Friends are so important, and often they are more like family. Patsy and Loretta supported each other through life's ups and downs. I love Loretta Lynn's authentic voice as she relates her experiences. This story is inspirational and tragic, and I wish the ending could have been different. A truly heartbreaking story but well worth the read.
Me and Patsy Kickin Up Dust
By: Loretta Lynn
REVIEW ☆☆☆☆☆
Are you a fan of classic country music? Living in the deep south, I grew up with it. This is the amazing story of an unbreakable bond between two talented women who shared the unique experience of pioneering and rising through the ranks of country music. Friends are so important, and often they are more like family. Patsy and Loretta supported each other through life's ups and downs. I love Loretta Lynn's authentic voice as she relates her experiences. This story is inspirational and tragic, and I wish the ending could have been different. A truly heartbreaking story but well worth the read.
May 9, 2020
Patsy and Loretta became fast friends early in their careers.
Patsy was a real help to Loretta. There was so much in life she was just aware of. What clothes to wear and makeup which Patsy helped her with.
There was never competition between them. Loretta wrote the songs she sang and Patsy sang what others wrote.
They were back and forth to each other’s homes . Patsy loved to cook and entertain.
Through Patsy’s encouragement Loretta began to stand up for herself.
There have been times when Loretta sees Patsy in the audience in her long white gown, although she died many years before.
Patsy was a real help to Loretta. There was so much in life she was just aware of. What clothes to wear and makeup which Patsy helped her with.
There was never competition between them. Loretta wrote the songs she sang and Patsy sang what others wrote.
They were back and forth to each other’s homes . Patsy loved to cook and entertain.
Through Patsy’s encouragement Loretta began to stand up for herself.
There have been times when Loretta sees Patsy in the audience in her long white gown, although she died many years before.
April 2, 2024
An easy read full of good down home, foxy information.
In all her struggles and her accomplishments
loretta Lynn had one thing in common, and that was very close friend and one who she loved – Patsy Cline.
In all her struggles and her accomplishments
loretta Lynn had one thing in common, and that was very close friend and one who she loved – Patsy Cline.
July 7, 2020
An interesting book about the friendship between two young women that is unusual. Worth reading, but contains unexpected interactions.
February 22, 2024
Enjoyable to listen to though I wish that Loretta Lynn narrated her own book. I really liked hearing about the Nashville years and her friendship with Patsy Cline. Both of these singers are my country music favorites.
May 5, 2020
I love both Patsy and Loretta and reading this now was a bit of a comfort read. It’s a walk down memory lane of their friendship and how Patsy influenced Loretta from before they meet to long after Pasty died. You get a glimpse into the country music scene of the 1960s in particular, including which male stars were sexually abusive and what (some) woman endured and/or tolerated within their marriages.
Way back in the 1980s I read Ellis Nassour’s bio of Patsy and I’m pretty sure I also read A Coal Miner’s Daughter (I read everything my library has on country music back then) — I definitely saw the movie. Some of the material in Me & Patsy rang a bell but it was still enjoyable.
Way back in the 1980s I read Ellis Nassour’s bio of Patsy and I’m pretty sure I also read A Coal Miner’s Daughter (I read everything my library has on country music back then) — I definitely saw the movie. Some of the material in Me & Patsy rang a bell but it was still enjoyable.
Read
July 5, 2022This was definitely an interesting book! Though I’m not an avid country music fan, I enjoyed learning about Loretta Lynn’s rise to fame and her friendship with Patsy Cline. Loretta Lynn’s voice shines in the writing style, making it feel like she was telling the story to a close friend. Now I’m ready to listen to “Crazy” again!
Content Warning: I did skip one chapter because I wasn’t sure if the content, and there were a few minor curse words.
Content Warning: I did skip one chapter because I wasn’t sure if the content, and there were a few minor curse words.
