Artist History PAT GREEN has been touring incessantly for the past six years. He has sold nearly two-hundred thousand independently-released records. He is a legitimate star in Texas, who sells out every venue in his home state, even the cavernous Billy Bob's in Ft. Worth. And he's done it all on his own. It's a rare accomplishment in the music business. One that made the powers-that-be from New York to Nashville stand up and take notice. When the majors finally came calling, it was Republic/Universal Records that understood what PAT was all about. "When we met with Republic Records, it was a natural connection for me," GREEN says. "I didn't want people telling me what songs were going to be on my record and what musicians were going to play on them. I wanted it to be my band, my songs, my sound, and my comfort level. I'm not here to buck the system, either. I'm just a guy who likes my job and wants to continue doing it. Republic had complete faith in me, which blew my doors down." The result of that faith is PAT GREEN's major-label debut, Three Days. GREEN wrote or co-wrote 9 of the 13 tracks on the record with noted songwriters like Radney Foster, Walt Wilkins and Mark Winston Kirk. "Whenever I get to writing, it's typically happy," GREEN says. "The cowboy rides away with the girl and the bad guys are all dead. That's the kind of songs I write. I don't have a big dark deep side. That's one of the things I have to admit. I am an optimist. I have no room in my life for negativity." GREEN was born in San Antonio and raised in Waco, Texas, the eighth of nine siblings. His father was a stage actor and GREEN fell in love with the musicals his father acted in. "I loved musicals," GREEN says. "That was the beginning of my love for music. My favorites were the corny ones like "Sound of Music" and "My Fair Lady." I also listened to a lot of classical music. Bach is incredible. I like Tchaikovsky a lot. Growing up in my family, we had five sisters and four brothers. There were many different kinds of music floating around our house." GREEN began his musical career when he was 18 and in college at Texas Tech in Lubbock. "I started playing guitar to pick up the chicks," GREEN laughs. "Before that, I only sang in the shower. I could mimic other people's voices. It took me a long time to find my own voice but once I did I became very comfortable with it. It's not real pretty but it's believable." During those college years, GREEN started playing clubs and opening shows for other artists. In 1995, he put out his first independent record. "Natalie Maines from the Dixie Chicks sang on our first record and she wasn't a Dixie Chick yet," GREEN says. "It was pretty cool. Since then we've recorded five more records including one duet record with Cory Morrow, which charted on the Billboard country chart." Soon, GREEN was a regular on the Texas dance hall circuit, playing to sold-out crowds all over the Lone Star state. "I don't know exactly where it began, if it was Willie Nelson's picnic or one of Jerry Jeff's shows, but I got asked to play and there was a huge crowd there," GREEN says. "After that show, we started getting some radio support. All of a sudden, everything started happening at once. We were selling a ton of records. We were able sell out Billy Bob's. In Dallas Fort Worth we were selling 4, 5, 6000 seats. In Houston and everywhere else it started being 1000, 2000 seats. It just started steamrolling. I think it was a combination of the popularity of Robert Earl Keen, Jerry Jeff Walker and Willie Nelson leading the forefront for us little guys. We just all fell in line behind them." GREEN admits he took the long and winding road to get his first major-label record deal this far along in his career. "It was a long trip to try to accomplish a simple goal," GREEN says. "It would have been a lot easier had I gone a different route, but I felt like I wouldn't have been able to be myself or maintain autonomy over my music. My plan was to establish myself enough so when I did negotiate with a record label I wouldn't have to be polished and twisted around too much." Living in Texas, GREEN was most definitely influenced by the rich musical heritage in his own back yard. "If there is any musician I want to emulate, it's Willie," GREEN says. "Willie has always done what he wanted with his music and people have responded. He's been doing this for a long, long time. I don't believe stars are made or hits are produced. Hit songs are written and the artists aren't shaped or formed, they are who they are. Willie Nelson is a perfect example of that." "Threadbare Gypsy Soul," a solo composition for GREEN, was inspired by Nelson and other artists who have been instrumental in GREEN's career. "I was sitting on the back of the bus traveling from one show to another and I started thinking about Willie and Jerry Jeff Walker and Robert Earl Keen," GREEN recalls. "I wanted to show them how much I appreciated them. I had a pretty cool chord arrangement going and started thinking about Willie Nelson's shoes. I mean, just think about all the places and things his shoes have seen from the top of the White House to walking around some square in Amsterdam to China and wherever else he's been. Willie's had an amazing life and career. The lyric says 'I've got these crusty shoes down on my feet and I could write a book about the places that they've seen.' It's the story of how I picture their lives." GREEN was ecstatic when Nelson agreed to sing with him on "Threadbare Gypsy Soul." "After I picked myself off the floor and gathered my thoughts, I was blown away that he agreed to sing with me," GREEN says. "It's truly one of the better things that has happened to me in my career." GREEN wrote "Carry On" with long-time friend and fellow-Texan, Walt Wilkins."We spent all day on this one song that we thought was great but couldn't get it to go anywhere," GREEN recalls. "We took a coffee break and came back and literally wrote 'Carry On' in 15 minutes. I had this little riff and a couple of lyrics. It's a journey song about not taking things so seriously and not being afraid to have a few beers and have a few laughs. I get really bogged down in songs that go too deep. Those are necessary songs, but you have to have songs that represent the lighter side of life. This is one of those songs." GREEN wrote the title cut, "Three Days," with Radney Foster. "I was really missing my wife and was on my way home to spend three days with her," GREEN says. "I started writing what it was like to be in that situation. I started thinking about everybody else in the world who has a long distance relationship, or has to travel a lot, too. I know other people can relate to it. You have three days off and you have to get all the lovin' in you can in those three days and emotionally recharge yourself. I didn't have a bridge and the song wasn't coming together. I called Radney Foster and we finished the song together." One of GREEN's favorite cuts is "Who's To Say" written with Walt Wilkins and Mark Winston Kirk. "'Who's To Say' is kind of a slam back to people who say I write a lot of songs about drinking beer and being happy," GREEN says. "My comment back to them is 'Who are you to judge me? Enjoy yourself and lighten up.' "I have a deep responsibility to my job," GREEN says. "People don't go out and see concerts and buy records because they want to think about work or other stresses in their lives. They listen to music to relax, to get away from things that have been dumped on them. They also associate music with times during their lives. It's my job to make sure that they have those memories and to foster their creativity and love and joy. Music is there to perpetuate what is happening in their lives and see them through it. "I believe in absolute faith. Lack of integrity is a waste of time. You pay your bills and you take care of your family and you grow old and die. I'm just here to have a good time and it floors me every day that I get to do this for a living."

Location San Antonio, Texas - USA

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