Edward Roy "Eddie" Patten (August 27, 1939 – February 25, 2005) was an American R&B/

soul In many religious and philosophical traditions, there is a belief that a soul is "the immaterial aspect or essence of a human being". Etymology The Modern English noun ''soul'' is derived from Old English ''sāwol, sāwel''. The earliest attes ...

singer, best known as a member of

Gladys Knight & the Pips Gladys Knight & the Pips were an American R&B, soul and funk family music group from Atlanta, Georgia, that remained active on the music charts and performing circuit for over three decades starting from the early 1950s. Starting out as simpl ...

. He was a cousin of

Gladys Knight Gladys Maria Knight (born May 28, 1944), known as the "Empress of Soul", is an American singer, actress and businesswoman. A seven-time Grammy Award-winner, Knight recorded hits through the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s with her family group Gladys Kn ...

. Patten was a member of the group from 1959 until its disbandment in 1989. Patten was a multiple

Grammy Award The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pres ...

winner, and along with the group, he was inducted to the

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (RRHOF), sometimes simply referred to as the Rock Hall, is a museum A museum ( ; plural museums or, rarely, musea) is a building or institution that cares for and displays a collection of artifacts and othe ...

in 1996. Edward was born in Atlanta, Georgia, to Thomas S. Patten and Wilhelmina (née Maxwell). His father was a local musician, singer and a child prodigy on the piano. Edward grew up singing in the church and with local "doo wop" groups in Atlanta. While still a teenager, he married his first wife Katherine (née Smith) in Atlanta at the home of her parents. He had two children from this marriage, Stephanie A. and Steven A. Patten. It was in Atlanta that he was invited by William Guest to join the Pips after two members left the group to get married. Edward later traveled first to New York after the success of the single "Every Beat of My Heart", and later he and the group, now Gladys Knight and the Pips, moved to Detroit, Michigan, to join Motown Records. By this time the strain of the entertainment world had taken its toll on his marriage, and he and Katherine divorced, and he married Renee (née Brown). He and Renee had three children - Edward II, Elliott and Renee Patten. Even though Gladys Knight & the Pips officially disbanded in 1989, Patten remained very close to his bandmates and his lifelong friends throughout the rest of his life. Patten had

diabetes Diabetes, also known as diabetes mellitus, is a group of metabolic disorders characterized by a high blood sugar level ( hyperglycemia) over a prolonged period of time. Symptoms often include frequent urination, increased thirst and increased ap ...

and

hypertension Hypertension (HTN or HT), also known as high blood pressure (HBP), is a long-term medical condition in which the blood pressure in the arteries is persistently elevated. High blood pressure usually does not cause symptoms. Long-term high bl ...

and was later incapacitated by a stroke. He died at age 65 of a

stroke A stroke is a medical condition in which poor blood flow to the brain causes cell death. There are two main types of stroke: ischemic, due to lack of blood flow, and hemorrhagic, due to bleeding. Both cause parts of the brain to stop functionin ...

at St. Mary's Mercy Hospital in

Livonia, Michigan Livonia is a city in Wayne County, Michigan, Wayne County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 95,535 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, which ranked it as Michigan's ninth most-populated municipality. Livonia is a part ...

, where he resided. He is interred at Detroit's historic Woodlawn Cemetery at Eight Mile Road and Woodward Avenue.

References

External links

* 1939 births 2005 deaths Musicians from Atlanta American soul musicians Gladys Knight & the Pips members Knight family (show business) 20th-century American singers Burials at Woodlawn Cemetery (Detroit) American amputees 20th-century African-American male singers American rhythm and blues singers American soul singers 20th-century American male singers 21st-century African-American people {{US-RnB-singer-stub