"Patch the Pirate" Singer Ron Hamilton Dies

Ron Hamilton, also known as "Patch the Pirate", was a Christian singer, songwriter, composer, preacher, voice actor, and personality. He was president and owner of Majesty Music, a Christian music publisher, and the creator of the Patch the Pirate Adventure series. Hamilton had an ongoing battle with dementia. He was placed in hospice care on April 16, 2023, and died at home on April 19, 2023 at age 72. 

In 1978, a doctor discovered cancer in Hamilton's left eye that required his eye to be removed. As he travelled around speaking at evangelistic services in churches with Dr. Garlock, children began calling Hamilton "Patch the Pirate." Around this time, he began writing music for children to be sung in church, which Majesty Music later released as an album. 

In 1982, "Patch" decided to add a comedic drama script along with his children's music and called the album Patch the Pirate Goes to Space. The album was very successful and led to a new Patch the Pirate Adventure being released every year since 1982. The most recent release, A Whale of a Tale (2021), is the 42nd adventure. Patch the Pirate Adventures are broadcast on a number of radio stations internationally and are recognized by the National Religious Broadcasters as the third largest religious children's programming outreach; over two million copies have been sold. 

"Many people would see the loss of my eye and the need for wearing a patch as a great trial," Hamilton later recounted. "But I see it as one of the greatest blessings of my life. It reminds me that God teaches us the greatest lessons in the deepest valleys."

For years, the Hamilton family oversaw Majesty Music, which was originally founded in 1973 by Hamilton's father-in-law and known as Musical Ministries. The Greenville, South Carolina, company oversees the writing and selling of sacred music for both children and adults, as well as other resources. Ron and Shelly would oversee the company from the 1970s until 2018, when they transitioned leadership over to their son-in-law, Adam Morgan, and his wife, Megan. 

 

 

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