Patrick Brayer

Patrick Brayer is a singer-songwriter whose music has penetrated the Claremont music scene and beyond with his devout connections to the American songbook. Brayer’s works have helped further and influence the careers of such luminaries as Alison Krauss, Alan Jackson, John Doe, Ben Harper, Robert Plant, Michael Hedges, and Stuart Duncan. Pretty stealthy credits for a local boy who doesn’t leave the house much. In 2002, The Smithsonian Institute honored Brayer with his inclusion in a compilation album of songwriters featuring the likes of Shawn Colvin, Suzanne Vega, and David Van Ronk. Patrick is presently at work on a collection of short stories entitled The Pomona Sorrows.

Patrick states, “I grew up on an egg ranch in Fontana, California. I was a sideshow attraction for the most part, but allotted the solitude to find my own voice, so I’m told. I will have to admit that it was Claremont that first recognized it as an art form, even before me. I studied under the Chases, the Darrows, and even the Lindleys, and I’ll proudly say that no one can take that away from me.”

Photography by Mark Takeuchi