Ellis' Honky Tonk Angel

Vicksburg native Ellis Nassour will be in town Friday, Saturday and Sunday to visit with friends and to share his updated third edition of his book "Honky Tonk Angel: The Intimate Story of Patsy Cline."

Nassour, who lives in New York City, will lecture Friday night at the Southern Cultural Heritage Center, where he will be accompanied by Vicksburg local and Patsy Cline-style singer Marie Adona. On Saturday, he will sign copies of his book at Lorelei Books on Washington Street.

The book features interviews with people who knew Cline well, including her mother and second husband.

"I consider the book to be an oral history from all these people who knew Patsy," Nassour said. "You have to be careful though (about firsthand sources); my main ideal as the biographer was to be objective. Patsy certainly wasn't perfect."

Nassour grew up in Vicksburg and attended St. Aloysius High School and the University of Mississippi. His father, Ellis, owned a grocery store, and his mother, Mamie, worked for Charles' Department Store. His Mississippi background prompted colleagues at MCA to assumed he had an interest in country music, but " I didn't," he said. "As much as I hate hillbilly music, I grew to love Loretta Lynn" and later Patsy, said Nassour.

The book has been transformed into a musical. After over 10 years of development, "Pasty...Honky Tonk Angel" will debut in July in Cline's hometown of Winchester, VA. The musicals is the effort of Nassour and composer George Leonard.

"I learned how to write songs and how to use music to tell a story," said Nassour. "I think when you try to turn something into a musical if sort of cries out to you where a song should be." He is working on another book -- one about the Hollywood women who appeared in MGM musicals -- and has a Mississippi musical in the works. "I hope I can develop a musical about Mississippi, and sort of about Vicksburg. There must be something in the Mississippi water for writers. Look at all our great writers," he said, citing literary greats such as William Faulkner.

I'm looking forward to seeing and visiting with Ellis while he's here in Vicksburg. Ellis danced with me at my Senior Prom at St. Francis Xavier Academy (1959) and we also worked together at the Strand Theatre after graduation (1960). I remember telling him one day that he will go far in life and make a name for himself, and he truly has! We are so proud of our native Vicksburger, Ellis! Charming, Just Charming!