- Born
- Died
- Birth namePatricia Jean Donahue
- Singer Patricia Jean Donahue was born on March 29, 1956 in Akron, Ohio. Donahue's parents divorced when she was only two years old and she was raised by her mother Joan to be an independent woman. Patty attended St. Joseph Academy in Cleveland. Following graduation from high school, Donahue went on to study at Ohio State University, but had to drop out for financial reasons. However, Patty did eventually graduate from Kent State University. Donahue worked as a waitress prior to becoming the lead singer for the New Wave group The Waitresses. Patty was much loved by fans of The Waitresses for her deliciously deadpan monotone vocals on the band's signature songs "I Know What Boys Like" and "Christmas Wrapping." Moreover, Donahue did a duet of sorts with Alice Cooper on the witty tune "I Like Girls." After The Waitresses split up in late 1984, Patty went on to work as a talent scout for MCA Publishing and as an A&R rep for MCA Records. A heavy smoker through most of her adult life, Donahue died from lung cancer at the tragically young age of 40 on December 9, 1996 in New York.- IMDb Mini Biography By: woodyanders
- Sharp sense of sarcastic humor.
- Deadpan monotone singing style.
- Smoked while performing onstage and in publicity photos. The music video for "I Know What Boys Like" opens with a close-up of Donahue's lips as she takes a drag off a cigarette.
- In the band The Waitresses. She had actually been a waitress in the past.
- Donahue battled lung cancer in the last year of her life. During that time she reconnected with former bandmate Chris Butler and they discussed reviving The Waitresses for a benefit concert, with the proceeds going to cancer research. "But she didn't make it", Butler said.
- Was wary of calling herself a professional singer because of her limited vocal range. Chris Butler, leader of The Waitresses, referred to Donahue as "an actress" who performed their songs as her "scripts"; he also said "she was not a belter". Donahue ceased performing after leaving the band in 1984, though she remained in the music industry behind the scenes.
- Is buried with her mother (who died in 2004) at Holy Cross Cemetery in Brook Park, Ohio, Section 13, Lot 782.
- Donahue never married or had children. Guitarist Chris Butler remembered her as smart, tough and funny, but also as a party girl with a history of bad relationships. This contributed to her quitting The Waitresses (twice) in 1984, and the band's subsequent breakup.
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