An American singer/songwriter adept at balancing political satire with poignant folk songs, Patrick Sky was one of the most enigmatic performers of New York's 1960s folk scene. Of Creek Indian and Irish ancestry, Sky first attracted attention singing traditional folk songs, though as the decade wore on, his material became increasingly political and outspoken. Equally influenced by the satirical writing of Will Rogers and the topical songs of Woody Guthrie, Sky's most confrontational album, Songs That Made America Famous, was rejected by several record labels before finding release on Adelphi Records in 1973. After helping to launch the Celtic label Green Linnet, Sky's solo output as a folksinger slowed and he became increasingly known as both a builder and master player of the Irish Uilleann pipes. He later released a 2009 Irish traditional album with his wife, fiddler Cathy Sky. After a battling cancer, Sky died at the age of 80 in May 2021.

Born on October 2, 1940 Sky spent most of his childhood in the LaFouche Swamp region of Louisiana, the ancestral home of the Creek Indians. As a boy, he learned to play guitar, banjo, and harmonica, and later adapted many of the traditional folk songs he'd first from his grandmother. Although he performed in several local clubs, he gave little thought to a career in music until he had attended college and spent a couple of years in the Army. Upon his discharge, he began to perform in folk music clubs and coffeehouses throughout the United States.

Settling in New York's Greenwich Village in the early '60s, Sky became an important member of the then-thriving folk music community. A close friend and contemporary of Dave Van Ronk, Sky was a staple of a tight-knit scene that also included Eric Anderson and Buffy Sainte-Marie, the latter of whom recorded one his best-known songs, "Many a Mile." His self-titled debut album, released by the Vanguard label in 1965, included several original tunes; alongside the aforementioned "Many a Mile" was the poignant "Love Will Endure" which the Blues Project later recorded on their 1967 album Live at Town Hall. Sky recorded a second record for Vanguard, 1966's A Harvest of Gentle Clang, which split the difference between traditional material and his increasingly political songwriting. He also served as producer for several albums by then-labelmate Mississippi John Hurt. After a switch to Verve Forecast, he released two more albums, 1968's Reality Is Bad Enough and 1969's Photographs, both of which trended almost entirely toward political and social satire. Recorded in 1971, Sky's fifth album was so explicit and radical in nature that he struggled for two years to find a label who would touch it. The independent Adelphi eventually took a gamble on Songs That Made America Famous and released it in 1973. It remains his best-known album.

Over the coming years, Sky continued to increase his repertoire of musical instruments and became increasingly involved in Irish traditional music; along with Lisa Null, he founded the Celtic label Innisfree, later known as Green Linnet Records. He also became known as a builder of the Irish Uilleann pipes, which he mastered as a player. After 1975's Two Steps Forward, One Step Back, Sky took a hiatus from recording, marrying and moving to North Carolina to raise a family. He produced one more solo album, Through a Window, in 1985.

In 2009, he and his wife, Cathy Sky recorded together as a duo. Their lone album, Down to Us, consisted of traditional Irish music featuring Patrick on Uilleann pipes and Cathy on fiddle. Patrick Sky died on May 26, 2021 after battling prostate and bone cancer. He was 80 years old. ~ Craig Harris & Timothy Monger, Rovi