Singer Patti Page is dead at age 85
NASHVILLE, Tenn. Patti Page, whose "Tennessee Waltz" is one of the best-selling recordings ever, has died. She was 85.
Page died on New Year's Day in Encinitas, Calif., her rep said in a statement sent to CBSNews.com
Page, who was to be honored by the Recording Academy in a pre-Grammy Lifetime Achievement Awards ceremony on Feb. 9, was one of the top-selling female singers in history with more than 100 million record sales. She created a distinctive sound for the music industry in 1947 by overdubbing her own voice when she didn't have enough money to hire backup singers for the single, "Confess."
She had 24 records in the top 10, including four that reached No. 1. She was also the first singer to have television programs on all three major networks, including "The Patti Page Show" on ABC.
Page had a staggering 111 chart hits, including pop classics like "(How Much Is That) Doggie in the Window," and "Old Cape Cod." According to her rep, she recorded 50 albums, with 19 gold and 14 platinum singles. She earned a Grammy for her CD "Patti Page Live at Carnegie Hall--the 50th Anniversary Concert."
Page was awarded the Living Legend Award from the Oklahoma Jazz Hall of Fame and the Pioneer Award from the Academy of Country Music. She has stars on both the Hollywood Walk of Fame and the Country Music Walk of Fame.
Page is survived by her son, Daniel O'Curran; daughter, Kathleen Ginnp; and sister, Peggy Layton. No funeral arrangements have been announced.