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American country music singer and one of the most influential vocalists of the 20th century, renowned for her rich, emotive contralto voice and her role in pioneering the Nashville Sound.Born in Winchester, Virginia, Cline achieved national stardom in the late 1950s and early 1960s with hits like "Walkin' After Midnight," "I Fall to Pieces," "Crazy," and "She's Got You."Despite her career being tragically cut short at age 30 in a plane crash, her powerful voice and emotionally resonant recordings secured her lasting legacy as a country music icon.

• Cline endured a difficult first marriage to Gerald Cline, marked by reported physical abuse, before marrying Charlie Dick in 1957.
• Her producer Owen Bradley was instrumental in crafting the smoother "Nashville Sound" around her powerful voice, moving away from traditional honky-tonk arrangements.
• Cline survived a near-fatal car accident in 1961, suffering severe injuries including a broken wrist and a dislocated hip. She bravely returned to performing just weeks later. Her death occurred in a plane crash while returning home to Nashville after performing at a benefit concert in Kansas City for a DJ's family.
• Despite her relatively short mainstream career (roughly 5 years of major success), she became one of the first female country artists to achieve significant crossover pop success.