Patrick Monahan (born February 28, 1969) is an American musician. He is best known as the lead singer and sole constant member of the band Train.[2] He collaborated with multiple artists and recorded a solo album, Last of Seven.

Pat Monahan
Monahan with Train in 2014
Monahan with Train in 2014
Background information
Birth namePatrick Monahan
Born (1969-02-28) February 28, 1969 (age 55)[1]
Erie, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Genres
Occupations
  • Musician
  • singer
  • songwriter
Years active1988–present
Member ofTrain

Early life

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Monahan was born and raised in Erie, Pennsylvania. He is the son of Jack Monahan,[3] a clothing store owner and musician, and Patricia Ann (née Timon) Monahan.[4] Of Irish descent, he is the youngest of seven children and became an uncle at five.[5][6] He attended McDowell High School in Millcreek Township. Monahan attended the Edinboro University of Pennsylvania in Edinboro, Pennsylvania.

Music career

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Monahan began his musical career singing with cover band Rogues Gallery from 1988 to 1990. The band consisted of Monahan (lead vocals, percussion), Mark Emhoff (lead guitar, vocals), Mike Imboden (bass, keyboards, vocals), John McElhenny (drums, vocals) and his brother Matt (rhythm guitar, keyboards and vocals), in his hometown of Erie, Pennsylvania. After the dissolution of the band, he left Erie in late 1993 and moved to California, where he met Rob Hotchkiss. While progressing from the SF coffeehouse circuit to the LA club scene, Monahan and Hotchkiss added Jimmy Stafford (guitar), Charlie Colin (bass), and Scott Underwood (drums) to their lineup, thus officially forming Train. From 1994 to 2006, Monahan released four studio albums with Train. In 2002, the band earned two Grammys, one of them for the song "Drops of Jupiter (Tell Me)", which was written by Monahan and inspired by his late mother, who had died of cancer.

Aside from his work with Train, Monahan also sang additional vocals on the song "Shimmer" with the band Fuel in 2001. In November 2005, he appeared as a guest vocalist on VH1's Decades Rock Live, where he covered Cyndi Lauper's hit single "Time After Time". Later, he took part in Storytellers – The Doors: A Celebration, paying tribute to the Doors by performing "Love Me Two Times".

From 2006 to 2009, Train took a three-year hiatus. Monahan released his first solo album, Last of Seven, on September 18, 2007, and began a nationwide tour supporting it. He followed that tour with a small, intimate acoustic tour, which inspired his Last of Seven Acoustic compilation, available via digital download only. His first solo single, "Her Eyes", made the top 10 of Billboard's Hot AC chart. The album's second single was "Two Ways to Say Goodbye".

On Last of Seven, Monahan duets with folk rock musician Brandi Carlile, with special guest appearances by Richie Sambora and Graham Nash. Monahan worked with Guy Chambers to co-write two songs for Tina Turner's hits album, Tina!: Her Greatest Hits.

In 2009, Train returned to the studio with the album Save Me, San Francisco. That same year, Monahan and some of his fellow Train bandmates took on small acting roles in the CSI: NY episode "Second Chances". Monahan played the former homeless drug addict Sam Baker (dating Debbie Fallon, portrayed by Kim Kardashian) who becomes involved in a murder investigation. They performed the song "Hey, Soul Sister" from their new album, and "Calling All Angels".

 
Monahan performing with Train in 2011

Despite the success of their new album, Monahan found time to collaborate with other artists in other projects. On April 4, 2010, he performed with the Hollies at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony, as the Hollies were inducted. He sang lead vocals on the song "Long Cool Woman in a Black Dress". The following year, he contributed a cover of Buddy Holly's "Maybe Baby" for the tribute album, Listen to Me: Buddy Holly, which was released on September 6, 2011.

Monahan also recorded a duet with Martina McBride, singing Train's song "Marry Me". This version of the song is on McBride's eleventh studio album Eleven, released October 11, 2011. He also performed several times with INXS during 2011; first on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno and then at a concert at Chateau Ste Michelle. Monahan also appeared on the show The Voice, where he performed "Drops of Jupiter" with contestant Vicci Martinez.

In 2013, he started a podcast called Patcast where he interviews different people in the music industry, and talks about his work with Train.[7][8]

Monahan has sung the U.S. National Anthem at various events:

He inducted Journey into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on April 7, 2017.[13]

Other projects

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In 2001, Monahan appeared on the Celebrity Top of the Charts Edition of ABC's hit TV game show Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, winning $US125,000 for Camp Ronald McDonald.

Monahan is the voice of Driver Dan in the children's show Driver Dan's Story Train, which debuted on Sprout on November 1, 2010.[14] In early 2013, Monahan played the role of Neil Redding in a Season 3 episode of CBS's Hawaii Five-0, titled "Paʻani" ("The Game"), which aired on February 18, 2013.[15] In 2009, Monahan appeared in episode eleven of the sixth season of CSI: NY, alongside Kim Kardashian. As of March 20, 2018, he is featured as a guest singer in the Broadway musical Rocktopia.[16]

Monahan made an appearance singing his hit song from 2009, "Hey Soul Sister", as well as a new Train song "Mai Tais" Feat. Skylar Grey on Season 2, Episode 8 "He Came By Night" of CBS's Magnum PI, which aired on November 15, 2019.[17] Monahan has also appeared on musical mystery game show I Can See Your Voice as a guest panelist.

