I still have no clue...

OK I read up on her and the only thing I'm familiar with is 'The Mouse and the Motorcycle'... and that is from 40+ years ago in elementary school (our teacher read it to us). This one was beyond me.

Oh my. I guess I had read about her fairly recently and I just assumed she had died, but it was probably a 100 year birthday celebration or something.

Well, I don't know that I would call her well-known. Certainly not outside the US. And even then, I think you had to be a certain kind of kid born at a certain time to know who she was. But I remember taking her books out from the library--all the Henry books and Otis Spofford especially. Very nostalgic. I was going to guess William Saroyan who wrote some warm-hearted books of that ilk as well--The Human Comedy and the play The Time of Your Life.

Let's see...

1. I was born in Winchester, Virginia in 1932.
2. I dropped out of high school when my Dad deserted us.
3. My professional career started at age 15.

4. I was born Virginia Hensley, but I took my professional name from my married name and my middle name.

5. I was portrayed twice in major motion pictures.

6. I was a singer.

7. I had some big hits, including some only released after my death.

Aretha Franklin?

Billie Holiday

Not Aretha or Billie.

8. In 2010, I ranked at number 46 on Rolling Stone's list of the "100 Greatest Singers of All-Time"

9. A singer friend of mine, who later also became very famous, wrote a song whose title was originally called, "Stupid." He changed some of the words and changed the title to another one word title, and I had a big hit with it.

Diana Ross

Donna Summer?

Neither Diana nor Donna.

10. I died in a plane crash at age 30.

"Me and Bobby McGee."

And I turn the board over to someone else.

I feel like I am going to kick myself when this is done for not getting it right. I honestly believe the author of "Me and Bobby McGee" did not die in a plane crash.

I'm confused ...

Joplin was 27 at death.

... and didn't she die of a drug overdose?

Good guess but not Janis Joplin.

11. An opera singer? Not exactly, just performed there. Sorta.

12. In 1973, I became the first female performer to be inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame.

13. My middle name was Patterson (see clue #4)

Patsy Cline?

Patsy Cline is correct!

Willie Nelson wrote "Crazy," which she had a big hit with.

Coal Miner's Daughter with Beverly D'Angelo, and Sweet Dreams with Jessica Lange were two film depictions of her.

Became a member of the Grand Ole Opry in 1960. Influenced just about every female country singer after her.