Haras Fyre

As a teenager, Fyre 'permanently borrowed' his brother's trombone and learned to play the instrument by playing along with recordings made famous by the band Chicago. Later, admirers who associated Fyre's trombone playing with the style of Chicago's trombonist "James Pankow," nicknamed Fyre "Chicago." During Fyre's stint with a popular East Orange, New Jersey band known as Parkway North, Fyre's passion for the bass nearly overtook his interest in the trombone. Parkway North's bassist - "Romeo Williams"(† April 8, 2017) (who later would play bass and tour with Elton John, Brian Eno, Patrice Rushen and others) lent his prized Baldwin Bass to Fyre and patiently taught Fyre a few rudiments on the instrument.

Of the nine songs on that Sister Sledge "Circle Of Love" album, seven were those same 'unsellable' songs composed by Fyre and Guthrie. Two more of those songs entered the US Dance Chart's top 10, with one of those songs, "Pain Reliever" taking the Silver Award at the 1975 Tokyo Music Festival. Subsequently, Fyre and Guthrie penned Ben E. King's comeback single, "Supernatural Thing," which was immediately followed by "This Time I'll Be Sweeter" (which has been covered by Martha Reeves, Angela Bofill, Roberta Flack, Deniece Williams, Linda Lewis, Sharon Cuneta, Isaac Hayes, Rachel Ann Go and more than 100 additional artists since 1974 ; on November 8, 2017, a cinema film entitled '"This Time I'll be Sweeter"':[1] was released featuring "This Time I'll be Sweeter" as its title song.)

Haras explains: "I was highly influenced by Dee Murray, James Jamerson and Bob Babbitt. Before I learned how to musically express my own personality on the bass, I mostly used Bob Babbitt's musical 'vocabulary.' After all, Babbitt seemingly played on every fourth song on the radio - not exactly a bad role model! Therefore I didn't care about other bassists ridiculing me: I was always hired and they were not! Before playing, I would ritually mumble 'I now Babbittize you in the name of the Fender, the Song and the Holy Groove.' Surprisingly, on my very first Sister Sledge recordings, there was an additional bassist playing on the sessions who could actually 'Babbittize' considerably better than I could. I cannot describe my shock upon having discovered that 'the big guy wearing the apple hat' was none other than Mr. Bob Babbitt in person! I said nothing but watched everything, then played bass as sensitively as I knew how, struggling not to feel intimidated in the presence of a Musical Giant such as Bob Babbitt. Sometimes I unjustly got accolades for having played on some songs where actually Babbitt played, especially the big hits. There's good, there's better, and then there's Babbitt, who, after more than half of a century of making hits, practically still defines the way a bass feels on the radio. Babbitt was making several hit records daily when I was only 8 years old and, even in 2011, it's impossible to hear the radio longer than 15 minutes before hearing 'Funk Brother' Bob Babbitt's Fender Flair.'"

In 1971, Fyre joined a local band called the Matchmakers, where he met vocalist and pianist Gwen Guthrie(† February 3, 1999). The two became romantically involved, moved in together and, with The Matchmakers' saxophonist James Wheeler and trumpeter Jerome McCoggle, they joined the New York City based band "East Coast," which was the brainchild of future Cameo founder Larry Blackmon.

Artists and producers who came to Fyre and Guthrie seeking songs often turned away, lamenting, "Gwen, Haras, we love your music and we love Bert but, sorry; please contact us the minute your situation changes ..." Guthrie and Fyre were so frustrated at being 'bound & gagged' that Guthrie quit writing within the organization, going on her individual way as a session singer. One week later, Fyre, without Guthrie, penned a final parting song for the company, "Satan's Daughter" which appeared on the GG album of British Glam Rocker Gary Glitter. Any further works Fyre had in development with Fleming Williams (who sang the 1974 hit, "Rock the Boat"), with Police Academy actress Marion Ramsey, and the works in progress with film composer and friend Michael R. Colicchio had to be abandoned.

Haras Fyre (born January 5, 1953), also professionally known as Patrick Grant, is a BMI affiliated songwriter as well as a singer and multi-instrumentalist.