Patrick Sky facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Patrick Sky
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Patrick Sky in 1966
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| Background information | |
| Born | October 2, 1940 College Park, Georgia, U.S. |
| Died | May 26, 2021 (aged 80) Asheville, North Carolina, U.S. |
Patrick Sky (born Patrick Linch; October 2, 1940 – May 26, 2021) was an American musician. He was a folk singer, songwriter, and record producer. He became well-known for his album Songs That Made America Famous (1973). Patrick Sky had both Irish and Native American family roots. Later in his life, he played traditional Irish music, including an instrument called the uilleann pipes.
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Patrick Sky's Early Life
Patrick Sky was born in College Park, Georgia, on October 2, 1940. His family background included Creek Indian and Irish heritage. He grew up near the Lafourche Swamps in Louisiana. There, he learned to play the guitar, banjo, and harmonica. In the early 1960s, he moved to New York City. He started by playing traditional folk songs in clubs. Soon after, he began writing his own music.
Patrick Sky's Music Career
Patrick Sky was a friend to many folk musicians, like Dave Van Ronk. He was part of the big folk music scene in Greenwich Village. Between 1965 and 1969, he released four popular albums. He performed with many famous artists of his time. These included Buffy Sainte-Marie, Eric Andersen, and the blues singer Mississippi John Hurt. Patrick Sky even produced some of Mississippi John Hurt's albums.
One of Sky's songs, "Many a Mile," became very popular in folk clubs. Other artists, like Buffy Sainte-Marie, also recorded it. In 1973, Patrick Sky released a special album called Songs That Made America Famous. This album was recorded in 1971 but took a while to find a record company. It included an early version of the song "Luang Prabang" by his friend Dave Van Ronk.
Patrick Sky also became very interested in traditional Irish music. He started a record company called Green Linnet Records in 1973. He was known for being skilled at building and playing the Irish uilleann pipes. He often performed music with his wife, Cathy.
In 1995, Sky helped to re-release an important old book of dance tunes. It was called Ryan's Mammoth Collection. Six years later, he also helped re-release Howe's 1000 Jigs and Reels. His last full album, Through a Window, came out in 1985.
Patrick Sky's Personal Life
Patrick Sky married Cathy Larson Sky in 1981. They had met three years before their marriage. Six years after they got married, they moved to North Carolina. Patrick and Cathy had one child together, named Liam.
Patrick Sky passed away on May 26, 2021, at the age of 80. He was in hospice care in Asheville, North Carolina.
Patrick Sky's Albums
- Singer Songwriter Project (Elektra, 1965)
- Patrick Sky (1965)
- A Harvest of Gentle Clang (1966)
- Reality Is Bad Enough (1968)
- Photographs (1969)
- Songs That Made America Famous (1973)
- Two Steps Forward, One Step Back (1975)
- Through a Window (1985)
With Cathy Sky
- Down to Us (2009)
Patrick Sky's Legacy
The famous inventor Buckminster Fuller included a line from Patrick Sky's third album in his 1970 book. The line was: "Reality is bad enough, why should I tell the truth?"
The singer Joni Mitchell said that Patrick Sky was the "Richard" she sang about in her song "The Last Time I Saw Richard." This song is from her album Blue.
Images for kids
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Patrick Sky in 1966
See also
