The Two Countries of Country – Canadian Sandy Graham interviews Larry Patton, The Honky Tonk Cowboy

Fri Jul 09, 2010

I recently had the pleasure of chatting with Larry Patton, a talented Texan now living in Nashville, Tennessee. This unassuming man, with the list a mile long of greats he has played with, is about to embark on a tour to promote his new CD, ‘A Strange Night’, on the Canadian-owned ‘Breakin’ Records label.

SG: tell me a little bit about yourself – how did a Texas born kid who grew up on rock and roll end up living and working in Nashville?

LP: My mother was not just a rock-n-roller, she was also an avid country music fan. She took me to every country music show that came to town. In June of 1957 we went to the Grand Ole’ Opry in Nashville and saw the Everly Brothers first appearance there. I moved to Nashville the first time in 1975, went to work with Ronnie Milsap and then later that year Hank Williams Jr. After Hank’s mountain climbing accident in August, and the band’s three months in New Mexico and Arizona, I moved back to Texas at the end of that year. In 1986, with several job offers in hand, I moved back to Nashville and have been here ever since.