April 4, 2021
extremely wholesome and quick read!! Loretta is wayyy too generous to her shitty husband in this book but otherwise :’)
May 15, 2020
Their friendship wasn't nearly long enough but the impact they had on each other and the country music industry set a high bar and opened doors for many artists. In high school I visited The Grand Ole Opry and made many memories there. This book had me pausing at each song mention for a search on Spotify and live song footage on YouTube. Sigh, I read through it entirely too quickly. Patsy taught Loretta to drive, shave, seduce Doo (her husband), and live every moment to the fullest. Even if that meant kickin' men "in the balls" so they take you seriously. It will definetly be a favorite for this year. I had no idea that Shel Silverstein (The Giving Tree & Where The Sidewalk Ends) wrote songs nor that a movie was made about Patsy a short time after A Coal Miner's Daughter.
May 12, 2020
Me and Patsy was a very entertaining read. I've seen movies and documentaries about her. I still listen to my Patsy Cline CDs. It was fun to read about Patsy through Loretta Lynn and learn of their close friendship. It was quite like Lynn sitting with you in your living room relating all of these little stories to you that gave you the big picture. They certainly had a wonderful friendship/relationship!
The most amazing fact that I learned in the book had absolutely nothing to do with Patsy Cline. In the 1970s Shel Silverstein (yes, the Where the Sidewalk Ends Shel Silverstein) wrote a lot of song lyrics that Loretta Lynn recorded. Amazing!
Good read for me!
The most amazing fact that I learned in the book had absolutely nothing to do with Patsy Cline. In the 1970s Shel Silverstein (yes, the Where the Sidewalk Ends Shel Silverstein) wrote a lot of song lyrics that Loretta Lynn recorded. Amazing!
Good read for me!
August 12, 2020
This memoir of Loretta Lynn's friendship with Patsy Cline was simply delightful: I laughed, I cried, I smiled, and I enjoyed every minute of it. Loretta Lynn's daughter, Patsy Lynn Russell was a perfect narrator, it was almost like listening to Loretta herself. Highly recommended.
April 13, 2021
I thoroughly enjoyed this wonderful audiobook written by Loretta Lynn and read by one Lynn's daughters. The memoire focuses on the friendship between Loretta Lynn and Patsy Cline, but in the process it shares lots of interesting insights about the country music business in the 1960s in general, and the challenges faced by pioneering women in country music like Kitty Wells, as well as Lynn, Cline, Dottie West and Dolly Parton. Beyond that fascinating look at country music history (or HERstory, as Rupaul would say!), this memoire also speaks to a more universal theme of the importance of deep friendship and mutual support between friends, and how the emotional bonds of friendship can endure even after a friend is long departed from this earth. It was a thoroughly enjoyable read from start to finish. Furthermore, it made me interested in seeking out Loretta's two prior auto-bios - Still Woman Enough, and of course, the most celebrated one, Coal Miner's Daughter. However, next in may auto-bio queue will be Dolly Parton's recent Songteller tome, the audio version of which is narrated by Parton herself.
August 31, 2021
Loretta Lynn and Patsy Cline were pioneers for women in country music. They dominated the charts when country music was primarily reserved for men. In Kickin Up Dust, Lynn briefly writes about her start in country music and gives us how she became best friends with one of the leading ladies of country music.
After Loretta learned that Cline was nearly killed in a car accident, Lynn performed at the Grand Ole Opry and sang a song Cline had just released titled “I Fall to Pieces.” When Cline heard Lynn on the radio, she sent for Lynn to come see her in the hospital. That visit began their friendship. Patsy was a role model for Loretta. She took her under her wings and helped her in such an endearing sisterly way. She taught Loretta how to shave her legs, apply make up, drive a car and most importantly how to stand her ground in a good ole boys world. Patsy and Loretta had planned to go on shopping trip when Loretta got the news Patsy had died in a planes crash, in that instant Loretta became numb. She had lost her best friend.
This is a great read for country and non country fans. Loretta and Patsy are legends. Learning about their friendship was tender, sweet, and funny! Those women were spit fires. The love and bond they shared was a friendship that every girl/woman needs at least once in her life.
After Loretta learned that Cline was nearly killed in a car accident, Lynn performed at the Grand Ole Opry and sang a song Cline had just released titled “I Fall to Pieces.” When Cline heard Lynn on the radio, she sent for Lynn to come see her in the hospital. That visit began their friendship. Patsy was a role model for Loretta. She took her under her wings and helped her in such an endearing sisterly way. She taught Loretta how to shave her legs, apply make up, drive a car and most importantly how to stand her ground in a good ole boys world. Patsy and Loretta had planned to go on shopping trip when Loretta got the news Patsy had died in a planes crash, in that instant Loretta became numb. She had lost her best friend.
