Who Was Patrick Haggerty? Cause of Death, Was He Gay?
Who was Patrick Haggerty?
Patrick Haggerty was an American country singer. He was well known for being the guitarist and lead singer for the Lavender Country band. Haggerty was the only permanent member of the band, which has several other members from different cities.
Was Patrick Haggerty Gay?
Patrick was raised on a dairy farm near Port Angeles, Washington. His father Charles Edward Haggerty (1901–1961), was a dairy farmer. His mother Asylda Mary Haggerty (1915–1999) was a housewife who later changed her career to teaching after the passing of her husband
He claims that his father in particular was highly understanding of his effeminate nature and sexuality and that he was encouraged to come out by his father rather than “sneak.”
He joined the Peace Corps after graduating from college but was suspended for being gay in 1966. Later, after relocating to Seattle to pursue graduate studies at the University of Washington, he started working as an artist and joined the community’s Gay Liberation Front chapter.
Patrick was particularly active in the LGBT rights movement after coming out in 1969, and in the early 1970s, after “cutting cane” in Cuba, he converted to socialism.
Patrick Haggerty’s Children
Haggerty has two children, a daughter Robin Boland, a biological child with lesbian friend Lois Thetford, and a son named Amilcar Navarro who was adopted and co-parented with his biological mother Linda Navarro.
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Patrick Haggerty’s Cause of Death
Haggerty passed away on Monday after suffering from a stroke a few weeks earlier, according to the band’s Instagram page. At the time of his death which happened in his home, Patrick was surrounded by his husband and children.
Patrick Haggerty | Lavender Country
The first recognized gay-themed album in country music history was released in 1973 by the American country music group Lavender Country, which was founded in 1972.
Patrick Haggerty, the band’s lead vocalist and guitarist, was joined by pianist Michael Carr, singer and fiddler Eve Morris, and guitarist Robert Hammerstrom to make the original lineup.
Gay Community Social Services of Seattle funded and distributed their self-titled record in 1973, and activist Faygele Ben-Miriam helped with fundraising and production.
At the time of the album’s initial release, just 1,000 copies were made. Up until their separation in 1976, the band played at multiple pride and other LGBT events in Washington, Oregon, and California, beginning with the first Seattle Pride celebration in 1974.
Shan Ottey, a DJ for Seattle radio station KRAB, was fired from the station in 1973 after playing the band’s song “Cryin’ These Cocksucking Tears” over the air.
The Landlord Tenant Act, a partnership comprised of blues musician Bobby Taylor and Haggerty, issued two albums in the early 2000s: a Johnny Cash tribute record and an original music album titled Further Down The Road.
Haggerty and Taylor also perform together under the name Memory Lane. They play over 50 gigs a year at nursing homes and senior centers, specializing in vintage country, folk, and pop standards from the 1940s and 1950s. As of 2017, they are still active.
After Lavender Country broke up in 1976, Haggerty continued to work as an advocate for gay rights and against racism while running two unsuccessful campaigns for political office, once for Seattle City Council and once as an independent candidate for a seat in the Washington House of Representatives.
