Episode 7: Patrick Haggerty of Lavender Country

Rainbow Rodeo

Hi, everyone. I'm popping in with a sort of mini-sode here. Patrick Haggerty, the lead singer and songwritier of Lavender Country, passed away on Halloween. I meant to post this shortly after his death, but between my midterms and the holidays, I just didn't get around to it. The real reason, though, is once I post this, well...then it means he's really gone. We recorded this interview in 2018 when I was writing my first major article ever. This was only the second or third time I'd interviewed someone I didn't know personal and I think you can hear my discomfort. The setting was Branded Saloon, home of Karen Pittelman's Queer Country series. Patrick, James Wilson of Paisley Fields, Barbara Endes of Girls on Grass, had just come from a rehearsal space around the corner and were doing soundcheck before the show. I mention Karen and Patrick mentions James, who now goes by Paisley. You can hear some of that soundcheck going on in the background as I recorded this directly to soundcloud with a Chromebook, yet the sound quality is better than this intro. Figure that one out. I think this interview shows Patrick's complexity. He was really, really, REALLY good at talking himself up. He had a LOT of anger and intensity stored up. In my opinion, some of his statements here are a bit grandiose but, at the same time, they're right on the money. After this, Patrick and I became friends and he was insistent that my wife and I come visit him on his ranch; that never happened. Hit the subscribe button for next week's interview with one of Patrick's spiritual successors, Adeem the Artist. Patrick Haggerty obituary in The Boot Wide Open Country article Subscribe to the Rainbow Rodeo newsletter!