Very few acts can claim to be as groundbreaking as the country band known as Lavender Country. The group broke the stereotypes of country music with their 1973 self-titled album which is regarded as the first recording by an openly gay country artist. Today (October 31), frontman of Lavender Country Patrick Haggerty passed away at the age of 78. Haggerty formed his band back in 1972 and gained local acclaim during their short time as a band, but their one and only album from that era has gone on and continues to break ground due to its unapologetic nature and refreshing take on country music.
Back in 1973, the album Lavender Country was self-published and locally distributed around Seattle, Washington. A year prior to the album’s recording Haggerty gathered a collective of openly gay musicians from the local scene to create the album that featured songs like “I Can’t Shake The Stranger Out of You” and “Cryin’ these Cocksucking Tears”. While the album gained attention on the local scene, it fell into obscurity until 2014 when the Paradise of Bachelors label reissued the album. It is now considered a milestone in both country music and the LGBTQ+ community.
Earler this year, Lavender Country returned with their second album called Blackberry Rose featuring the lead single “I Can’t Shake The Stranger Out Of You” – check it out below..
