Pat Hatherly/songwriter

Pat Hatherly is no stranger to the road. Born in Halifax, NS, the child of a career soldier, Pat relocated with her family on posts to Manitoba, Germany and Ontario. These childhood moves gave her a broad view of the world and helped prepare the youngster for the life she would lead as a musician.Since that time Pat has gone on to perform across Canada and in Europe, owned a media company that created jingles and commercials for radio and television, won music and songwriting awards, and built an impressive catalogue of original songs, several of which are featured on her debut April 2009 release, "Songwriter's Dream" (Indie) an eclectic selection of Pat's songs sung by eight fellow female musicians.Pat's first musical influences came when her Dad and his friends would host kitchen parties and spin records by such greats as Elvis, Jerry Lee Lewis, Little Richard, Louis Prima, and the Big Band music of the '40s. Later on, when the family was living in Germany, her Dad ran a weekly radio program that featured pop music.Pat's Mom said she could hum melodies before she could talk. Her Dad taught her to sing harmonies for material he performed as lead singer in a local weekend band. Pat says that's how she learned to sing in a low range, for it was these youthful harmonies and her father's rich baritone voice that she carried into her own distinct style years down the road.Pat began performing professionally at the tender age of 12, when she answered an ad in the paper for a band needing a singer. She auditioned for and landed the job with the Runarounds, the top 40 group appearing at dances and socials as well as traveling to Quebec to perform in nightclubs, where the laws allowed the underage singer to perform in adult establishments as long as the bar was not serving during her part of the set.On her 16th birthday, Pat got her first guitar and began building her skills on the instrument as well as her repertoire. Drawn to the music of the Beatles, Everly Brothers, traditional folk harmonies & songs, Otis Redding, Wilson Pickett and the Righteous Brothers, Pat soon found herself performing solo on the extensive Ontario coffee house circuit.Already a seasoned performer by the age of 18, Pat decided to follow in her father's steps and took time off to enlist in the Canadian Armed Forces. She returned to civilian life and her first love of music just two years later, moving to Vancouver and spending the next few years honing her talent.In 1976 Pat decided to relocate to Calgary, where she began working with local groups in a range of formats from her duo with guitarist/singer/songwriter John Bienvenue, to ensembles such as the 5-piece club/dance bands Speakeasy and Bluesland, to name a few. During the '90s, Pat spent six months a year in Germany and Denmark performing at concerts and clubs, the other six in Canada at local venues.Pat has continued writing songs and poetry over the years, but more recent years found her main focus placed on her songwriting talents. This has proven to be a great success for the veteran artist, with one of her songs placing in the finals of the 2007 UK Songwriting Contest and two more placing in the semi-finals, while the 2008 UK Songwriting Contest saw eight of her ten submitted songs reaching the semi-finals while the other two received Commendations.In October, 2008, Pat became an accredited juror for FACTOR (The Foundation Assisting Canadian Talent on Recordings), and on May 9, 2009, Pat will be officially honoured with a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Alberta's Men and Women of Country Music Association.