The Tragic Story of Patto
Patto was an English band that played a unique blend of progressive jazz-rock in the early seventies. They released three albums and had finished recording their fourth when they broke up. The fourth album was never officially released but there are several bootleg versions. They were know to put on a great show but their albums did not sell well. In 1979 the vocalist and maestro Mike Patto died after a three year battle with lymphatic leukemia. In 1983 John Halsey the drummer and Clive Griffiths the bass player were in a terrible car accident. John broke several bones and now walks with a limp. Clive was knocked unconscious for weeks and when he regained consciousness he suffered severe mental issues. His memories of the band are very few and scattered. The guitar player, Ollie Halsall, battled with drug abuse until he died in 1992 of a heroin induced heart attack. Call it bad luck, call it fate but don't call them losers because they deserve the recognition of being talented musicians that produced some exceptional music.
