By Larry Coffman
Country Music fans of a certain age will remember the Evergreen Drifters, the hit song Rhythm of the Rain and the late Gerry Andal. The common denominator in all three is Pat Roberts, who led the Drifters, sang the hit song and appeared weekly on TV with Andal, back in the ’60s.
But Pat’s stellar career as a performer arguably was eclipsed by his three decades as a promoter of concerts, featuring the leading names in Country Music, from Johnny Cash and Reba McIntyre to Charlie Pride and Loretta Lynn and dozens more.
Both parts of Pat’s career are captured in his memoir titled “Bright Lights, Music City,” just published by daughter Melissa’s new Book House Publishing Co. and edited by yours truly. My favorite section of the book is titled “Nuggets”—a long and varied series of entertaining behind-the-scenes anecdotes from his many years on the road as a promoter.
A highlight of Pat’s career was his appearance at the Mecca of Country Music, the Grand Ol’ Opry in Nashville, with his father in attendance. As a side note, Pat and Melissa were able to get the gift shop at the Opry to go against its policy and take a dozen copies of Pat’s book.
“I also had the unexpected privilege of writing the Foreword for a memoir by a guy I’d never met but whose writings inspired me to send him the following letter, which became the Foreword.
Foreword
“I didn’t know Pat Roberts from Adam when the publisher sent me his manuscript for this book to edit. Editing normally is a detached exercise, where you’re dealing with a myriad of impersonal elements, like punctuation, grammar, syntax, etc. Seldom do you deal directly with the author.
“This book was an exception. Pat actually came to my office to do a run-through of the final edits. Amazingly enough, after that I felt I knew him almost like a brother, or at least a favorite cousin. Let me tell you what I learned about Pat Roberts, from reading his well-crafted words and our brief time together.
“Pat is, at once, big-hearted and yet constructively critical of others—when called for. For example He objected to my inserting the word “gofer,” in place of “runner” at one point, because of his deep respect for people in all stations of life. He also allowed himself to sometimes be star-struck in his work as a concert promoter, yet turn around and “tell it like it is” about certain “stars,” with unusual candor, when the situation warranted.
“This book is a revealing behind-the-scenes look at life on the road in the Country-music industry, from a man who arguably had the best perspective of anyone, during the halcyon years of the industry’s existence. Think Ken Burns’ excellent “Country Music” documentary, taken to the next level of intimacy.
“And the priceless personal “nuggets” Pat shares in the latter part of the book are preceded by the compelling story of his own Country-music career, which took him from the “projects” in Seattle to the Grand Ole Opry stage in Nashville, before he became a concert promoter for the next three decades.
“I think you’ll particularly enjoy how he skated through his stint in the U.S. Air Force, playing on the various military baseball/softball, basketball and football teams, while being relegated on duty to “screwing in new lightbulbs” in airport control towers, because his training had been insufficient to enable him to do anything else, each time he moved to a new base.
‘Of course, Pat also continued his music gigs during his tour of military duty. I especially got a kick out of the time he played a football game as a wide receiver in the afternoon and performed at the NCO Club on base that evening! How’s that for versatility—and a unique military career?
‘Humility is a Pat Roberts hallmark that I saw demonstrated time-and-again in his manuscript, in our phone conversations and in our brief meeting. He always is the first to deflect credit to others and to express appreciation to those who were instrumental in his twin careers as a performer and a concert promoter.
“Pat would object to this, but since he has limited control over the content of the Foreword, I must tell you a hard-to-believe fact—because there’s no mention of it in the book. He went through both of those careers as a teetotaler (“maybe an occasional glass of wine with dinner”)! This is absolutely stunning, given the lifestyle usually associated with the music industry and life on the road. (Pat estimates he logged three million miles in his 30 years on the road—some of those in a problem-plagued bus you’ll have to read about to believe!)
“Whether or not you’re a fan of Country music, do yourself a favor and read on. This is, first and foremost, a story about life—through the eyes or a multi-talented, sensitive and articulate human being. Enjoy!”
—Larry Coffman, editor
For more information, or to buy Pat’s book, visit his website at pat-roberts.com.