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September, 2006
 
Pat Garrett Honors Country Music
Keeping It Traditional by Rex Rutkoski The day he a saw a friend get up at a high school assembly and lip synch to an Elvis Presley record, Pat Garrettıs life was changed forever. He literally began to shake as he sank down in his seat and broke out in a cold sweat. He knew then that this was something he was going to try. That summer he got a guitar and his mom taught him three chords: C, F and G. He took a few lessons until he had about a dozen chords mastered. He practiced for hours learning songs and playing guitar until his fingers bled. The next year, in a school assembly, he and his music teacher, Mr. Kremser, went live. Garrett had a tiny amp and a Harmony guitar. His teacher had a big upright bass, and they wailed. Garrett stepped up to the microphone and did "Lonesome Town" and "Thatıs Alright Mama." His classmates began hollering, screaming and cheering, some standing on chairs, not often done at the time in a country school. "Well, that ruined me for life," quips Garrett, vividly recalling that day. Playing music still does that for the singer-songwriter, who has been holding the flag high for traditional country for many years from his Pennsylvania base. He has built a loyal audience for his records and performances by the Pat Garrett Band, which includes his wife, Suzy Dalton, throughout the East. "Real country music is like home cooking and apple pie: itıs American, and I am proud to be part of it," says Garrett. He is proud to represent traditional country, saying, "Thereıs nothing like three chords and the truth. Harlan Howard gets credit for that." "Old Timers," on his latest CD, On The Stage, on his own Gold Dust Records, celebrates that fact and asks the question, "Where did all the old timers go, because itıs hard to hear ıem on the radio." "I also like the usual things that make up the perfect country and western song," Garrett adds. "Like David Allan Coe said: mama, prison, pickup trucks, trains." Hoyt Axton and Tommy Cash recorded "Old Timers" and Johnny Cash was said to be considering doing the same. Garrett, who also likes rock and roll and other musical styles, draws his influences from a long list of entertainers that include Cash, Toby Keith, Charlie Daniels, Merle Haggard, George Jones, Elvis Presley, Ray Charles, Shorty Long, Patsy Cline, Hank Jr. and Sr., Loretta Lynn and Dolly Parton. A ballad like "In the Blue Mountains," also on the latest CD, honors his home. "If You Love America," which he wrote after September 11, 2001, never fails to stir pride. "Everyone always stands for our great country and our heroes. God bless them all," he says. His humorous side shows his appreciation for Jimmy Buffett in such Garrett ditties as "The Monica Lewinsky Polka" and "Suck It In," which he describes as being about "guys who stick out in the tummy area a bit." A few years ago he received national attention for his "Saddam Stomp." His "Cruisinı" was aired by CMT "hundreds of times" in the 1980s, he says, and "Sexy Ole Lady" topped the charts in some parts of the country. He has appeared on the Grand Ole Opry and recorded for PolyGram Records. He and his wife also operated the Pat Garrett Amphitheater in the foothills of his beloved Blue Mountains, presenting such artists as Johnny Cash, George Jones, Merle Haggard, Willie Nelson, Charlie Daniels, Waylon Jennings, Steve Wariner, Wade Hayes, Bryan White, Billy Ray Cyrus and others. Garrettıs wife, a recording artist in her own right whose latest album is The Sweetest Thing Iıve Never Heard, praises Garrett as "a fabulous singer, a great entertainer and one of the hardest-working people I know." "When you are doing one of your own tunes that came out of your head and heart and people are liking it, thereıs nothing like it," he says. "I have people in my band who are not just good musicians, but nice people, and I think that is evident to our audience. They see people onstage having fun and I think that becomes contagious." Like those memories from his high school assembly programs! For more information, log on to www.patgarrett.com. Rex Rutkoski is a veteran national and international music, entertainment and features writer who also has a bio-writing service for unsigned, new and established musicians in all genres. He can be reached at rrjr@peoplepc.com. |