Page 7 - Patrick Haggerty News Today

The Washington musician and queer rights activist recorded some of the first openly gay country songs

The country music community is mourning the loss of musician, activist and Lavender Country frontman Patrick Haggerty, who died on Oct. 31.

The late musician saw overdue appreciation for his bold, pioneering 70s gay country album when he was in his golden years

With the death of Patrick Haggerty, country music loses a trailblazer. His 1973 Lavender Country album nearly faded into obscurity. Instead, Haggerty became a voice for diversifying country music.

Patrick Country, a lifelong civil rights crusader whose band Lavender Country made what is widely considered the first openly gay country album, has died.

Pioneering country artist Patrick Haggerty, known for releasing "Lavender Country," the first gay country album in 1973, passed away Monday at home in Bremerton, Washington, from complications following a stroke. He was 78 years old.

Patrick Haggerty, whose album Lavender Country is believed to be the first explicitly gay record by an openly gay artist, died on Monday after suffering a stroke at the age of 78. Brendan Greaves, whose record label gave Haggerty's career a second wind in 2014, spoke to As It Happens host Nil Köksal. 

Patrick Haggerty, who released the first ever gay country song, has passed away from complications surrounding a stroke aged 78.

Rejected by country music for his queerness, Haggerty spent decades advocating for HIV awareness, LGBTQ+ causes, and the civil rights of Black Americans.

Thursday, Oct. 13 In The War on Drugs’ 17 years, it has inhabited a rarefied space that bridges the underground and the mainstream. The Philadelphia...