Patrick Haggerty, 78, an activist and musician whose 1973 band Lavender Country is credited as the first openly gay country and western band, died on Oct. 31, 2022, in Bremerton.. “We made ‘Lavender Country’ as a political statement and vehicle to promote social change,” Haggerty told Window in 2019. “If I’d wanted a career in country music, I wouldn’t have made the album.” After falling into obscurity, Lavender Country enjoyed a revival in the last few years, and Haggerty performed throughout the West Coast and beyond.
Class Notes Obituary: Activist and Musician Patrick Haggerty, '66
His Lavender Country is considered the first openly gay country and western band
2019 Window photo by Tojo Andrianarivo
