By the late 1960s Austin was a prolific session musician and commercial jingle singer. By the 1980s she was signed to Jones's Qwest Records and she began having hits. She charted twenty R&B songs between 1969 and 1991 and had success on the Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart, where she hit number one in 1981 with "Do You Love Me?" / "The Genie."
The album containing that hit, Every Home Should Have One, also produced her biggest mainstream hit. "Baby, Come To Me," a duet with James Ingram, peaked at number 73 on the Billboard Hot 100 in early 1982. After being featured as the love theme in a prominent storyline on the soap opera General Hospital, the song re-entered the Billboard Hot 100 chart in October and went to number one in early 1983.
Next Austin released her third album in three years entitled "Gettin' Away With Murder". In addition to the title track, she had two more hit singles, "Honey For The Bees" (#24 R&B and #6 Dance) and "The Heat of Heat". Produced by Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis, noted for their later work with Janet Jackson, the latter track returned Austin to the top 15 of the R&B charts for what would be the last time to date. It would also be her last Hot 100 charting to date, peaking at number 55, although she would score a top-5 dance hit with the single Reach that appeared originally on her 1994 CD That Secret Place (GRP Records). "Gettin' Away With Murder" used producers Russ Titelman, Tommy LiPuma, Monte Moir (of "The Time"), and Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis. Billy Joel (Austin sang background on his "Just The Way You Are"), Dan Hartman, friends Luther Vandross and Jocelyn Brown, along with Chaka Khan were among the background vocalists on the project, with successful songwriters, Randy Goodrum, Michael Bolton, Jam & Lewis plus several other big name writers offering up their best compositions on what was likely a big budget affair. She next appeared with Jeff Bridges and Joan Allen in Francis Ford Coppola's critically acclaimed period piece Tucker: The Man and his Dream (1988). That year, Austin released The Real Me, a collection of standards which garnered her the first of several Top 10 showings on the Jazz Albums chart. "The Real Me" was chiefly produced by David Pack who had been a part of the Pop group Ambrosia. Austin served as a co-producer and as Executive Producer on the project. Austin sang "It's the Falling in Love" with Michael Jackson on his album Off The Wall. Other duet partners include George Benson ("Moody's Mood for Love" and "Keep Your Dreams Alive"), and Luther Vandross ("I'm Gonna Miss You In The Morning"). Earlier she'd recorded featured duets with Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons on "Our Day Will Come" and "Swearin' To God" with little billing. Austin also sang lead and background vocals on many contemporary Jazz instrumentalists' records in the 1970s. In 1985 she sang lead vocals on a collaboration with her producer, Narada Michael Walden, and the single, "Gimme, Gimme, Gimme", went top 40 on the R&B charts. In 1991, she recorded the duet "You Who Brought Me Love" with music legend Johnny Mathis, which was received with critical acclaim. That same year she was invited to be a guest on a Johnny Mathis television special that was broadcast across North America.
Austin led a new group of Raelettes for the 2006 album Ray Charles + Count Basie Orchestra = Genius². That group also featured veteran session singer Valerie Pinkston and members of the group Perry.
During a 2007 interview promoting her latest recording, Austin reflected how as a teenager she reluctantly attended one of Judy Garland's last concerts and the experience helped focus her career, stating "She (Judy Garland) ripped my heart out. I wanted to interpret a lyric like that, to present who I was at the moment through the lyric."
In 2007 Patti Austin participated in the Avo Session Basel with a program dedicated to Ella Fitzgerald.
In 2008, fifty-three years after getting her first record contract, Patti Austin was awarded her first Grammy Award, winning Best Jazz Vocal Album for "Avant Gershwin" at the 50th annual Grammy Awards. The award came for her ninth nomination in that category.
Austin is co-producer and one of over 70 artists singing on "We Are the World: 25 for Haiti", a charity single in aid of the 2010 Haiti earthquake.
In 2011 Austin released a mostly covers album project titled "Sound Advice" which contained re-works of Bob Dylan's "Gotta Serve Somebody", Brenda Russell's "A Little Bit Of Love", a lesser known Jacksons tune, "Give It Up," her tribute to late friend/collaborator, Michael Jackson, a cover of Bill Withers, "Lean On Me" which she first sang at a milestone birthday for her Godfather Quincy Jones. Also on "Sound Advice" standout performances of Don McLean's "Vincent" (aka Starry Starry Night) and a deeply female take on "My Way." Austin wrote the anthemic "The Grace Of God" after watching an episode of the old "Oprah Winfrey Show" which featured a facially scarred woman ... Keeping relevant, Austin offered the bouncy slice of Pop/Rock/RandB "Round And Round" including the latest trendy vocal effects, though Austin remains one singer who clearly needs no such production techniques to cover a crystal clear, flexible, and knowing voice imitated by many, duplicated by none. Austin co-wrote and sings in the star-studded L.O.V.E. - Let One Voice Emerge, encouraging especially younger Americans to get out there and exercise their right to vote.[citation needed]
Austin appears in the Academy Award-winning documentary film 20 Feet from Stardom (2013), which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival and was released on 21 June 2013. She is working on an upcoming, as yet untitled duets album project with James Ingram.
