Who was Pat Dailey? Beloved island musician passes away at 83

Well-known singer Pat Dailey has recently passed away at the age of 83. He gained recognition since the 70s for his performances at the island, Put-in-Bay, and other locations such as Sloppy Joe's Bar in Key West. Furthermore, Dailey was a member of the band, Pat and the K-Tones.

Pat's son Reese shared a Facebook post on July 4, 2024, confirming the news of his father's demise. He added a photo and the caption stated:

"Pat Dailey slipped away peacefully last night at home surrounded by the family he loved. RIP Patrick Huston Dailey 3/4/41 – 7/3/24."

Netizens took to the comments section of the post to express their grief over Dailey's death. People recalled Pat's work as a musician, with one of them writing that he "brought so much happiness" to everyone.

Social media platforms were additionally flooded with tributes from other users. One of them, Russ Vaughn, also posted a video on Facebook that featured Pat Dailey singing and playing his guitar. Vaughn wrote that he saw Dailey's last performance back in 2018 and he was accompanied by Mike Mad Dog Adams. The post continued:

"It was an epic performance. Many great afternoons spent at the old Colonial, then the tent and the Beer Barrel Saloon enjoying Pats performance. He certainly knew how to get a crowd wound up."

Meanwhile, Pat's cause of death has not been revealed so far and further details on his funeral arrangements are currently awaited.

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Pat Dailey became a popular face for his frequent appearances at Put-in-Bay

As mentioned, the Omaha, Nebraska native performed at the island called Put-in-Bay over the years, which can be accessed through a ferry at Lake Erie. In 1978, he played for the first time at the Beer Barrel Saloon and continued showcasing his skills at the place for many months.

Notably, Pat Dailey spent the majority of his childhood in Kirkwood, Missouri and he developed an interest in music when he was a high school student. However, he did not pursue his musical career immediately after graduation since he enrolled in the military, serving in Hawaii in 1960.

Pat recalled his high school years in an interview with Cleveland.com in 2013 and said:

"I had a serious folk-singing gig and broke a string at a bad time in a very serious song. I was embarrassed and started making jokes."

He became a famous musician in 1969 and traveled around the US at the same time. While he opted for a permanent residence on a sailboat near San Francisco, he performed at various locations such as Chicago, Phoenix, and Sun Valley.

Pat Dailey then joined a club called Hairy Buffalo in Cleveland, Ohio and he learned about Put-in-Bay from his friends. He traveled to the island which was located close to the club, and his performances at the Beer Barrel Saloon also helped in its renovation for better accommodation during the 80s.

In his conversation with Cleveland.com, he said:

"I live at Put-in-Bay May through October, then come home to Bay Village, and in January I go to Key West. I come back from Key West and spend April in Bay Village, and then it's back up to Put-in-Bay."

He even addressed the things that have changed on the island, revealing that there were four bars when he first joined and they later increased to 50.