Rising Music Star Gary Patrick On The Five Things You Need To Shine In The Music Industry

An Interview With Elana Cohen

Manage your time: Make the best of your day. Block out specific times to practice, write, make contacts, rehearse, eat good, exercise, family. We often tend to put the last three last. Make them first!

As a part of our interview series with leaders, stars, and rising stars in the music industry, we had the distinct pleasure of interviewing Gary Patrick.

Gary Patrick is an American singer, songwriter, guitarist from North East Texas. He was raised in a music rich environment and started playing guitar at eight years old. At eighteen, Gary found himself in Sunny Southern California, where he started his fulltime music career playing bars up and down the Orange County Coastline. He met many influential mentors and friends there. In 1995, Patrick played guitar and sang with the Wilsons (daughters of Beach Boys founder, Brian Wilson) for a few TV appearances and radio station tours. That same year, he recorded his first album, “Fish Fry”. By 2000, Gary moved to Las Vegas, where his band, Clockwork, performed as a house band for the famous Mirage and Bellagio Casinos for over seven years. Patrick recorded his second album, “Dichotomy” while in Las Vegas. By 2008, Gary moved to Nashville where he focused his energy on co-writing songs with dear friend, Ken Orsow. To date, Patrick and Orsow have written three albums together. In 2017, Gary met producer, Chad Mauldin. A great friendship was formed and together, Patrick and Mauldin have recorded four album projects together, “No Standing Waves”, “This World”, “Live in Studio Album” and currently releasing singles for “High to Ride”. Gary feels as if this is his most cohesive group of songs to date and sounds more like a debut album. To learn more about Gary Patrick, go to his website www.garypatrick.love

Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series! Before we dive in, our readers would love to learn a bit about your “origin story”. Can you tell us the story of how you grew up

I grew up with a loving family in rural, North East Texas. We always had music playing in the house. I am the youngest of four siblings. Much younger actually, so naturally, I had lots of guidance and influence. I did most things that a country boy would do. Played lots of sports, enjoyed fishing, rode ATV’s, worked on old cars and trucks, but the thing that really resonated with me was MUSIC.. playing guitar and singing.

Can you share a story with us about what brought you to this specific career path?

I was 18 and enrolled in an aeronautical engineering program. I was going to learn to fly and work on airplanes and jets. Had always applied myself fully to whatever path I was on but something wasn’t right. The only thing that fully resonated with me was music but I didn’t have clear vision of what it looked like. My father walked me around the block and we spoke about it. He’d seen my love for music for 10 years already. I’ll never forget him saying, “Son, you can always return and take college courses at a later date, but you can’t start a music career later in life, you have to develop that now”. Having my parents approval was enough wind in my sails to begin a career in music.

Can you tell us the most interesting story that happened to you since you began your career?

I’ve had a lot of interesting chapters in my career. This was the summer of 1995. I’d been playing full time in my cover band for three years when I received a phone call from a famous Los Angeles producer asking me if I would audition for “The Wilsons” to possibly play a radio tour and appear on some TV shows. “The Wilsons” are daughters of Beach Boys founder, Brian Wilson and also sisters in the 90’s fame band, Wilson Phillips. I drove up to LA, totally freaking out because I’m about to meet famous artists, but I held it together and passed the audition. I was very fortunate to take part in a few TV appearances and live radio broadcasts with them. One night in Boston, Wendy Wilson and I went to dinner at Legal Seafood. It was a fun time, we laughed a lot.. I was on my best behavior, freaking out a little that I was having dinner with Brian Wilson’s Daughter. She’d had a few glasses of wine, and on the walk back to the hotel, I gave her a piggy-back ride. It was innocent fun.. something you’d see in a movie.

It has been said that sometimes our mistakes can be our greatest teachers. Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?

I’ve made so many mistakes over the years. This particular blunder ties into the last story about playing with the Wilsons. I had just recorded my first Album at the same time that I played those few gigs with the Wilsons. Consequently, I had access to their producer, Clif Magness, who’s produced massive hits over the years. I asked Clif if I could send him my album for a listen. He replied, with a “send it on, bro”. I waited and waited and waited.. no reply. You can imagine the battlefield in my mind. A few weeks later, I sent him an email that I wish I’d have deleted instead. He replied in full retort, letting me know that he didn’t owe me a career and that I’d know when something I put out was good because I’d get a call back.. among other choice statements. I’d be lying if I told you that I never think about that. In fact, it crosses my mind often. What did I learn from that experience? Perspective is EVERYTHING and keep your emotions in check. At the time, I was a young, mediocre at best songwriter with no direction as an artist. Acting purely on emotion, I thought I had to force an issue with a famous producer who had more important things to do. What I should have done is relax, enjoy life and cultivated that relationship with Clif. I never received another call from him to work with any of his artists. Harnessing ones emotions and expectations is KEY to life. A music career is difficult to navigate. I believe one must truly LOVE what they do no matter the social success.

