Patrick Cowley

• Name — Patrick Cowley • Birth Name — Patrick Joseph Cowley • Born — 19 October 1950 • Birthplace — Buffalo, New York, U.S. • Died — 12 November 1982 • Place of death — Castro District, San Francisco, California, U.S. • Origin — Buffalo, New York, U.S. • Years Active — 1973–1982 • Instruments — Multiple instruments • Genre — * Disco • hi-NRG • synth-pop • experimental • Past Member Of — * Paul Parker • Frank Loverde • Sylvester • Label — * Megatone • Fusion Records • Macro

• Illustration — Yearbook photo, 1968 Cowley was born October 19, 1950, in Buffalo, New York, to Ellen and Kenneth Cowley. The family originated in the Horseheads and Corning areas of New York and lived in Rochester. During his teenage years, Cowley became a successful drummer with local amateur bands before attending Niagara University and later the University at Buffalo to study English. In 1971, at the age of 21, Cowley moved to San Francisco to attend the City College of San Francisco (CCSF) where he studied music, specifically the use of synthesizers, from Gerald Mueller.

Cowley met San Francisco-based musician Sylvester in 1978. Sylvester had asked Cowley to join his studio band after hearing some of his early synthesizer recordings. He played synthesizer on Sylvester's 1978 album Step II which included the hits "You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real)" and "Dance (Disco Heat)". In addition, he wrote "Stars" and "I Need Somebody to Love Tonight" from his 1979 album Stars. Cowley also joined Sylvester's live band and joined him on several world tours. Cowley's own hits included "Menergy" in 1981, a frank celebration of the gay club scene, and "Megatron Man", which hit No. 1 and No. 2 respectively on the Billboard Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart in 1981. That same year, Patrick Cowley was celebrated at the Menergy parties at The EndUp in San Francisco. Cowley recorded an album at The Stud in San Francisco. He also wrote and produced the dance single "Right on Target" for San Francisco artist Paul Parker, which reached No. 1 on the Billboard dance chart in 1982. "Do Ya Wanna Funk", a collaboration with Sylvester, made No. 4 on the Billboard dance chart that same year. Cowley also did a 15'45" long remix of Donna Summer's "I Feel Love", which is now a collector's item. Mind Warp, his final album, was composed as he felt the increasing effects of HIV infection, and its songs reflect his increasing detachment from conventional reality as the disease progressed.

During a world tour with Sylvester in late 1981, Cowley complained of feeling increasingly unwell. Upon returning to the United States, he visited a doctor who diagnosed food poisoning. Weeks later, with his condition only worsening, doctors again failed to identify what was wrong with him. At this early stage in the history of HIV/AIDS virus – at the time still referred to as "gay-related immune deficiency" (GRID) by American doctors – misdiagnosis was common and so Cowley, who was gay, was discharged from the hospital (in 1982) after doctors could do nothing more for him. Cowley died at his home in the Castro District neighborhood in San Francisco on November 12, 1982. He was 32 years old, an early victim of AIDS.

• Year — Album name — Artist(s) — Label — Notes • 1981 — Menergy — Patrick Cowley — Fusion Records • 1981 — Megatron Man — Patrick Cowley — Megatone Records • 1982 — Mind Warp — Patrick Cowley — Megatone Records • 2009 — Catholic — Patrick Cowley, Jorge Socarras — Macro Recordings — Recorded 1976–1979 • 2013 — School Daze — Patrick Cowley — Dark Entries Records — Recorded 1973–1981. School Daze, a collection of electronic instrumentals (influenced by Giorgio Moroder, Isao Tomita, and Wendy Carlos). The album contains several soundtrack cues from the eponymous gay porn film. • 2015 — Kickin' In — Patrick Cowley — Dark Entries Records — Recorded 1975–1978 • 2015 — Muscle Up — Patrick Cowley — Dark Entries Records — Recorded 1973–1981 • 2016 — Candida Cosmica — Patrick Cowley, Candida Royalle — Dark Entries Records — Recorded 1973–1975. Candida Cosmica an album co-created by Candida Royalle and featured experimental synthesizer music. Candida Cosmica may be a nod to both female sexuality and gay pornography existing within the same sound. • 2017 — Afternooners — Patrick Cowley — Dark Entries Records — Recorded 1982 • 2019 — Mechanical Fantasy Box — Patrick Cowley — Dark Entries Records • 2020 — Some Funkettes — Patrick Cowley — Dark Entries Records • 2022 — Malebox — Patrick Cowley — Dark Entries Records — Recorded 1979–1981 • 2024 — From Behind — Patrick Cowley — Dark Entries Records — Recorded 1980–1982 • 2025 — Hard Ware — Patrick Cowley — Dark Entries Records — Recorded 1980–1982

Cowley wrote and produced songs for several San Francisco musicians including friends Paul Parker and Frank Loverde. He was associated with many other musicians such as Kat Mandu, Maurice Tani and Linda Imperial. • "Right on Target" by Paul Parker (1982) • "Die Hard Lover" by Frank Loverde (1982) • "Do You Wanna Funk" by Sylvester (1982)

Patrick Cowley is recorded as record producer, composer and musician.