When 11-year-old Pat Patrick saw Elvis on TV, he knew he wanted to play music. Before long, he’d enlisted friends Frank Stevens and Winn Dixon to form his first band. “We were a basement band, because we played in basements,” he said recently. “Jack Jackson found a saxophone in his attic and another guy played bongos. Our first gig was in 6^th grade at Julia Green and we played “Bony Maroni” and two other songs. Bet you didn’t know that our own fab photo guy Peyton Hoge was even once the lead singer.

Thirty platinum albums later, Pat reigns as Society Band king. One of the nation’s most in demand groups, they’ve played the prestigious Art Institute of Chicago gala, the Swan Ball, on the beach at the John’s Island Club and The Breakers, and weddings galore. Patrick Music creates corporate and special events music, and has a long history of advertising success and awards

His boyish grin and twinkling eyes fool you- he’s been entertaining for 45 years. “Every weekend we played in someone’s driveway, then the fraternity parties at Vanderbilt. People started getting married and chairing parties. We did a lot of fancy parties in Lexington and Louisville that led to more events and weddings, Thousands of them“ Patrick laughed.

And just like his rock peers, does he have stories!” Once, we played on a platform in the middle of Jack Massey’s swimming pool. The guitar player couldn’t swim, but it was a great night anyway. We also played in the back of a dump truck leading Sewanee Alumni into one of the football games. Recently, a KISS cover band, with make-up and costumes, took the stage lip-syncing to Pat’s track, produced for the American Payroll Association. The man has got it goin’ on.

Beth Raebeck Hall