My Way
Patti Austin Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And so I face the final curtain
My friend I'll say it clear
I'll state my case of which I'm certain
I've lived a life that's full
I traveled each and every highway
And more, much more than this
Regrets I've had a few
But then again too few to mention
I did what I had to do
And saw it through without exemption
I planned each charted course
Each careful step along the byway
But more, much more than this
I did it my way
Yes, there were times I'm sure you knew
When I bit off more than I could chew
But through it all when there was doubt
I ate it up and spit it out, I faced it all
And I stood tall and did it my way
I've loved, I've laughed and cried
I've had my fill, my share of losing
And now as tears subside
I find it all so amusing
To think I did all that
And may I say not in a shy way
No, oh no, not me
I did it my way
For what is the plan, what have I got?
If not myself then I have not
To say the things you truly feels
And not the words of one who kneels
The record shows I took the blows
And did it my way, my way
I did it my way, my way
The song “My Way” by Patti Austin is a beautiful interpretation of one of Frank Sinatra’s most iconic hits. The opening line of the song, “And now the end is near, and so I face the final curtain,” sets the tone for the message of the entire piece; it is a song about looking back on one's life and reflecting on the choices that were made along the way. The lyrics are full of pride, triumph, and a sense of self-acceptance that often comes with age and experience.
The singer expresses that their life has been full and that they have traveled many different paths in their lifetime. They claim to have done things their way, with no regrets, and without dependence on anyone else but themselves. It’s a message of individuality, strength, and perseverance, and it is easy to imagine this song being a personal anthem for anyone who has overcome tests and trials to achieve their goals.
Towards the end of the song, the singer takes a moment to reflect on what is truly valuable and meaningful in life. As they conclude, they realize that their accomplishments, relationships, and even their failures are all a part of the journey, and they can now look back with a sense of humor and peacefulness. Throughout the entire song, Patti Austin delivers the lyrics with a velvety smoothness that makes her interpretation feel both fresh and timeless.
Line by Line Meaning
And now the end is near
As my life draws to a close
And so I face the final curtain
I have to confront my own mortality
My friend I'll say it clear
I want to be honest with you
I'll state my case of which I'm certain
I have no doubts about the path I've taken
I've lived a life that's full
I've had a rich and rewarding existence
I traveled each and every highway
I've explored every opportunity that presented itself
And more, much more than this
I've gone beyond what was expected of me
I did it my way
I lived my life on my own terms
Regrets I've had a few
I've made some mistakes along the way
But then again too few to mention
But I don't dwell on them, because they weren't significant
I did what I had to do
I made the hard choices when I had to
And saw it through without exemption
And I followed through, no matter the cost
I planned each charted course
I carefully mapped out my route in life
Each careful step along the byway
I took each step deliberately and with care
But more, much more than this
But I also took risks and still succeeded
I did it my way
I trusted my instincts and made my own choices
Yes, there were times I'm sure you knew
There were moments when I struggled
When I bit off more than I could chew
When I took on more than I could handle
But through it all when there was doubt
But even when things were uncertain
I ate it up and spit it out, I faced it all
I tackled my challenges head-on and persevered
And I stood tall and did it my way
And I maintained my sense of self and stayed true to my principles
I've loved, I've laughed and cried
I've experienced the full range of human emotions
I've had my fill, my share of losing
I've had my fair share of setbacks and defeats
And now as tears subside
But now I've come to terms with them
I find it all so amusing
And I can even see the humor in my past failures
To think I did all that
To reflect on everything I've accomplished
And may I say not in a shy way
And I can say this with confidence
No, oh no, not me
I didn't rely on anyone else for my achievements
I did it my way
I took responsibility for my life and made my own choices
For what is the plan, what have I got?
What is the purpose of making plans?
If not myself then I have not
If I didn't do it for myself, it wouldn't matter
To say the things you truly feels
To express one's genuine emotions
And not the words of one who kneels
And not to be subservient to others
The record shows I took the blows
The evidence is clear that I faced hardships
And did it my way, my way
And I persevered through them all, in my own unique manner
I did it my way, my way
I lived an authentic and self-directed life
Contributed by Caden M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Vânia Cristina Pinto da Silva
Voz maravilhosa! Amo essa mulher !! ❤️🎼🎵🎼🎵
Keedeeg
Beautifully Done, Patti!!! So heart-tugging.
Paulo Pimenta
I love this song and her performance is so clear and beautiful!!! looking forward to the new CD.
epbottom
Patti has taken Sinatra's signature song to a whole new level!!!
Floyd Thompson
I love you PATTI AUSTIN! Your BEAUTIFUL SMILE AND ANGELIC VOICE always makes my day!!
Glamourously Flawed
ONE OF MY FAVORITES OF ALL TIME-CAN`T WAIT I`VE BEEN LISTENING TO PATTI SINCE THE70`S-BRAVO
TheKoolkanadian
From her new 2011 cd "Sound Advice". I'm guessing Patti is a rare exception to the "if you're over 35 we don't want you at major label" syndrome. Though this is on a boutique label, She was well over 35 when Warners Bros. released her "On The Way To Love" cd. Her talent is recognized by the best in the biz, so she's always surrounded with great accompaniment. Finally, I LIKE "MY WAY". lol
Jake Lehdbitte
I LOVE YOU PATTI AUSTIN!!!!! Amazing singer... You make REAL music. Don't ever stop! Your biggest fan ♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️💥💥💥💥💥💥💣💣💣💣💣💣💣🥰
Roberto Bravo
Incredible!
coolsweetgroovy
Hey Patti I'm loving this it's a hit