Patrick Rains is an artist manager, Off-Broadway Theater Producer, and owner-operator of his own independent record label.  

 

Rains had his first success in 1975 when he signed an unknown singer, Al Jarreau, to Warner Brothers Records. With Rains’s guidance for over 25 years, Jarreau went on to become an international superstar, and an icon of his genre, winning 7 Grammys, including Best Pop Vocalist, Best R&B Vocalist and Best Jazz Vocalist. Rains also discovered and shepherded saxophonist David Sanborn, winner of 6 Grammy awards. He has managed Rickie Lee Jones, Wendy & Lisa, Vonda Shepard, Gino Vannelli, Tower of Power, Cyrille Aimée, and guided singer-songwriter Aimee Mann through her transition from a member of ‘til Tuesday, to solo artist.

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In 1985 he conceived the idea for a syndicated radio show, The David Sanborn Show, that was one of the most successful independent syndicated shows for nearly seven years, and the first show of its kind hosted by an Artist. In 1988 he created and co- produced the internationally acclaimed music TV show, Night Music, produced in conjunction with Lorne Michael and the NBC O & O Group.

 

In 1993 Rains formed PRA Records, an independent label, utilizing both independent (Red, E1 Entertainment and Ryko) and major branch (Verve/Universal) distribution. PRA has released records by Joe Sample, Randy Crawford, Marcus Miller, Kevin Gilbert, Charm Farm, and Dennis White, among others.

 

In 1998 Rains created Bad Dog Records in partnership with singer-songwriter Jonatha Brooke, to record and release her music. Bad Dog Records is currently distributed through Red Distribution, and has been a leader in the new era of independent music. In 2014 he produced Brooke’s critically acclaimed one-woman-musical, My Mother Has 4 Noses, at The Duke on 42nd Street, in New York City.

 

He is an outspoken defender of Artists’ Rights, and was one of the early forces in establishing the principal of copyright control in “sampling.” He sits on the Boards of SoundExchange, and AARC, as a representative of the Artist Community, and is part of the Executive Committee of musicFirst, a coalition representing the Artist Community, Major and Indie Record Labels, AFM and SAG-AFTRA. He is also on the National Advisory Committee for the Tri-C Jazz Festival, Cleveland, Ohio.
 

His current artist roster consists of David Sanborn, Jonatha Brooke, Curtis Stigers, Edy Forey, Randy Crawford and the estate of Joe Sample.