Song: “Crazy”

Crazy was named the number 85 song in Rolling Stone's list of the 500 Greatest songs of All Time. Uploaded by blogs.rtve.es.

Hugh Nelson wrote this song in 1961 for a country singer named Billy Walker. Two good things then happened. Hugh decided he’d prefer to be known as “Willie,” and Billy Walker turned down this song. He faded into obscurity, and up-and-comer Patsy Cline (Great American Things, November 26, 2009) released it as her single to follow “I Go to Pieces.” It became a top 10 hit on both the country and pop charts.

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The story is that Nelson did a demo of the song with a faster tempo, and some of the lyrics spoken. Patsy Cline hated it. Fortunately for music posterity, her producer did a new arrangement of the song as a ballad. Cline: Good. America: Awesome.

Cline had a serious car wreck just before she sang “Crazy,” and she used to introduce it to audiences this way: “I had a hit out called ‘I Fall to Pieces’ and I was in a car wreck. Now I’m really worried because I have a new hit single out and it’s called ‘Crazy.'”

“Crazy” was chosen the number 85 song in Rolling Stone’s list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.

Related Articles

• Patsy Cline: A Country Career Cut Short (npr.org)

TV Show: Austin City Limits

Austin City Limits began, as you'd expect, by featuring the music of Austin. Then it expanded to Texas, and now you can hear national and international artists. Uploaded by freeguitarvideos.com.

If Austin is indeed the “live music capital of the world” as it proclaims itself, much of the credit has to go to Austin City Limits, a PBS stalwart that’s now been running for 24 years. That makes the program the longest-running concert series in TV history.

ACL started life as a showcase specifically for the music of Texas. It had Western Swing. It had Tejano. It had progressive country. It expanded to what’s called “roots” artists, who may or may not have hailed from the Lone Star State. And today, you’re likely to hear virtually any type of music, not just from Austin…or Texas… or even the USA.

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Perhaps you think of ACL as it used to be. Well, here’s a list of recent artists on the show, a list that will perhaps open your eyes: Kenny Chesney, Mos Def, Drive By Truckers, Dave Matthews Band, Elvis Costello, Willie Nelson, Pearl Jam, Steve Earle, Kris Kristofferson, Foo Fighters, and Sarah McLachlan.

Austin City Limits was awarded the National Medal of Arts by President George W. Bush in 2003. It is the only television show that has been honored with this award…