Patti Layne


Patti Layne is a Canadian singer/songwriter/recording artist. Patti Layne had a recording career in France from 1982–1991 and started recording again in 2009. Her first release in 1982, 'Une espèce de Canadienne' written by Didier Barbelivien for her, was a moderate success. It was followed by an album. Several singles followed over the next few years.
In France she also presented TV programs in the end of the 1980s, then moved to England in the beginning of the 1990s. She continued singing off and on, and continued to write songs with many different people including Carrie Lennard, Dzal Martin, Claus Regli, Ian Whitmore, Tom Hardwell, and others, but did not record again until 2009, when she made the album, 'Prairie Burn'.

Biography

Patti Layne was born in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan to Lois and Abe Fedrau. Lois was school teacher at the time and Abe was the co-owner of a hardware store. She has three sisters and one brother. Music was always encouraged at home and Patti started singing and playing the clarinet from a young age. She belonged to local choirs and the school unit band until leaving high school. She worked at various odd jobs and moved around a lot until she was 21 when she became a disc jockey in a restaurant in Vancouver.
While she was there, a woman who owned a couple of fashion outlets asked her to model for her and she began modelling. A Parisian modelling agency scout chose her to come to Paris when she was 23. She arrived in Paris and was sent to Italy and stayed in Italy for 2 years.
She began singing at parties in Italy and someone suggested she pursue a career in singing, so she moved back to Paris and after some introductions to the right people, she was offered a record contract. Patti began working with manager/producer Bernard Ricci on her first album in 1981 and was introduced to Didier Barbelivien who wrote 'Une espèce de Canadienne' for her. It was released in 1982. During the radio promotion for this single, she met Cécil Maury on a radio promotion tour. They had a relationship which lasted for 6–7 years and had one child, Bogart Giner in 1986.
Patti worked with Bernard Ricci for 4–5 years, releasing four singles and one album. She went on tour as the opening act for Caroline Loeb in 1986 and later that year gave birth to Bogart. She changed management in the beginning of 1987 and signed a 3-year renewable record contract with PolyGram.
She then began working with and Marc Lavoine as producers/writers. She released four singles with them and when her contract ended, she asked to be released from her contract. In 1988/89 she also co-presented MIDEM, MIPTV and 'Oh! Les Filles'.
Patti also did some acting, appearing in 'And So Died Riabouchinska' as Alyce Fabien opposite Alan Bates, and as Dr. McGregor in 'Les Six Compagnons au Concours Hippique'. She also made numerous guest and cameo appearances in 'Coco Rico Boy.
She continued touring and working in the music industry until leaving France in 1991, when she moved to England and married British actor Toby Rolt. They were officially divorced five years later. During the time they were married, Patti continued to write but did not perform outside of recording demos. When they became separated, she began doing smaller gigs in clubs and bars, doing cover songs, also attending singer/songwriter evenings, becoming one of the first regulars at the Kashmir Klub in London. She continued writing during this time with various people including Tom Hardwell, Dzal Martin, Claus Regli, Carrie Lennard, Ian Whitmore, Jesper Matteson and Wendon Davis.
Patti became a general practitioner counsellor and addictions therapist. She worked at Promis Treatment Centre, The Priory Hospital North London and the Capio Nightingale Hospital for the next 10 years. During the time she was working as a counsellor/therapist, her singing took a back seat and apart from an occasional private jam, she stopped singing. She began writing with Barnaby Lee and inspired by the new material, was encouraged to make an album by Guy Anderson who provided the financing and Francis Lickerish, who arranged and produced the album for her. The songs on this album, 'Prairie Burn' are co-written over several years with Barnaby Lee, Wendy Thomson, Bogart Giner, Dzal Martin, Carrie Lennard, Claus Regli, Iain Whitmore and Francis Lickerish.

Discography