Patty recorded her first
album, For My Friends, an
independent effort, that landed
in the hands of executives at
Singspiration! records. In 1979,
she was signed to
Singspiration! and released her
first professional
record, Sandi's Song.
According to the FAQ section
on her website, the name on
her birth certificate is Sandra
Patty. A printer's error on the
labeling listed her name as
Sandi Patti, and she used this
moniker as her stage name for
the next fifteen years, before
correcting it to Sandi Patty.
Patty's career expanded after
she won her first two GMA
Dove Awards in 1982 and
began singing backup for Bill
Gaitherand the Bill Gaither
Trio. She headlined her first
national tour in 1984 and
reached national acclaim after
her rendition of "The StarSpangled Banner" was
included during
the ABC Statue of Liberty rededication broadcast on July 6,
1986. This exposure led to
multiple mainstream television
appearances including The
Tonight Show, Christmas in
Washington, Walt Disney's
Fourth of July Extravaganza,
and the 1998 Pepsi 400. She
was invited to sing the national
anthem at theIndianapolis
500 in 1987–88, 1990–92, and
once again in 2013.
JOY FEELINGS | DECEMBER ISSUE
62