Profile
Pat Donohue has earned national acclaim for his mastery of acoustic fingerstyle guitar, which he exhibits weekly as the guitarist for the house band on Garrison Keillor’s radio program “A Prairie Home Companion.” Pat’s musical tastes are eclectic. Though he considers himself foremost a folk guitarist, he manages to blend jazz and blues with folk, and the mix is seamless. Over the years he has captivated audiences with his unique original compositions, dazzling instrumentals and humorous song parodies, including Sushi-Yucky and Would You Like to Play the Guitar?  Chet Atkins called Donohue one of the greatest finger pickers in the world today; Leo Kottke calls his playing “haunting.”  Honors include a Grammy in 2005 for his participation in Best Pop Instrumental Album of the Year, “Pink Guitar,” several Minnesota Music Awards and the prestigious title of 1983 National Finger Picking Guitar Champion. His original tunes have been recorded by Chet Atkins, Suzy Bogguss and Kenny Rogers. Pat has also been a featured performer at major music festivals including the Newport, Telluride, Philadelphia and Winfield Folk Festivals.