The headlines of the Nashville Banner, March 6, 1963, announced the tragedy: “4 Opry Stars Die In Crash.” The night before, a Piper Comanche, owned and pilot by Randy Hughes, had crashed just outside Bruceton and west of Camden, Tennessee. Ironically, a dear friend of mine, C. L. Larkin, owned the property of the crash site at the time.

The tragic accident that happened in a severe thunderstorm, claimed the lives of Patsy Cline, Hawkshaw Hawkins, Cowboy Copas, and the pilot, Randy Hughes. Randy was the son-in-law of Copas, and the manager of Patsy Cline. The Federal Transportation Board concluded that the accident was due to the poor judgment and inexperience of the pilot. Randy was not instrument rated.

The four entertainers had been to Kansas City, Missouri on March 3rd to be part of a benefit show for the family of disc jockey, “Cactus” Jack Call, who had died in an automobile accident.

I had worked on the Wheeling Jamboree with Hawkshaw before he left to join the Grand Ole Opry. Also, I had done some personal appearances with Cowboy Copas and we had become friends. I had met Randy before, but had never met Patsy. Needless to say, I was shocked and saddened when I got the news of this tragic event.

To cap off the ironies, two days later, Jack Anglin of the duo, Johnnie and Jack, was killed in an automobile accident in Nashville on his way to the funeral of Patsy Cline.

Dusty Owens
TCM Radio News

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