pat travers

Biography

Patrick Henry Travers is a Canadian rock guitarist, singer, and songwriter known for his fiery blend of blues, hard rock, and boogie, and for high‑energy live shows that made him a cult favorite of the late 1970s and early 1980s rock scene.[2][1] Born on April 12, 1954, in Toronto, Ontario, he grew up in a musical household and picked up the guitar around age 12, soon after witnessing Jimi Hendrix perform in Ottawa, an event he has often cited as a turning point in his life.[2][1] As a teenager he cut his teeth in club bands around Quebec with groups such as the Music Machine, Red Hot, and Merge, absorbing the styles of contemporary guitar heroes like Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, and Jimmy Page while learning the realities of life as a working musician.[2][1]

Travers’ professional break came when rock and roll veteran Ronnie Hawkins noticed him playing with Merge and invited him into his band, giving the young guitarist valuable touring experience.[2][1][4] In his early twenties he moved to London, signed with Polydor, and released his self‑titled debut album in 1976, featuring bassist Peter “Mars” Cowling, who would remain a core musical partner for many years.[2][1] Rapid follow‑ups like Makin’ Magic and Putting It Straight (both 1977) established him on the British and European circuits, and by 1978 he had formed the classic Pat Travers Band lineup with fellow guitarist Pat Thrall, bassist Cowling, and drummer Tommy Aldridge.[2][1] Their live album Live! Go for What You Know (1979) and its signature track “Boom Boom (Out Go the Lights)” brought Travers U.S. chart success and heavy radio play, while albums such as Heat in the Street and Crash and Burn showcased his mix of aggressive riffing, melodic solos, and gritty vocals.[2][1]

Although changing musical tastes and label issues in the 1980s curtailed his mainstream visibility—leading to lineup changes, lawsuits, and a temporary drop from major‑label rosters—Travers continued to tour steadily and reinvent himself, exploring more keyboard‑heavy arrangements on albums like Radio Active and returning decisively to blues‑rock on early 1990s releases such as Blues Tracks for Blues Bureau International.[2][1] Through collaborations with players like Jerry Riggs and later with drummer Carmine Appice on projects such as P.T. Power Trio 2, Travers reaffirmed his status as a guitarist’s guitarist, known for his fluid, muscular phrasing and raw, unpolished tone.[2] His legacy rests not only on classic tracks like “Snortin’ Whiskey” and “Boom Boom (Out Go the Lights)” but also on decades of relentless live work that have cemented his reputation as one of hard rock’s most underrated yet enduring blues‑rock stylists.[2][1][7]

Fun Facts

• Travers has often highlighted that a Jimi Hendrix concert he saw as a young teen in Ottawa directly inspired him to start playing guitar, making that single show a decisive catalyst for his entire career.[2][1]
• The classic Pat Travers Band lineup with Pat Thrall, Mars Cowling, and Tommy Aldridge became famous enough for its live power that Live! Go for What You Know—a concert album—became one of his best‑known and most commercially successful releases.[2]
• Travers’ breakout hit “Boom Boom (Out Go the Lights)” is not his own composition but a cover of a song associated with Little Walter and credited to Stan Lewis; Travers’ loud, high‑energy version turned it into a rock radio staple.[2]
• Despite facing declining record sales in the 1980s and label battles, Travers successfully sued Polydor to fulfill his contract and release the album Black Pearl in 1982, demonstrating both business resolve and artistic persistence.[2]

