More than a decade before she became one of the biggest vocal stars in contemporary Christian music in the second half of the 1980s, Sandi Patty was on a very different career path as a teaching assistant at San Diego’s Pershing Middle School.
“I knew I’d be involved in music, but I really thought it would be in a teaching vein, rather than a performing vein,” said the Horace Mann Junior High and Crawford High School graduate, who attended San Diego State University from 1975 to 1977.
Fate had other things in store for the Oklahoma-born Patti, who moved here with her family when she was in seventh grade. While at San Diego State University, she performed in a local cover band (about which more in a moment).
She moved to Indiana, where she studied voice at Anderson University and began working as a studio session singer. Her first solo album, the self-produced “For My Friends,” came out in 1978 and led to her first record deal.
In 1982, with three more albums under her belt, she won her first Gospel Music Association Dove Award. She also began touring and recording with Bill Gaither, who was also a key mentor for such future Christian music stars as Amy Grant, Michael W. Smith and Carman.
Patti has since won five Grammy Awards and more than 40 GMA Dove Awards, including 11 consecutive Female Vocalist of the Year honors.
She is now embarked on her “Forever Grateful: The Farewell Tour,” which began last year and stops tonight at Faith Chapel in Spring Valley. (Ticket information appears at below.)
The extended concert trek is an extended family affair for Patty. All the backing vocals are provided at each concert by her husband, Don Peslis, her son, Jonathan Helvering, her step-daughter, Aly Peslis, and her daughter-in-law, Katie Peslis.
We spoke recently by phone with the 60-year-old Patty. Here are highlights from that conversation.
Q: What are your fondest musical memories of growing up in San Diego?
A: I got to see one of my musical idols live, Karen Carpenter, at the Civic Theater. And that was just a dream come true. Because, all throughout high school, she was my voice teacher — although she never knew it!
Q: Were you much of a beach girl?
A: I was really not a beach girl. I loved seeing the ocean. I’m not a surfer or snorkeler, but I loved being on the ocean and just hearing it. There’s something very soothing about water. We usually went to Mission Beach, just because that was the closest to where we live, and — when I was learning to drive — I could drive there and back.
Q: Nathan East, the great bassist, tells me that the first recording session he ever did in San Diego was when he was 14, and that it was with The Patty Family Singers.
A: Nathan was a year ahead of me at Crawford High and my brothers and parents and I were making a recording. My mom said: ‘I wish I knew of a bass player.’ I said: ‘There’s this guy at school who plays arco bass in the orchestra, and he’s pretty good. Maybe he could come over and talk to you.’ So Nathan came over and he and my mom talked music. And it was a kind of love at first sight, because he’s so musical. He will often say that his very first recording was with our family. Fast forward, and he’s played on many of my projects over the years. And my brother, Mike, who he was very close to, just ed away, so we had a nice visit with Nathan again.
Q: Did you go to many concerts at SDSU when you were enrolled there?
A: I didn’t go to a lot of concerts. I did one musical theater production, ‘How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying,’ and I was in the chorus for Handel’s ‘Messiah.’ My first voice teacher at SDSU — I’m trying to think of his name — taught me so much.
Q: When you were a student at SDSU, did you have any part-time jobs?
A: (Laughs) I was just thinking about whether I should share this or not. (Pauses) OK, I’m going to! My brother, Mike, myself, Nathan’s brother, Marcel East, and a couple of other guys had a cover band. We would play for a lot of proms and a lot of of, gosh, frat and sorority parties. We also played — when San Diego had a professional tennis team? — we played for them a lot.
Q: What was the name of the band?
A: (Laughs) The name of the band was Struttin’! My brother played bass and sang a lot. I played piano. Marcel played sax, which was amazing. It was very, very fun!
Q: What songs did you cover in Struttin’?
A: Oh, man! ‘Color My World’ by Chicago, ‘Play That Funky Music, White Boy.’ Ha-ha-ha! And then a lot of ballads for the slow dances (by Karen Carpenter and The Captain & Tennille).
