Obit: R.I.P. Patrick Sky (1943-2021)

Subject: R.I.P. Patrick Sky
From: GUEST,Liane
Date: 27 May 21 - 10:48 AM

The Facebook page Southern Folklife Collection has shared this post from Eric Andersen:

"Well, today's a big, big sad day for me personally and all us songwriter music lovers. The dark? Well, he finally got there and the "yet" was removed early this morning in a hospice in Ashville, North Carolina. Patrick Sky the songwriter, singer, and Celtic Uilleann bag pipe luthier and builder has left this world into the light but never for good. Songs like spirits always remain behind. With his loving novelist and musician wife Cathy and son Liam keeping tight grips on his hand these past weeks, it finally slipped free, and the angels carried Pat Sky away.

I recorded (as many others did) his great song "Many a Mile" and in the 60's Village he and Buffy Ste. Marie and Peter LaFarge (Ira Hayes) were close friends in more ways than one. They all shared Native American descent. Pat's was Cherokee from Georgia. He once fashioned a beautiful Indian mouth bow for Buffy which she still plays.

Pat was close friends to the great Dave Van Ronk also known as the mayor of McDougal Street. They were musical drinking pals at the Kettle of Fish and Pat had always had a very droll, barbed sense of humor. But he couldn't take the business hassles of the music scene.

Last time we were together was when we did a small concert together at a university and were interviewed by Jeff Place from the Smithsonian Institute. Afterwards, we retired to Pat and Cathy's comfy mobile home and sat in the dark drinking beers wondering what happened with who and where did so and so go? Am still planning to record your great song "Nectar of God. Anyway, sending you big love Patrick Sky on your journey home. Don't forget us."

Subject: RE: 2021 Obit: R.I.P. Patrick Sky
From: GUEST,#
Date: 27 May 21 - 11:44 AM

RIP Pat. And thank you for your songs, your advice and your friendship.

Subject: RE: 2021 Obit: R.I.P. Patrick Sky
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 27 May 21 - 12:26 PM

RIP indeed. I must dig out the one album of his I have, and give it a spin. It's been too long since I listened to his work.

Subject: RE: Obit: R.I.P. Patrick Sky (1943-2021)
From: Mick Pearce (MCP)
Date: 27 May 21 - 01:57 PM

RIP - a great favourite of mine in my younger days.

Mick

Subject: RE: Obit: R.I.P. Patrick Sky (1943-2021)
From: Felipa
Date: 27 May 21 - 04:28 PM

There isn't a week goes by that I don't hear of or read of the death of one or more of the folk music greats. I hadn't even heard that Pat Sky was ill. I certainly hadn't forgotten about him; I did a rewrite of Separation Blues for Brexit and I read something about him this year in connection with either Brian Heron or Bill Ochs, two previously deceased uileann pipe players resident in the U.S. whom I had known personally.

I had nearly forgotten Eric Andersen when Patty Clink sang "My Land is a Good Land" on the Mudcat singaround last month. (Thirsty Boots was another favourite, but I'm not familiar with his more recent work) I wish Eric a long life. Condolences to Eric and Pat's other friends as well as to Cathy and Liam and the wider family.

Subject: RE: Obit: R.I.P. Patrick Sky (1943-2021)
From: Joe Offer
Date: 27 May 21 - 05:08 PM

His Website is http://www.patricksky.com/. I don't think he's worked on it for quite some time, but there's some interesting stuff there. May he rest in peace.

I see that his Wikipedia page has been updated.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patrick_Sky

Subject: RE: Obit: R.I.P. Patrick Sky (1943-2021)
From: Jeri
Date: 27 May 21 - 08:29 PM

Many a Mile
I only know him through other people. I remember when he was found on the internet primarily because he built uilleann pipes, but he was writing songs long before that.

Subject: RE: Obit: R.I.P. Patrick Sky (1943-2021)
From: Jason Xion Wang
Date: 28 May 21 - 07:20 AM

He was one of the best. God bless his soul.

