Pat Travers

Patrick Henry Travers, known professionally as Pat Travers, was born on April 12, 1954 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. He is a guitarist and singer who began his music career in the mid-1970s. Inspired by guitarists such as Jimi Hendrix, Jeff Beck, Eric Clapton, and Jimmy Page, he started playing in local bands during his teenage years. Pat Travers' breakthrough came when he was invited to play with Ronnie Hawkins. He then moved to London and signed with Polydor Records at the age of 20. His self-titled debut album Pat Travers was released in 1976, featuring bassist Peter "Mars" Cowling. The following year, he formed the Pat Travers Band with notable musicians including Pat Thrall and Tommy Aldridge. Their album Heat in the Street was released in 1978, followed by the live album Live! Go for What You Know, which reached number 40 on the U.S. charts and featured the hit single "Boom Boom (Out Go The Lights)". In 1980, Pat Travers released Crash and Burn, which included the popular track "Snortin' Whiskey" and peaked in the Top 20. Pat Travers continued to release albums throughout the 1980s and 1990s, including Black Pearl (1982) and Hot Shot (1984). Despite facing challenges with record labels and changing musical landscapes, he maintained a prolific career. His notable achievements include collaborations with prominent musicians such as Kirk Hammett of Metallica, who cited Pat Travers as one of his favorite guitarists. In 2022, he released the album The Art of Time Travel, which was hailed by critics as a return to form. Subsequent releases include the live documents Live at Reading 1980 (2023) and Live 'N' Loaded '84 (2024).