None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story about that?

My Sweet Mother, Shirley Patrick, cultivated a love of music in me from the time I was born. She’s a self taught pianist with the voice of an angel. Her love for music is beautiful to watch. When she closes her eyes and lifts her cheeks to when she opens her eyes with that transformed smile.. she experiences music with her soul. Mom always carried me to guitar lessons and made certain I had what I needed to advance.

After all these years, she’s still a reason that I love music so much

Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?

“Be the captain of your own ship”. My father, Gary Patrick Sr., has always instilled in me to be my own boss and carve my own path. He’d often quote this to me passionately.

What are some of the most interesting or exciting projects you are working on now?

I played guitar on the NUMBER ONE song in the country by American Idol Star, Fritz Hagar III. Also played all of the guitar on his 2022 Album. I’m currently releasing my 6th album titled, “High to Ride”. I’m very excited about this LP release. I think it’s the best, most cohesive group of songs I’ve put out yet.

We are very interested in diversity in the entertainment industry. Can you share three reasons with our readers about why you think it’s important to have diversity represented in music, film, and television? How can that potentially affect our culture?

1. When you bring diversity together thru art, you eliminate the stigma that one doesn’t belong here.
2. Bringing cultures together helps us to understand and enjoy one another.
3. True love for one another doesn’t see skin color or religious beliefs. Diversity is the only way we move forward together.

What are your “5 things I wish someone told me when I first started” and why?

1. Manage your time: Make the best of your day. Block out specific times to practice, write, make contacts, rehearse, eat good, exercise, family. We often tend to put the last three last. Make them first!
2. Master your finances: You do NOT need another guitar or the most expensive gear to make you great. YOU are always going to be who you are regardless of your gear, so stop buying it. As an artist, recording consistently is only a fraction of the equation. You need to plan for PR expense to let the world know who you are, Social Media Ad Campaigns, Promo Material, Manager Fees, Booking Agent Fees, etc. It’s almost too much to comprehend. Just be aware that you cannot just record an album and the world flock to you. It doesn’t work that way. Educate yourself on the financial realities of the music business so you won’t be surprised later on. If you don’t educate yourself, you could waste a whole album’s release power by not taking the proper steps of financial scheduling. THIS, I can speak from experience.
3. Develop a second and third stream of income early on: Learn how to invest and make money work for you, so you can spend precious time developing as an artist. I have spent over 30 years playing music professionally in many settings. It’s been my only form of income. This means bar gigs, weddings, wineries, corporate parties, etc.. (great if all you want to do is play cover songs). However, I’ve greatly diminished my energy towards my artist career to sing cover songs. You see, we only have a given amount of energy and focus to give. I’m constantly trying to balance my playing schedule so I have a voice to make Youtube videos and record original material. If I had invested in property, learned about investment opportunities etc. early on, I would have the financial freedom to do nothing but be an artist. It’s something everyone must learn for themselves.
4. Stay true to your art: Don’t sacrifice your art to fit into a Genre. Find your niche and develop it every day! You may live in an area where all the cool kids are playing a certain Genre in the regional cool kid venues. If your music doesn’t fit that mold, don’t force it. The WORLD is huge and your audience it out there waiting for you to be AUTHENTIC.
5. Be serious about what you are doing but don’t take yourself too seriously: This really is a life journey. You are supposed to enjoy it. Be disciplined, learn to be a refined person, constantly improving your skills. Seek out older, wiser, masters of their craft and cultivate those relationships. Let someone mentor you. Master your emotions. BE GRATEFUL AND LIGHT HEARTED. That alone will serve you in finding peace along your music journey. Enjoy your life.

Which tips would you recommend to your colleagues in your industry to help them to thrive and not “burn out”?

Take time for family and friends. Stop working every single weekend (because that’s when most musicians play). Life’s about relationships in my opinion.

You are a person of enormous influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. :-)

I dream, in my lifetime, that we are all brothers and sisters. Spiritual beings that dissolve the lines of Black, White, Asian, Indian, etc. That we no longer see each other with our eyes as different but love each other with our hearts as we are all on the same side.

Is there a person in the world, or in the US whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she might just see this, especially if we tag them. :-)

Mark Knopfler. The famed guitarist/singer/writer from the band Dire Straits. He’s my favorite musician in the whole world. His lyrics have a sense of innocence that I love. He’s the most singular musician I know of.. he can play two notes and I know it is him. His music resonates with me.

How can our readers follow you online?

www.garypatrick.love

https://www.facebook.com/GaryPatrickMusic

https://www.instagram.com/GaryPatrickMusic

This was very meaningful, thank you so much! We wish you continued success!