Patrick Cowley

Patrick Cowley
Cowley with Sylvester
Cowley with Sylvester
Background information
Birth namePatrick Joseph Cowley
Born(1950-10-19)October 19, 1950
Buffalo, New York, U.S.
OriginBuffalo, New York, U.S.
DiedNovember 12, 1982(1982-11-12) (aged 32)
Castro District, San Francisco, California, U.S.
Genres
InstrumentsMultiple instruments
Years active1976–1982
Labels
Formerly of

Patrick Joseph Cowley (October 19, 1950 – November 12, 1982) was an American disco and hi-NRG dance music composer and recording artist, best known for his collaborations with disco singer Sylvester. Along with Giorgio Moroder, he has been credited as a pioneer of electronic dance music.[1][2]

  1. ^ Niebur, Louis (February 17, 2022). "4: The First Wave of the San Francisco Sound". Menergy: San Francisco's Gay Disco Sound. Oxford University Press. pp. 61–77. doi:10.1093/oso/9780197511077.003.0005.
  2. ^ Heinzmann, Daniel (2002). Patrick Cowley: 'The San Francisco Sound' – Official Biography 1950–1982 Archived September 17, 2018, at the Wayback Machine. Self-published, page 1. Quoting Megatone artist David Diebold: "Patrick Cowley forged an electronic sound so new and exciting that it shook the foundations of dance music for years and is still influencing current artists with its haunting simplicity and powerful, driving energy. While many of his contemporaries in the field of electronic music used the technology to create synthesized replications of already existing sounds and rhythms, Patrick Cowley brought the future to them and laid it at their feet."