Soul - Gospel Singer
Patsy Lewis, born on October 23, 1947, in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, and who passed away on September 2, 2024, was a notable figure in the soul and gospel music scenes. She was the sister of fellow artist Diane Lewis and gained significant recognition within the northern soul movement. In 1951, her family relocated to Detroit, Michigan, where she attended Central High School. It was during her time there that her aspiration to pursue a singing career began to take shape. Patsy showcased her talents in glee clubs, talent shows, and with the school band, also singing in the church choir.
In the early 1960s, Patsy, alongside her sister Diane and two other siblings, Betty and Jackie Winston, formed a group known as The Lewis Sisters. They signed with Golden World Records, a label managed by Ed Wingate and Joanne Bratton, where they recorded tracks such as “Deep Freeze,” “Daddy Please,” “Ooh Boy,” “Be,” and “Schools All Over,” as well as collaborating with The Reflections on “Romeo and Juliet.”
Eager to pursue her dreams as a solo artist, Patsy adopted the name Pat Lewis and recorded her first single, “Can’t Shake It Loose,” at Golden World. In addition to her solo work, she provided background vocals for various artists.
During her tenure at Golden World, members of The Andantes, the primary backing group for Motown Records, frequently hired her. One day, after a member was unavailable, Pat filled in and impressed everyone, leading to her being invited to provide background vocals for Motown and other recording studios, including Brunswick Records in Chicago, where she contributed to Jackie Wilson’s album, “Your Love Keeps Lifting Me Higher.”
In 1966, when Golden World was sold to Motown, Pat signed with Solid Hit Bound Records, owned by Don Davis and LaBaron Taylor. At this label, she recorded several singles, including “Look At What I Almost Missed,” “Warning,” “No One To Love,” “No Baby No,” and “The Loser.” During the mid-1960s, she also made personal appearances and worked on background arrangements alongside her sister Diane and fellow vocalist Rose Williams.
In 1967, Aretha Franklin invited Pat to perform as one of her background singers on tour. She remained with Aretha intermittently for several years, both on the road and in the studio, while continuing to arrange and sing background vocals with Diane and Rose for various writers, producers, and recording companies under the collective name The Sweet Inspirations.
In 1969, Don Davis, the owner of United Sound Recording Studio, hired The Sweet Inspirations for a session on Isaac Hayes's album “Hot Buttered Soul.” Pat arranged and recorded background vocals for this project, which became a hit. As a result, Isaac invited The Sweet Inspirations to tour with him, prompting Pat to give notice to Aretha Franklin and the group rebranded as The Sweet Inspirations.
From 1969 to 1982, The Sweet Inspirations recorded background vocals for many artists under the Stax label and served as Isaac Hayes’s opening act and studio group. They toured the world and made appearances on national and international television. Although Pat arranged all background vocals, she did not receive credit until later. During Hayes's downtime, the group also toured with Aretha Franklin and participated in projects like Rick Dees's “Disco Duck.”
In 1972, The Sweet Inspirations relocated to Memphis, and in 1974, they added a fourth member, Barbara McCoy, a former member of The Emotions, officially becoming The Sweet Inspirations. Pat also collaborated with Shoe Productions, creating commercials for various products. As work became scarce due to Isaac's career challenges, Pat and Diane returned to Detroit while continuing to work with Isaac intermittently.
Upon returning to Detroit, Pat formed a band called Thrust and began performing in clubs across Detroit and Canada. With limited opportunities, she shifted her focus in 1984 to performing in musicals at dinner theaters, including productions at “In The Lawyers Club” and “The English Room” at the Book Cadillac Hotel.
In 1985, Pat reconnected with her longtime friend and producer, George Clinton, arranging and singing for artists such as Funkadelic, Prince, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Bootsy Collins, Tracy Ullman, Paul Simon, and even the theme song for The Junkyard Dog. Pat continues to collaborate with George Clinton to this day.
In 1986, Pat was invited by the late Edwin Starr, who was living in England, to perform her hit singles from the 1960s for the Ric-Tic Review. This opportunity introduced her to the world of Northern Soul. Over the following years, Pat toured the U.K. Northern Soul scene, where she met Ian Levine, a friend of Kim Weston, who sought to record many Motown artists and their classic hits. Ian hired Pat as a coordinator, background vocal arranger, and lead and background singer for recording sessions in Detroit and Los Angeles.
In 1999, Pat was contracted through Ian by K-Tel Records to produce a gospel album, completing an ambitious project that included seventy-six songs: sixty gospel tracks, sixteen Christian songs, and multiple arrangements for quartets and choirs, all within a three-week deadline.
Later that year, The Sweet Inspirations reunited in Memphis, Tennessee, to perform at the New Daisy Theater alongside The Masqueraders. However, in 2002, Pat faced health challenges, including a rare blood disorder that led to double knee replacements in 2003 and the removal of her spleen in 2004, which resolved her health issues.
In 2005, Pat received a call from T.J. Lubinski to provide backup vocals for The Four Tops, Brenda Holloway, Kim Weston, and Francis Nero for the PBS special “Motown - The Old Days.” As industry contacts learned of Pat's return, opportunities began to arise once more.
In December 2005, The Lewis Sisters were invited to perform at a Northern Soul Weekender in Northampton, England. Pat and her group returned to the U.K. in 2006 to showcase their hits from the sixties.
The same year marked the founding of Hitsville Legends, an organization of legendary artists from the Motor City, of which Pat became a member. She co-produced and arranged vocals for an album titled “Motown Smooth Jazz.” Additionally, she joined long-time friends Annette Helton and Rosalind Holmes of The Original Vandellas, stepping in as their lead singer and officially becoming “The Original Vandellas featuring Pat Lewis.”
