Mickey Guyton Honors Patsy Cline’s Legacy at Star-Studded Ryman Tribute (Exclusive)

In a powerful celebration of country music pioneer Patsy Cline’s lasting legacy, Mickey Guyton took the historic stage of the Ryman Auditorium to open Great Performances – Patsy Cline: Walkin’ After Midnight with a commanding performance of the show’s iconic title track. The Texas-born singer recently sat down with PopCulture.com to discuss her participation in this landmark tribute, which premieres Nov. 22 on PBS.

Opening the Show with Modern Flair

“It felt so good. I love Patsy Cline. It was like a full circle moment for me to be a part of that,” Guyton shared, reflecting on her opening performance. With a knowing smile and modern twist, she announced to the audience, “As a woman in 2024, I’m not walking after midnight for nobody, and I mean nobody,” before delivering a swinging rendition that set the tone for the evening’s celebrations.

Early Influences and Generational Impact

When asked about her earliest memories of Patsy Cline’s music, Guyton described how deeply Cline’s influence has been embedded in American culture. “Patsy Cline’s music has just been an evergreen,” she explained. “I think my earliest memories of just hearing her [were] honestly anywhere. It could have been in a mall… just on the old school radio stations.” She added that her grandmother, a devoted Valley Park fan, was particularly fond of Cline’s music, making it a part of her family’s musical foundation.

Crafting Her Interpretation

Guyton’s approach to performing such an iconic song revealed her deep respect for the original while showcasing her artistic instincts. “I just think that the song is just so beautiful, so iconic and Patsy is such an iconic artist,” she explained. Her preparation involved intensive study: “I just listen to the song over and over and over again because that’s kind of what I do when I do tributes for artists and their iconic songs.”

This careful attention to detail helped Guyton find ways to make the song her own while honoring its essence. “From there, I was like, well, how can I make this like my own? And I felt like keeping it kind of upbeat… and then singing an octave up at the end would be really, really cool.”

Understanding Cline’s Artistic Legacy

For Guyton, Cline’s most inspiring quality was her willingness to challenge industry norms. “I find most inspiring that she really pushed the envelope of country music,” she reflected. “They considered her too pop. They considered her too forward. And I just always admired that so much.”

This boundary-pushing aspect of Cline’s career resonates particularly with Guyton, who has herself been a trailblazer in country music. She praised Cline’s ability to interpret songs with deep emotional conviction: “Her ability to interpret a song and sing it so well with such feeling was always so inspiring to me.”

The Art of Interpretation

When discussing Cline’s influence on her own vocal approach, Guyton highlighted the importance of restraint and emotional authenticity. “She really took the time to sing the song,” she observed. “There’s a lot of singers that have so many amazing techniques and are so gifted and sometimes they can do too much. And I think the beauty of Patsy Cline was like, she really took the time. You could tell she thought about what the words were saying when she was singing them.”

A Historic Evening

The tribute concert, filmed at Nashville’s historic Ryman Auditorium – Cline’s home stage – brought together an impressive array of artists from various genres, including Wynonna Judd, Ashley McBryde, Grace Potter, Pat Benatar, Crystal Gayle, and many others. The evening was given additional gravitas by the presence of First Lady Jill Biden, who delivered opening remarks highlighting music’s power to unite people across differences.

Guyton noted that while security protocols limited artists’ ability to watch many performances due to the First Lady’s presence, the backstage interaction with Dr. Biden was particularly meaningful. “One of my biggest standouts at that moment was just First Lady Jill Biden backstage, and that was a really cool interaction,” she shared.

Legacy for a New Generation

The significance of the tribute extends beyond a single evening of performances. Guyton explained when discussing her hopes for the PBS broadcast, “I hope they just remember how amazing Patsy Cline was. As time goes on, and the new generation comes in, it’s so easy to forget what came before you.”

This sentiment was echoed in First Lady Biden’s opening remarks, where she noted that Cline “changed the music industry so profoundly it’s hard to imagine what our world looked like before,” adding that “with each barrier broken, she pulled a generation with her — women for whom the world’s doors now opened a little more easily.”

The Producer’s Touch

During the interview, Guyton also reflected on the special relationship between Cline and her producer, Owen Bradley, drawing parallels to other iconic artist-producer partnerships. “I think it’s trusting each other. I think that’s the first step to a really great producer relationship,” she explained. “It’s also, I think, fate… Sometimes you just get lightning in a bottle. And I think that that’s what their relationship was.”

She compared their collaboration to other legendary partnerships: “It’s like Jimmy Jam, Terry Lewis, and Janet Jackson, or Amy Winehouse and her producer. You just find the right person that hears you, and pushes you, and you trust each other.”

Continuing Influence

The PBS special serves as a testament to Cline’s continued impact on American music. Guyton pointed to the timeless quality of Cline’s work: “Her songs [are] evergreen. They’ll last forever.”