Associated Acts

• Pat Travers Band - eponymous

Musical Connections

Mentors/Influences

• Jimi Hendrix - Primary inspirational figure whose live performance inspired Travers to take up guitar and pursue a career in rock music. (General influence on Travers’ guitar approach, tone, and improvisational style rather than specific collaborative works.) [Influence began around 1966–1967 when Travers saw Hendrix in Ottawa and continued throughout his formative years.[2][1]]
• Eric Clapton - One of the leading rock and blues guitarists whose playing Travers studied closely in his teens. (Influence evident in Travers’ blues phrasing and use of sustain and vibrato across his 1970s recordings.) [Late 1960s–early 1970s as Travers developed his style.[1]]
• Jeff Beck - Stylistic influence, particularly in terms of phrasing, dynamics, and the fusion of rock and blues elements. (Reflected broadly in Travers’ 1970s and 1980s guitar work rather than in specific joint projects.) [Formative years leading into his mid‑1970s recording debut.[1]]
• Jimmy Page - Influence on Travers’ heavy riff‑based writing and integration of hard rock with blues motifs. (General stylistic inspiration noticeable in albums like Heat in the Street and Crash and Burn.) [Early 1970s as Travers was developing his hard‑rock identity.[1]]
• Ronnie Hawkins - Veteran rock and roll bandleader who hired Travers, effectively mentoring him in professional touring and stagecraft. (Live touring work with Hawkins’ band before Travers moved to London.) [Early 1970s, prior to Travers’ relocation to London and Polydor contract.[2][1][4]]

Key Collaborators

• Peter "Mars" Cowling - Longtime bassist and core member of the Pat Travers Band, central to Travers’ classic 1970s and early 1980s sound. (Albums including Pat Travers (1976), Makin’ Magic (1977), Putting It Straight (1977), Heat in the Street (1978), Crash and Burn (1980), Radio Active (1981), and later projects after his 1989 return.[2][1]) [Mid‑1970s–early 1980s, returned again around the late 1980s.[2][1]]
• Tommy Aldridge - Drummer whose powerful style helped define the classic Pat Travers Band live sound. (Heat in the Street (1978), Live! Go for What You Know (1979), extensive touring including support slots with Rush.[2]) [Late 1970s until his departure after the Reading Festival appearance around 1979–1980.[2][1]]
• Pat Thrall - Second guitarist whose interplay with Travers created a renowned dual‑guitar attack. (Heat in the Street (1978), Live! Go for What You Know (1979), major touring during Travers’ commercial peak.[2][1]) [Late 1970s, departing around the time of the Reading Festival show.[2]]
• Sandy Gennaro - Drummer who joined Travers and Cowling following Aldridge’s exit. (Album Radio Active (1981) and the subsequent co‑headlining arena tour with Rainbow.[2]) [Early 1980s.[2]]
• Jerry Riggs - Guitarist who joined the Pat Travers Band in the 1980s, forming another respected twin‑guitar partnership. (Worked with Travers on albums after Black Pearl and contributed prominently to live shows in the 1980s.[2]) [From 1983 into the mid‑1980s.[2]]
• Carmine Appice - Veteran rock drummer who teamed with Travers in a power‑trio format. (Project and album P.T. Power Trio 2, featuring covers of bands such as Led Zeppelin, Montrose, Queen, and Trapeze, plus extensive touring in the mid‑2000s.[2]) [Mid‑2000s, including a European tour in 2006.[2]]

Artists Influenced

• General later generations of blues‑rock and hard‑rock guitarists - Travers’ aggressive yet melodic blues‑rock style, especially as heard on Live! Go for What You Know and tracks like “Snortin’ Whiskey,” has been cited in guitar press and fan communities as an under‑acknowledged template for subsequent hard‑rock and shred‑era players, though specific major artists rarely name him directly in mainstream sources. (Influence most evident in live‑oriented, riff‑driven blues‑rock albums and performances from the late 1970s onward that echo Travers’ mix of speed, precision, and groove.[7][8]) [Primarily from the 1980s forward as younger players discovered his 1970s and early 1980s catalog.[7][8]]

Discography

Albums

Top Tracks

1. Snortin’ Whiskey
2. Born Under A Bad Sign (Crash And Burn)
3. Boom, Boom (Out Go The Lights) (Boom, Boom (Out Go The Lights))
4. Life In London (Putting It Straight)
5. Rock 'N' Roll Susie (Makin' Magic)
6. I La La La Love You
7. I La La La Love You (Black Pearl)
8. Statesboro Blues (Makin' Magic)
9. Snortin’ Whiskey
10. Ain't My Time to Go

External Links

• Spotify
• Wikipedia
• MusicBrainz

Tags: #blues, #blues-rock, #canadian