Subject: RE: Obit: R.I.P. Patrick Sky (1943-2021)
From: Felipa
Date: 28 May 21 - 09:45 AM

Jeri posted a link to a 1975 video of Pat Sky singing. The next video that came up was Pat Sky singing the same song, Many a Mile,in 2013, and then a 1965 recording of Buffy Saint Marie singing the Pat Sky composition. I prefer the later recording by Pat Sky, more timbre in his voice I think. I don't think I'd ever heard Pat Sky play the uileann pipes, though I knew he was a piper and pipe maker. Interestingly, the 2013 song video comes from a piper's Tionol gathering, where Pat was asked to sing and play guitar as well.
Here is a video about Pat Sky: Uileann Pipe Maker

When I followed Joe Offer's link to Patrick Sky's website, I realised I had looked at not so long ago - in the past year I think. And that must have been also when I listened to some of the controversial Songs that Made America Famous, which (to the best of my memory) I had not known about at the time it was issued.

A Pat Sky discography+ https://www.wirz.de/music/skyfrm.htm

Subject: RE: Obit: R.I.P. Patrick Sky (1943-2021)
From: Waddon Pete
Date: 28 May 21 - 10:37 AM

I was sorry to hear this news. My condolences, as ever, to all those who know and love him. I have added Patrick to the "In Memoriam" thread.

Subject: RE: Obit: R.I.P. Patrick Sky (1943-2021)
From: DonMeixner
Date: 28 May 21 - 11:28 AM

One of the reasons Pat Patterson "Catspaw" and I got on so well was our mutual admiration for Patrick Sky's songs.

I saw Pat Sky on stage once in 1970. He was opening for Joni Mitchell but I was there to see Pat Sky. I know he performed with Guild Guitars fairly often but that night he was playing a Yamaha. I first heard him on a recording from Electra called The Singer Songwriter Project with Richard Farina, David Blue, and Mudcatter Bruce Murdoch(Peace) Pat Sky's songs The Nectar of God, Many A Mile, and Love Will Endure are still on my play list.

Pat Sky's music was a great mutual connection for 'Spaw and I. Now I miss them both.

Don Meixner

Subject: RE: Obit: R.I.P. Patrick Sky (1943-2021)
From: Cool Beans
Date: 28 May 21 - 02:52 PM

I met him in 1976 when he was living in Rhode Island making uilleann pipes and I was working for the RI Arts Council which had given him a grant. I wrote about him for the Boston Phoenix and got him a spot on the Today Show when they were highlighting a different state each week during the Bicentennial.

Subject: RE: Obit: R.I.P. Patrick Sky (1943-2021)
From: GUEST,Greg F.
Date: 29 May 21 - 10:14 AM

Devastating. I do not have the words, but Pat almost always did:

Your mind is all you own
And the rest is all unknown
Just a stone adrift
Upon a pebbled shore.

Here's Pats first recording of "Many A Mile" - still my favorite version.

Rest easy, Pat - "Ya Done Good".

Subject: RE: Obit: R.I.P. Patrick Sky (1943-2021)
From: GUEST,Mark Ross
Date: 29 May 21 - 12:46 PM

In the '70's I worked at the NY Folklore Center. Pat came in one day, and I had a Frank Profitt banjo that dave van Ronk had given me. It was sadly in need of repair, broken skin head, no friction tuners. I asked Pat if he knew who could fix it. He took it to the repair bench, and an hour later it was done. Amazing man! I would see him at The Gaslight, and drink with him at The Kettle of Fish next door. Talented,funny, and a real mensch as we used to say. He taught me a banjo tune that he had written THE RHODE ISLAND REEL, which I passed on to my friend Stephen Wade who has recently recorded his version of it. Patrick will be missed.

Mark Ross

Subject: RE: Obit: R.I.P. Patrick Sky (1943-2021)
From: Felipa
Date: 29 May 21 - 12:51 PM

a good tale, Mark. thanks.

Subject: RE: Obit: R.I.P. Patrick Sky (1943-2021)
From: GUEST,Greg F.
Date: 29 May 21 - 05:57 PM

I've not been able to find a YouTube or other on-line source to post, but one of Pat's great ones was "Mahogany Row".

Especially in light of the current situation in the U. S., Black Lives Matter & etc.

Do look it up, y'all.

-----------

Don Meixner hello - been a while.