In 2021, Monahan starred in Christmas In Tahoe, a Hallmark Channel film based on Train's album of the same name, and was also executive producer for the movie.[18]

Personal life

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Monahan has been married twice. He met his first wife, teacher Ginean Rapp, at a bar called Sherlock's when he was playing in a cover band called Rogues Gallery. They married in August 1990 and have two children together: Patrick and Emelia. During their marriage, they lived in Fairview Township, Erie County, Pennsylvania; and Petaluma, California.[19] Monahan and Rapp divorced in 2006.[20]

Monahan met his second wife, Amber Peterson on May 14, 2004.[21] They have two children together: Autumn and Rock Richard.[14][22] They reside in Issaquah, Washington.[23]

Discography

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Monahan performing with Train in 2014

Studio albums

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Year Album details Peak positions
US
2007 Last of Seven 82

Singles

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Year Single Peak chart positions Album
US US Adult US Country
As lead artist
2007 "Her Eyes" 110 9  — Last of Seven
As featured artist
2010 "The Truth" (with Kris Allen)  — 17  — Kris Allen
2012 "Marry Me" (with Martina McBride)  —  — 45 Eleven
"—" denotes releases that did not chart

Songwriting credits

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List of songs written or co-written for other artists, showing year released and album name
Title Year Artist(s) Album Written with
"Babe" 2018 Sugarland featuring Taylor Swift Bigger Taylor Swift
"Babe (Taylor's Version)" 2021 Taylor Swift Red (Taylor's Version)

References

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  1. ^ "Famous birthdays for Feb. 28: Patrick Monahan, Bernadette Peters".
  2. ^ Collar, Matt. "Biography: Pat Monahan". Allmusic. Retrieved June 17, 2010.
  3. ^ https://wxerfm.com/news/articles/2012/may/24/trains-pat-monahan-loses-his-dad/ [dead link]
  4. ^ "Pat Monahan media favorite". goerie.com. June 11, 2003. Retrieved October 16, 2012.
  5. ^ Pat Monahan (November 11, 2010). "Pat Monahan's Blog: Phases of Fatherhood". People. Archived from the original on May 18, 2021. Retrieved April 16, 2012.
  6. ^ Patterson, Lisa (May 15, 2019). "Just a Regular Issaquah Dad". 425magazine.com. Retrieved July 16, 2023.
  7. ^ "Episode 1: Matt Nathanson". Patcast (Podcast). July 2013. Retrieved July 25, 2014.
  8. ^ "Patcast podcast with Pat Monahan!". RickSpringfield.com. May 12, 2014.
  9. ^ Berger, Noah. "A U.S. flag is presented on the field at Levi's Stadium as Pat Monahan of the music group Train sings the national anthem before an NFL football game between the San Francisco 49ers and the Chicago Bears in Santa Clara, Calif., Sunday, Sept. 14, 2014". AP.
  10. ^ Lindzy Rothkranz (January 19, 2015). "WATCH: Pat Monahan Sings National Anthem Before AFC Championship Game - Heavy.com". Heavy.com.
  11. ^ "Pat Monahan sings national anthem". NHL.com. Retrieved May 8, 2019.
  12. ^ Billboard (January 6, 2017). "Train's Pat Monahan Delivers Powerful National Anthem Performance at NBA Finals Game 1". Billboard.
  13. ^ "Snoop Dogg will induct Tupac into Rock and Roll Hall of Fame". USA Today. March 29, 2017.
  14. ^ a b Panitz, Ilyssa (March 7, 2011). "Train's Pat Monahan on Being a Dad, His Grammy Win and Life as a Cartoon Character". parentdish.com. Retrieved October 16, 2012.
  15. ^ "(#317) "Pa'ani (The Game)"". The Futon Critic. Retrieved February 18, 2013.
  16. ^ "Home - Rocktopia – On Tour This Spring!". Retrieved July 27, 2020.
  17. ^ "Magnum P.I. Season 2 Episode 8 Preview: Photos from "He Came By Night"". November 12, 2019. Retrieved November 17, 2019.
  18. ^ "Train's Pat Monahan Explains How the Band's Christmas Album Became a Hallmark Movie". PEOPLE.com. November 27, 2021. Retrieved November 29, 2021.
  19. ^ Richards, Dave (March 4, 2001). "This was the moment Pat Monahan dreamed about for so long". GoErie.com.
  20. ^ Vaziri, Aidin (January 29, 2006). "Pop Quiz: Pat Monahan". SFGate.
  21. ^ "train on Twitter". Twitter.
  22. ^ Leon, Anya (April 17, 2012). "Pat Monahan: How We Chose Our Son's Name". People.
  23. ^ Matthew Perpetua (November 17, 2011). "Train's Pat Monahan Talks New Album, Acting Gigs". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on May 6, 2012. Retrieved April 16, 2012.
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