Patricia Carey

Patricia Carey (née Hickey; February 15, 1937) is an Irish-American retired opera singer & freelance vocal coach. Before retiring, she had worked with the New York City Opera.[1] She is the mother of Mariah Carey, Morgan Carey and Alison Carey. She is also the grandmother of Monroe and Moroccan Cannon.

Patricia Carey was born on February 15, 1937 in Virgin, Utah and grew up in Springfield Illinois.[2] Her mother was Irish Catholic woman and her father passed away while her mom was pregnant with her. She was known as the "dark one" of three children because her hair was not blonde and eyes were a mixture of brown and green unlike her siblings who had blue eyes. Patricia would experience racism in her earlier life. In Mariah's memoir, she shares a story about Patricia being publicly shamed for sharing her mat with a Black boy during naptime. Patricia would subsequently become active in the civil rights movement although her life and relationship with a Black man later on resulted in turmoil within the Carey family.

According to Mariah's memoir, Patricia's love for music derived from listening to a classical music station on the radio where she heard an "aria." She described this sound as being the "most beautiful sound she had ever heard." She then decided to move to New York City where she won a scholarship to the prestigious "Julliard School for Music." She would go on to sing with The New York City Opera, making her debut at Lincoln Center.

In 1977, Patricia recorded the album "To Start Again" which featured 13 tracks.[3]