Pat Travers

Pat Travers (born April 12, 1954) is a Canadian guitarist, singer, and bandleader who released eight albums and a live disc on Polydor between 1976 and 1984.

He was born Patrick Henry Travers in Toronto, Ontario, where he took up guitar at age 12. In nearby Ottawa, he saw an early concert by Jimi Hendrix. As a teenager, he played in the bands Music Machine (not the Cali garage-psych band of “Talk Talk” fame), Red Hot, and Merge. The last of those toured Quebec and brought him to the attention of rock icon Ronnie Hawkins, an early benefactor.

In the mid-’70s, Travers moved to London where he secured a deal with Polydor. He recorded his first album at Chappell Recording Studios with backing by bassist Peter Cowling and drummer Roy Dyke. Cowling came from Gnidrolog and currently played in the free-jazz combos Amalgam and John Stevens’ Away. Dykes hailed from Remo Four and its followup, Ashton Gardner & Dyke. More recently, he played in Badger with Tony Kaye and Jackie Lomax.

Discography:

• Pat Travers (1976)
• Makin’ Magic (1977)
• Putting It Straight (1977)
• Heat in the Street (1978)
• Live! Go for What You Know (1979)
• Crash and Burn (1980 • Pat Travers Band)
• Radio Active (1981)
• Black Pearl (1982)
• Hot Shot (1984)

Sources:

• Discogs: Pat Travers