Claremore, Oklahoma singer of 'Tennessee Waltz' Patti Page dies at 85

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) -- Patti Page, who made "Tennessee Waltz" the third best-selling recording ever, has died. She was 85.

The singer who was born in Claremore and grew up in Tulsa died on New Year's Day in Encinitas, Calif., according to her manager.

Page was the top-selling female singer of the 1950s 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."

Her career included 15 gold records and three gold albums of more than 1 million in sales.

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.