Edward Patten
American soul singer
Who was Edward Patten?
Edward Roy Patten (August 27, 1939 – February 25, 2005) was an American R&B/soul singer, best known as a member of Gladys Knight & the Pips. Edward Patten was born in Atlanta, Georgia, to Thomas S. Patten and Wilhelmina (née Maxwell). His father was a local musician, singer and bandleader. Edward grew up singing in the church and with local "doo-wop" groups in Atlanta. Patten was a member of the group from 1959 until the disbandment in 1989. He had two children from this marriage, Stephanie A. and Steven A. Patten. It was in Atlanta that he was invited by William Guest to join the Pips after two members left the group to get married.
Historical significance
Patten was a multiple Grammy Award winner, and along with the group, he was inducted to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1996. While still a teenager, he married his first wife Katherine (née Smith) in Atlanta at the home of her parents. Edward later traveled first to New York after the success of the single "Every Beat of My Heart", and later he and the group, now Gladys Knight & the Pips, moved to Detroit, Michigan, to join Motown Records.