At age 3 it became evident that Patti was blessed with the gift of song, singing "The Lords Prayer" before an evening Prayer Meeting at her parent's Church. Her first professional "gig" was singing back-up for Henry Mancini and Johnny Mathis at Los Angeles famed, Greek Theatre.
She was sixteen years old. This experience led to her acquaintance with
arranger/composer Ralph Carmichael, who introduced her to jazz legends
Plas Johnson, Shorty Rogers, Jimmy Rowles, and the Candoli Brothers, Conte and Pete. These gentlemen took her under their wing, and showed her what the "Pros" did for a living. She attended sessions watching the "Big Guys" play music for TV, and commercials. She watched great session singers like The Blossoms work their magic in the studio, and while being amazed, longed for the day she could do the same. As a "Young American" Patti found work on the sound stages in LA doing
television shows, Four Star Productions, The Lucille Ball Show with Gale Gordon, Christmas Specials for Andy Williams, Julie Andrews and Jackie DeShannon; all the time watching the "Stars" at work . . . taking it all to heart.
Patti went "on the Road" shortly after graduating High School. While playing Lake Tahoe, she met
Sarah Vaughn, an artist who made a lasting impression on her. Patti found her taste growing and changing musically. She replaced
Linda Ronstadt in a World Fusion project called
"Morning of the World" signed to
Elektra records with
Jac Holtzman at the helm. The project was produced in part, by
Alex Hasseliev of
Limelighters fame.
Glen Yarborough used to come by rehearsals, as well as
Cyrus Farar, and
Hugh Masekaleh. Morning of the World rocked in asymetric times before most of the USA recognized the term "World Beat".
An audition for
Randy Sparks put her into the "folk" movement of the early seventies, she shared the stage with
Hoyt Axton, Steve Gillette, Kenny Rogers, The Hager Twins, Kin Vassy, the Dillards, and
Kim Carnes.
As a member of
The Back Porch Majority, she played Fairs and venues all across the nation, consequently her appreciation of this great country of ours is profound.
Dot Records producer, Ray Ruff drafted Patti into the All Star Cast of the ground breaking production of the Gospel Rock Opera, TRUTH OF TRUTHS. Both on vinyl and stage at the Greek Theatre, Patti interpreted the roles of Eve and the Virgin Mary.
Truth of Truths brought her together with the talented Douglas Gibbs, who performed with Billy Preston. Douglas invited Patti to sing backup for Steven Stills, The Reverend James Cleveland, and The Master's Children (now known as Earth, Wind and Fire).
Patti and Douglas became writing partners, and were on staff at Playboy Music.
 ; |
Family Tragedy swept Patti to Dallas Texas.
Gig by gig, phone number by phone number, recommendation by recommendation, Patti broke into the Dallas "studio system" that produced IDs for syndicated radio in the US and Worldwide.
Her involvement here earned her several regional commercial successes and a series of National commercials for
Toyota, Sears, The Limited, Seven Eleven, and Sportsworld. Several of these commercial packages won "Clios".
| She sang special music for
the Cleveland Browns and did
several radio campaigns for
KVIL, KMPC (LA), WLS (Chicago),
the BBC, and the Magic Radio Syndicate.
For several years, hers was the voice of
Sao Paulo, Brazil's, Radjo Jovam Pan |
 |
Dallas presented many opportunities to grow as a singer and define her style.
She could sing straight ahead "bop' with renowned jazzers like
Lyle Mays and
Pat Coil, or Rhythm and Blues with Texas Tornadoes
Wally Wilson (Grammy nominated producer, songwriter) and
Gary Nicholson (Grammy nominated songwriter).
She sang with
Blood Sweat and Tears sax man
Bill Tillman and
Gary Willis (Tribal Tech) on bass.
Teamed with Dallas piano-man Whitey Thomas, she wrote a dozen songs for WORD artist Becky Fender's first two albums. Eight were chosen. The secular versions of some of these songs appear on Patti's CDs Left Turn Only and Bettin' On You .
Patti did some background arranging for Stevie Nicks, Alex Harvey, Mike Settle, and Kin Vassy while in Dallas.
She opened shows for Point Blank, Ray Stevens, Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown, and Stevie Ray Vaughn with the Satisfires, her own original band, and toured Texas and Louisiana, playing larger venues including the Dallas Summer Fest, The Scott Theatre, Fort Worth; Caravan of Dreams, Fort Worth and Rockefellers in Houston.
Then Patti, with a brief stopover in Las Vegas, returned to LA. She performed at the
Wang Center for Performing Arts, Boston Mass,
Cape Cod Melody Tent, and the
Hotel Presidente, Mexico City.
The collaboration that led to the first album "
Left Turn Only" began when Patti was involved with a jazz project at the Los Angeles studio of
Righteous Brothers lead guitarist, and
Phil Spector session player,
Art Munson. A few months later Patti needed to lay down a track for a song she was going to pitch for a Tina Turner project. She called Art and a year later came away with a finished album.
Songs from that album are currently being played on over 500 radio stations across the US in addition to continually dominating their individual Genre charts on the web via
mp3.com and
1sound.com.
A high energy performer, Patti has spent a busy Spring.
In the studio cutting new material for Bettin' On You, appearing Wednesday nights at The Classroom with the Kelly Joe Jones Blues Band, and hosting the
Blue Mondays Pro Jazz Jam at WHISPER'Z , both in Northridge CA.
Patti is very much at home on stage giving you all she has got at All times.
Patti is proud that her songs are represented by
Iowa HomeGrown Music.
Ms. Sterling was a weekly Winner on
BET Network's Jazz Discovery.
