A renowned synthesizer player, record producer, and solo artist, Patrick Cowley
helped transform electronic dance music from an underground phenomenon into a
mainstream genre during the late 1970s and early '80s. He was born on October
19, 1950, in Buffalo, New York, and initially worked in the music industry as a
drummer. After moving west to attend the City College of San Francisco, Patrick
Cowley began studying synthesizers and recording his own music. His innovative
approach to the synthesizer landed him a gig with the disco artist Sylvester,
whose 1978 album Step II featured...