On this day back in 1963, the country music family lost four key members when a plane holding Patsy Cline, Cowboy Copas, Hawkshaw Hawkins and Randy Hughes went down. Here's direct newspaper articles revealing the incident and just how much these artists meant to Nashville:The remains of four country music personalities, including three nationally known Grand Ole Opry stars, were found this morning in the scattered bits of a private plane which crashed in rugges woodlands near here. The victims were Patsy Cline, Cowboy Copas, Hawkshaw Hawkins, and Randy Hughes, believed to be the pilot of the ill-fated aircraft.The wreckage was discovered about 6 a.m. after a night-long search by Highway Patrol, Civil Defense and local officers.
The four victims of the plane crash Tuesday night near Camden represented a multi-million dollars worth of show business talent: Patsy Cline, 29, has been described as one of the finest girl singers in the world. Cowboy Copas, 49, was a long established country and western star, one of the most popular performers in his field. Hawkshaw Hawkins, 43, was known for his versatility. He functioned as a manager of talent (one of his talents was Patsy Cline). He was an able guitarist, and as a sideline, sold stocks and bonds for Jack M. Bass and Sons, Nashville brokerage firm. Governor Frank Clement commented: "With the deaths of Patsy Cline, Cowboy Copas, Hawkshaw Hawkins and Randy Hughes the entertainment world suffers a great professional loss and Tennessee suffers a great personal loss. They were typical of the serious-minded, hard working professional people dedicated to country music artistry. I counted them among my close friends and extend my deep and sincere sympathy to their families." All were regular member of WSM's Grand Ole Opry.
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