This is a great read for country and non country fans. Loretta and Patsy are legends. Learning about their friendship was tender, sweet, and funny! Those women were spit fires. The love and bond they shared was a friendship that every girl/woman needs at least once in her life.
March 4, 2021
Loretta Lynn told an intimate story about her friendship with Patsy Cline -- told with respect and heartfelt sentiment. And her daughter, Patsy Lynn, narrated the tale seamlessly. At times I forgot that it wasn't Loretta narrating.
May 27, 2021
LL writes like she talks so her voice totally comes through the pages. Many of the stories have been heard before (but are worth repeating), there are some new stories too. You can tell that Loretta genuinely misses her friend Patsy.
October 11, 2020
This felt like having a conversation with a old friend. Loved it.
August 10, 2021
Gotta love Loretta Lynn. I never knew she was best friends with Patsy Cline - until her death.
May 19, 2020
Thanks to Grand Central for a gifted copy for honest review.
I love reading about musicians and their relationships, and I love a good story about friendship. Me & Patsy Kicking Up Dust combines them, with Loretta Lynn telling the story of her short but life-changing friendship with Patsy Cline. It's written in a folksy, conversational style that made me feel like I was just relaxing and listening to Loretta spin yarns. There are lots of references to "old" Nashville and country music icons, and Loretta Lynn dishes the dirt on all of it. You feel her mournful tine when the time comes that she has to talk about Patsy's death, and her pride at how her friend's legacy has shone on.
Loretta Lynn is very frank in this book but that does mean there is one small issue I did take- it's icky that in a book celebrating a great friendship that there is a chapter that refers to women as "hoes" several times. Fidelity is obviously an issue that Loretta Lynn takes seriously, but this section was jarring. Fortunately, the rest of the book was a celebration of the relationship between these two women and all that Loretta Lynn learned from Patsy Cline.
I love reading about musicians and their relationships, and I love a good story about friendship. Me & Patsy Kicking Up Dust combines them, with Loretta Lynn telling the story of her short but life-changing friendship with Patsy Cline. It's written in a folksy, conversational style that made me feel like I was just relaxing and listening to Loretta spin yarns. There are lots of references to "old" Nashville and country music icons, and Loretta Lynn dishes the dirt on all of it. You feel her mournful tine when the time comes that she has to talk about Patsy's death, and her pride at how her friend's legacy has shone on.
Loretta Lynn is very frank in this book but that does mean there is one small issue I did take- it's icky that in a book celebrating a great friendship that there is a chapter that refers to women as "hoes" several times. Fidelity is obviously an issue that Loretta Lynn takes seriously, but this section was jarring. Fortunately, the rest of the book was a celebration of the relationship between these two women and all that Loretta Lynn learned from Patsy Cline.
May 12, 2021
This book was thoroughly enjoyable!! I’m a little too young to have experienced Patsy Cline and Loretta Lynn in real time, but I truly do enjoy their music now! What drew me to this book was the female empowerment theme that is prevalent throughout. We live in a time, with Social Media being a factor, where people have the power to cut each other down or rush to judgment. This book takes you a journey back to country music past and is brimming with friendship, love, and mentorship. I admire these two ladies even more now. Patsy Cline, for the love and support she gave to Loretta Lynn. Loretta Lynn, for paying back that love with a memoir so full of respect and honor. This book is a tribute to these two women and it’s one women and their allies today should definitely read!
December 28, 2020
Loretta Lynn has written such a lovely little book about her whirlwind friendship with Patsy Cline. Much of this took place mere miles from where I live, and though I’m not a massive country music fan, I love learning about the rich music history of this area. It’ll come as no surprise that Lynn is a natural, talented storyteller. Her love and appreciation for Cline runs deep. A thoughtful memoir.
June 14, 2020
I felt like I had already read of this info about Loretta.. and the book was really mostly about Loretta..with just a few stories about Patsy.. just an OK read for me...
November 28, 2020
Wonderful!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 462 reviews