| Currently residing in Colorado singer/songwriter
Patty Clayton is a fourth generation descendant of an
Oregon Trail emigrant and pioneer. As a young man, her
great Grandfather emigrated with his parents and siblings
by covered wagon in 1867. This family history and her love
of the western way of life has greatly inspired her music.
Patty has been performing at a variety of folk and
traditional music events since the early 70’s and has
been awarded several winning trophies for her vocal and
songwriting capabilities. In 2004, Patty was named the
Western Female Vocalist of the Year for the Western Music
Association. 2003 saw Patty being nominated by Academy
of Western Artists for Western Female Vocalist, Western
Swing Female Vocalist, Western Swing Song of the Year
for her song "Just a Little Bit Cowgirl"
 and
Western Album of the Year for her CD "Just a Little
Bit Cowgirl".
Patty released her first solo CD in
2000 entitled "A Matter of Time" and her second
solo project "Just a Little Bit Cowgirl" in
2002. The long awaited Astraddle
A Saddle containing 13 tracks was released in 2006
with seven of the songs written by Patty. The collection
starts off with Ian Tyson’s story song “4
Rode By” telling of the infamous horse thieves
the three McLean brother and Alex Hare who killed Constable
John Tennant Ussher in 1879 near Kamloops, B.C. Canada.
Staying with story songs of the past “I
Didn’t Know The Gun Was Loaded” tells of Miss Effy
a wild woman of the west…the song was originally made
popular by Patsy Montana. With the accompaniment of her
own banjo and Hannah Alkire on cello, Patty tells the
spine-chilling ballad of “Abby Kane”
(Martin O’Dell).
Patty offers an Indian slant with Fred Bode
contributing the atmospheric sounds of the Native American
flute to her song about the prairie wildfires that the
Osage Indians call the “Red Buffalo”.
The title track has a jaunty feel as we ride along the
trail and later with teasing glimpses of guitar brilliance
Rich O’Brien accompanies Patty idyllically on another of
her own songs, the gentle “Wyoming
Wind”. Astraddle A Saddle
clearly offers a good variety of songs bringing the spirit
of today’s west as well as yesteryear directly to your
very own stereo.
Graham Lees April 2007
www.pattyclayton.com
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