If you look up the word perseverance, you will most certainly find Patti Panzarino aka Pidgie is woven throughout the definition. Born with SMA (Spinal Muscular Atrophy,) the resilient Pidgie has not allowed life in a wheelchair to limit her. Pidgie says she has been singing for as long as she can remember, and she has taken her lifelong love of music and created a treasury of insightful, relatable and downright bad-ass songs. Pidgie’s 12-track, debut album, Just Breathe, is set for release on April 26, 2022.
Pidgie, who is originally from Massapequa, New York and now lives in Massachusetts and was crowned Ms. Wheelchair Massachusetts 2012, wrote most of the songs for the new album during the pandemic. “It was such a stressful time and I used songwriting as a vehicle to get some of my feelings out because I knew there were others facing the same feelings and stress as myself,” says Pidgie. The album’s title song, “Just Breathe”, expresses the anxiousness so many of us have been feeling over these last couple years and the simple reminder that we all need to just breathe through it.
During the pandemic, Pidgie’s father was living in a nursing home due to dementia. The nursing home went into lockdown during the Covid surge, and Pidgie was unable to visit her father. He passed away six months into the lockdown, which was heartbreaking for Pidgie and the experience was her inspiration to write the touching, poignant song on the album, “They Took You Away.”
Out of the 12 songs on the album, Pidgie is the songwriter of eleven of them. There is one cover, “I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel To Be Free,” written by Billy Taylor and Dick Dallas. The song was originally a Civil Rights anthem and the lyrics became meaningful to Pidgie when she recorded the song with her church group in 1975. “I have come full circle with it. It has been an honor for me to sing it on this album,” Pidgie says of the song.
Pidgie’s husband, Vinny, co-wrote the music for three tracks on the album, and plays acoustic guitar on several songs on the album, as well. Pidgie says he is the inspiration for some of the songs she wrote, “He is my best encouragement and always cheers me on,” Pidgie says of her musical husband.
Throughout the recording process, Pidgie has been surrounded by some amazing music talent, Liberty Devitto (Billy Joel), Christine Ohlman (Saturday Night Live Band), Bobby T Torello (Johnny Winter/Grace Slick), Scott Spray (Johnny & Edgar Winter), Cliff Goodwin (Joe Cocker), Al Ferrante (Cyndi Lauper/Edgar Winter) and Ron Rifkin (Charlie Karp). Additional musicians are Simone Brown, Bill Holloman, and Jonathan DuBose. It is produced, engineered and mastered by award-winning Vic Steffens of the Horizon Music Group. Vic also adds some keyboards on a few of the songs.
Pidgie expresses special gratitude to her friend and fellow #VWRadio Featured Artist, Christine Ohlman for encouraging and mentoring her through the process of creating Just Breathe. Pidgie says, “She is more than just a teacher; she is a good friend who gave me a safe place to open my heart and show her what is inside of my soul with these lyrics and music I wrote.” Christine Ohlman aka The Beehive Queen leads her own rockin’ blues band Rebel Montez and has been the Lead Vocalist for the Saturday Night Live Band for over 30 years. Christine is always supportive and happy to lend a musical hand to other independent artists.
Pidgie named her musical platform “Creative Perseverance,” a perfect and fitting name, as it truly sums up Pidgie’s life. “Creative Perseverance empowers you to reach beyond what you ever thought possible. It encompasses every facet of your existence: your home, job, education, health, relationships, and your passions,” she says. “Being able to tell my stories and feelings through music is something I am forever grateful for,” says Pidgie. And we are forever grateful for you, Pidgie – for sharing your talent, for your powerful inspiration and your creative perseverance.
Check out the video for “Accessory,” the first single off of Pidgie’s new album, Just Breathe, below:
Find out more about Pidgie at her official website www.PidgiesMusic.com and FOLLOW her on social media via the links below:
Pidgie is also on Reverbnation: www.Reverbnation.com/pidgie