Q: You thought you would become a music teacher. Did you have an epiphany that took you into performing? Or was it more of a gradual, organic evolution?
A: It was really more of a gradual thing. When I came to Indiana to go to a small, Christian college, I was asked to sing at various functions. And Bill and Gloria Gaither, who were very, very big path-making names in the Christian music world, heard me sing and asked if I’d be interested in coming on the road with them and singing back up. They were doing huge, sold-out arenas every night. Then they let me sing a solo and that began to open doors for me. So, over a period of three or four years, I worked with them. I had always thought: ‘You can’t make a living as a musician; you need to have a real job and do music for fun.’ But it seemed like enough doors were opening. And I said to God: ‘If you’re opening those doors, I want to honor you and walk through them.’
Q: Your biggest breakthrough came in 1986, when your version of ‘The Star Spangled Banner’ was prominently featured during the nationally televised re-dedication of the Statue of Liberty. Had you even seen the Statue of Liberty prior to that?
A: No! And here’s the crazy story. Several of us artists got together and did an all-patriotic songs album to help raise money for the Ellis Island Foundation. I was asked to do a brand-new version of ‘The Star Spangled Banner.’ My arranger came up with a great version, which was almost cinematic, and that was it. I never heard a word about it after we recorded it. Then, during the weekend celebration in 1986, they chose to use that version I sang as the underscore for the video montage of the Statue of Liberty. I was home, watching it on TV. I often refer to that as as the best gig I ever had, because I was literally home and got to watch all that happen. Then I got some really nice phone calls, inviting me to be a guest here and there.
(laughs) I had no idea they were going to use it, none, whatsoever! In fact, you know when you hear or see something, but it’s a little out of context? You think: ‘What is that? It sounds familiar.’ Our oldest daughter was 2 or 3 at the time, and she said: ‘Mommy, that’s you singing.’ I was like: ‘Whoa! Yes, it is!’ Then my mother called. And Peter Jennings said some very nice things (on air) about my singing. It was really sweet and unexpected.
Q: Why are you retiring now?
A: In the opera world, they say a woman’s vocal prime is between 45 and 60. I’m definitely at one end of that spectrum. And I love music so much that I always want to be mindful of the art form and not compromise it. I don’t want to be like some athletes we see, where you think: ‘He probably should have retired a couple of years ago.’ But I will always have something, musically, to say. And I’m very excited that I get to become an artist-in-residence at my church when I retire, which means I’ll get to work with a lot of younger artists.
Q: What about recording?
A: You know, I want to work with artists. If I was to do another record, I’d love to do a duets project with people like Switchfoot, who are from the San Diego area. To just do some duets with people that and a variety of artists would be very unexpected. And I think ‘Sandi and Switchfoot’ would be awesome!
Q: How about doing a duet with (Christian hip-hop star) Lecrae?
A: Lecrae would absolutely be one of the people I’d like to duet with. I love that kid!
Q: Might you ‘un-retire’ — like Frank Sinatra and Kiss did — and do a comeback tour in a few years?
A: (laughs) I doubt it very seriously. I’ll still maybe speak and sing, here and there, and do some one-off things. I’m fairly certain there won’t be another tour. My kids are doing a lot of touring now, so I can see them running with it. They’ll be with me at the concert in San Diego. The touring has been great. But, as far as going on the road again, I think my body is saying: ‘We’re done with that!’
“Forever Grateful: The Farewell Tour,” with special guest Veritas
When: 7 p.m., Friday, Feb. 17
Where: Faith Chapel, 9400 Campo Road, Spring Valley
Tickets: $18.50 (seniors and groups of 10 or more); $25 (general ission); $45 (includes early entry and artist Q&A session); $100 (includes early entry, artist Q&A session, a copy of Patti’s latest CD, a pre-show photo opportunity and a backstage meet-and-greet)
Phone: (619) 461-7451
Online: premierproductions.com
Twitter @georgevarga
