Pat Hare facts for kids

Auburn "Pat" Hare was an American electric blues guitarist and singer. He was known for his unique guitar sound. His music used a lot of distortion and power chords. This style of playing in the early 1950s helped shape heavy metal music.

Pat Hare's guitar work also influenced rockabilly music. He played with bands like Little Junior's Blue Flames. His playing on blues records by artists such as Muddy Waters was important. It influenced 1960s British Invasion blues rock bands. These included famous groups like the Rolling Stones and the Yardbirds.

Early Life and Music Career

Pat Hare was born in Cherry Valley, Arkansas. He was an African-American musician. He started his music career in the early 1950s.

Hare recorded music at the famous Sun Studio in Memphis, Tennessee. He often played as a "sideman." This means he was a musician who played with other main artists. He played for musicians like Howlin' Wolf, James Cotton, Muddy Waters, and Bobby Bland.

Pioneering Guitar Sounds

Pat Hare was one of the first guitarists to use distortion on purpose. Distortion makes the guitar sound rougher or "fuzzier." He would turn his small amp up very loud. This made the speaker "scream" and created a powerful, unique sound.

In 1951, he joined a blues band called Little Junior's Blue Flames. The band was led by Junior Parker. Pat Hare played an electric guitar solo on their song "Love My Baby" (1953). This solo helped inspire the rockabilly music style. One of their big hits was "Next Time You See Me" in 1957. It reached number 5 on the Billboard R&B chart.

Impact on Heavy Metal

Pat Hare's guitar solo on James Cotton's song "Cotton Crop Blues" (1954) was very important. It was one of the first times heavily distorted power chords were recorded. Power chords are a basic part of heavy metal music.

Music experts say this song had a very strong guitar sound. It was "grittier, nastier, more ferocious" than most sounds at the time. Some even call it the "first heavy metal record." The other side of the single, "Hold Me in Your Arms," also had this powerful, distorted sound. This sound is now common in modern rock music.

Hare also recorded a song called "I'm Gonna Murder My Baby" in 1954. This song also featured power chords. These chords are still very important for building riffs in heavy metal bands.

Later Life

Pat Hare continued to play music. He was part of Muddy Waters's blues band for a time. He spent his last years in prison. While there, he formed a band called Sounds Incarcerated. Pat Hare died in 1980 in Saint Paul, Minnesota.