Patty Larkin

Patty Larkin

Patty Larkin
Background information
Born (1951-06-19) June 19, 1951
Des Moines, Iowa, U.S.
Origin U.S.
Genres Folk rock
Occupation(s) Singer-songwriter
Instruments Vocals, guitar
Years active 1980s–present
Labels Signature Sounds
Website www.pattylarkin.com

Patty Larkin (born June 19, 1951)[1] is a Boston-based singer-songwriter and guitarist. Her music has been described as folk-urban pop music.

Biography

Patty Larkin was born in Des Moines, Iowa, and grew up in a musical and artistic family in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Descended from a long line of Irish American singers and taletellers, her mother was a painter, her sisters both musicians. She learned at a young age to appreciate the beauty and magic of the arts. She began classical piano studies at age 7, and became swept up in the sounds of pop and folk in the 60s, teaching herself the guitar and experimenting with songwriting in high school. An English major, Larkin sang throughout her high school and college career, starting out in coffeehouses in Oregon and San Francisco. Upon graduation from the University of Oregon, she moved to Boston, Massachusetts and devoted herself to music, busking on the streets of Cambridge and studying jazz guitar at Berklee College of Music and with Boston area jazz guitarists.

Her recording career began in 1985 with Philo/Rounder Records where she recorded Step Into The Light, I’m Fine, and Live In The Square. In 1990, she signed to Windham Hill’s new High Street label and delivered 4 highly praised releases: Tango, Angels Running, Strangers World and Perishable Fruit. After Windham Hill was sold to BMG, Patty moved to Vanguard Records and released Agogo Live, Regrooving The Dream, Red=Luck and Watch The Sky. The latter was a NY Times Critic Choice.[2] In 2010, Patty celebrates her 25th year of recording with 25, a stripped down retrospective of 25 love songs with 25 featured guests (Road Narrows Records/Signature Sounds).

Patty Larkin produced La Guitara, a compilation of international women guitarists challenging the notion that there are no great women guitarists. She has also performed on numerous compilations and her songs have been featured in the following films: “Anyway The Main Thing Is” in Evolution (DreamWorks); “Good Thing” in Random Hearts (Columbia Pictures); and “Coming Up For Air” and “Tenderness on the Block” in Sliding Doors (Miramax). Cher recorded "Good Thing" on one of her albums.

Patty Larkin is the recipient of an Honorary Doctorate of Music degree from Berklee College of Music. She has also been honored by Boston’s Mayor Thomas Menino with “Patty Larkin Appreciation Day” for her career in music and philanthropic contributions.

Personal life

Patty currently lives with her partner and two adopted children in Truro, Massachusetts, a town on Cape Cod.

Discography

Date Title Label Charted Country Catalog Number
Album
1985 Step into the Light Philo Records - - 1103
1987 I'm Fine - - 1115
1990 Live in the Square - - 1136
1991 Tango High Street Records - - 10312
1993 Angels Running - - 10318
1995 Strangers World - - 10335
1997 Perishable Fruit - - 10354
1999 à Gogo: Live on Tour Vanguard Records - - 79547
2000 Regrooving the Dream - - 79552
2003 Red=Luck 38
Billboard Top Independent Albums
US 79727
2008 Watch the Sky - - 79851
2010 25 Signature Sounds - - 2028
2013 Still Green - - 2057
Collaborations
1991 Buy Me Bring Me Take Me: Don't Mess My Hair!!!
(with Four Bitchin' Babes)
Philo Records - - 1141
2005 La Guitara: Gender Bending Strings Vanguard Records - - 79796

References

  1. Henkle, Doug, "FolkLib Index"
  2. http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/21/arts/music/21choi.html
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Patty Larkin.
This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the 10/9/2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.