Patti Page Dies At Age 85: 'Tennessee Waltz' Singer Sold 100M Records

Patti Page, the top-selling female vocalist of the 1950s who rose to stardom with songs like "(How Much Is That) Doggie In The Window?" and "Tennessee Waltz," died Jan. 1 at the age of 85 years old, according to her publicist.

Nicknamed the "Singing Rage," Page passed away in Encinitas, Calif., publicist Schatzi Hageman told the Associated Press. The New York Times confirmed her death with her place of residence, the Seacrest Village Retirement Communities.

Page, who sold more than 100 million records over the course of her illustrious career, achieved great success and fame despite a reluctant start in the music business, and eventually became one of the most popular country musicians of all time.

"I was a kid from Oklahoma who never wanted to be a singer but was told I could sing," she said in 1999, according to the AP. "And things snowballed."

That's an understatement coming from Page, who is one of the most enduring names in 1950s music. "Tennessee Waltz," which sold more than 10 million copies, became such a standard that it is now one of two official state songs of Tennessee.

In the end, she had 15 records go gold and 24 songs reach the top 10, four of which went to the top spot on the music charts. The Times reports that she is believed to be the first artist to use her own voice to accompany herself on multiple tracks, a common practice today that has been named overdubbing.

Page, an Oklahoma girl whose birth name was Clara Ann Fowler, also had a good run on the big and small screen, recording "The Patti Page Show" and starring in films including "Dondi" and "Boy's Night Out."

Despite all her accomplishments, she only earned one Grammy award, which she accepted in 1999.

Page had two husbands during her long life. First was choreographer Charles O’Curran, who she remained married to from 1956 to 1972. She remarried in 1990 to retired engineer Jerry Filiciotto, but he passed away in 2009. She is survived by her children, Danny O’Curran and Kathleen Ginn, and several grandchildren.

Details about her cause of death were not provided in initial reports after her passing.