Subject: RE: Obit: R.I.P. Patrick Sky (1943-2021)
From: GUEST,#
Date: 29 May 21 - 06:34 PM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iHEApKjIxKE

For Greg F: I think you'll find this to be much the way Pat did the song, but this fellow's guitar work isn't on par with Pat's. Similar in the vocal, however. The song was written by Ernie Marr (of Plastic Jesus fame).

Subject: RE: Obit: R.I.P. Patrick Sky (1943-2021)
From: GUEST,#
Date: 29 May 21 - 06:35 PM

Ernie Marrs.

Subject: RE: Obit: R.I.P. Patrick Sky (1943-2021)
From: Felipa
Date: 29 May 21 - 06:49 PM

Mark Ross wrote on a Mudcat thread that "MAHOGANY ROW was written by Ernie Marrs.". There was a link at that thread ("Similar to 'Song to Woody'") to a youtube video of Pat Sky singing Mahogany Row, but it now leads to a "video unavailable message".
I listened to this video of a singer who says he learned it from Pat Sky's recording SouthernCeltMS

Subject: RE: Obit: R.I.P. Patrick Sky (1943-2021)
From: GUEST,Vincent
Date: 30 May 21 - 08:36 AM

I saw him play in the 60s and have all his recordings. He was truly special and never got the recognition he deserved. You can see a wonderful video of Patrick when he appeared on Pete Seeger’s program, “Rainbow Quest.” Besides being sad that he’s gone, I’m really upset at not having contacted him on his web site, just to say how much I enjoyed his recorded work and performances. Always meant to do it and now….well, don’t hang back, life is too short. Bye Patrick. Next on today’s playlist will be, “Harvest Of Gentle Clang.”??

Subject: RE: Obit: R.I.P. Patrick Sky (1943-2021)
From: GUEST,Greg F.
Date: 31 May 21 - 03:11 PM

Thanks, Guest,# -I didn't realize it was Ernie Marrs.

Don't mean to hijack this, but didn't know how to incorporate the info.

Have also done a "Lyric Add" - perhaps a kindly MudElf can link the entries somehow.

All best to you & thanks again.


MAHOGANY ROW

                -Ernie Marrs


Have you ever been down on the back side of town
Where none of the queens ever wear a crown?
You might find some faces down there that you know
In the place that the boys call Mahogany Row.

Well, yonder's is a stairway and yonder's a door
Many a stranger has been there before.
Year after year, they come and they go,
They never stay long on Mahogany Row.

The street it is dusty, the houses are old;
Their story is one that has often been told.
Don't look for tables and chairs if you go
The furniture's different on Mahogany Row.

Up on the Main Street, away from the smells,
The sports try to date the society belles.
Maybe it's yes, and maybe it's no
They might change their luck on Mahogany Row.

Some of the customers get spots on their face,
Or else an eruption in some other place.
When they get home, they'll have something to show
In these souvenirs from Mahogany Row.

There goes a girl just as cute as you've seen,
The size of a minute, and maybe fifteen
One wise guy chuckles, and another says low,
"She's been down on Mahogany Row."

Come to the meat market, get your fresh ham!
It's not been inspected by old Uncle Sam;
But some of the nicest people, you know,
Are getting their cut from Mahogany Row.

Time for election; let's have a show
Off to the jail with a dozen or so!
When jobs are scarce and the wages are
More talent comes to Mahogany Row.
------

per Broadside # 74, Sept 1966

Some other interesting songs in this particular issue

Check It Out

Subject: RE: Obit: R.I.P. Patrick Sky (1943-2021)
From: JHW
Date: 01 Jun 21 - 05:28 AM

Sad again and sorry to hear. I only sang Jimmy Clay I heard on the radio long ago. Still can. One Edinburgh Festival a company made a play of it up on Calton Hill but that was decades ago too. Time goes by.

Subject: RE: Obit: R.I.P. Patrick Sky (1943-2021)
From: DonMeixner
Date: 02 Jun 21 - 09:51 AM

Thanks Greg, it is nice to be remembered. I have always been here but haven't had much to say.

Don

Subject: RE: Obit: R.I.P. Patrick Sky (1943-2021)
From: Rapparee
Date: 02 Jun 21 - 09:39 PM

Another good one gone. Rest in peace.