Patricia Carey

“	I have had diva moments, and then people can't handle it. I guess it's a little intense, because I come from a true diva," she said. My mother is an opera singer. And that's a real diva, you know -- Juilliard diva.	”
– Mariah talking to Paper Magazine about her mother.

Patricia Carey
General information
Birth name	Patricia Hickey
Born	February 15, 1937
Spouse	Alfred Carey (1960-1973)
Died	August 24, 2024 (aged 87)
Gender	Female
Genres	Opera
Occupation	Retired opera singer & vocal coach
Family	John Hickey (father, deceased) Ann Hickey (mother, deceased) Bob Hickey (brother, deceased) Mary Holdreith (sister) Morgan Carey (son) Alison Carey (daughter) Mariah Carey (daughter) Monroe Cannon (granddaughter) Moroccan Cannon (grandson)

Patricia Carey (née Hickey; February 15, 1937 – August 24, 2024) was an Irish-American retired opera singer & freelance vocal coach. Before retiring, she had worked with the New York City Opera. She was the mother of Mariah Carey, Morgan Carey and Alison Carey. She was also the grandmother of Monroe and Moroccan Cannon.

Biography

Patricia Carey was born on February 15, 1937 in Virgin, Utah and grew up in Springfield Illinois. 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 "Juilliard 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.

In 1994, Mariah purchased a home for Patricia, in North Salem, Westchester County, New York, for $419,000. According to an October 2021 story in the New York Post, Mariah sold this four-bedroom, three-bathroom home for $757,444. The house was listed in June 2021, and a buyer was found in July. The sale was finalized in October, with the house selling for $250,000 more than the asking price. Recent reports indicate that Patricia’s home had been vacant for a year before it went on the market. Around that time, Patricia was relocated to an upscale senior living home in West Palm Beach.

Marriage to Alfred Carey

In the late fifties she met Alfred Carey and on February 20, 1960 they got married in Brooklyn, New York City. The couple endured much racism through the course of their marriage , including being shot at their home and their pets being poisoned. Additionally, Carey was also reportedly "disowned" by her mother Elizabeth Hickey for her relationship with Alfred. An article by Arogundade.com states that Patricia was banned from bringing her black husband home for family gatherings and instead she would pretend that she was single. She also wouldn't go back to her hometown for many years. In Mariah's memoir she stated that "It was an abomination. It was a complete humiliation. My mother's marriage to my father was beyond betrayal to her mother; it was a high crime against her white heritage, punishable by excommunication." Throughout the course of their marriage the couple moved several times after concerns following the opposition of their union by neighbors and the unusualness of being a mixed couple. In 1969, their daughter Mariah Carey was born. That same year, the couple would move to a more prosperous neighborhood in New York. After the move, The family, sadly, continued to be the target of rampant racial intolerance, and the ongoing problems it caused in the relationship between Alfred and Patricia proved insurmountable, causing their separation and divorce, which occurred when Mariah was three in 1973.

Relationship with Mariah

Mariah's relationship with Patricia, has always been described as complicated. "Like many aspects of my life, my journey with my mother has been full of contradictions and competing realities. It's never been only black-and-white — it's been a whole rainbow of emotions," she wrote in her 2020 memoir, The Meaning of Mariah Carey. She continued ″But ours is a story of betrayal and beauty. Of love and abandonment. Of sacrifice and survival. I’ve emancipated myself from bondage several times, but there is a cloud of sadness that I suspect will always hang over me, not simply because of my mother but because of our complicated journey together. ″It has caused me so much pain and confusion. Time has shown me there is no benefit in trying to protect people who never tried to protect me. Time and motherhood have finally given me the courage to honestly face who my mother has been to me.”

"Our relationship is a prickly rope of pride, pain, shame, gratitude, jealousy, admiration and disappointment," continued Mariah in the book. "A complicated love tethers my heart to my mother's." Mariah also dedicated her memoir in part to Patricia. "And to Pat, my mother, who, through it all.

Recalling a deeply hurtful moment from her teenage years, Mariah shares that during a car sing-along, her mother yelled, "You should only hope that one day you become half the singer I am." "Still, to this day, what she said haunts and hurts me. I don’t know if she meant to cut me down to size or if it was just her bruised ego talking; all I know is that those words that shot out of her mouth pierced my chest and were buried in my heart." Mariah explains that this moment marked a distinct shift in their relationship: "She made me feel like the competition, like a threat. In place of our previous bond grew a different tie, a rope tethering us through shared biology and social obligation." She reflects on the impact of this jealousy, stating, "Having people you love be jealous of you professionally comes with the territory of success, but when the person is your mother and the jealousy is revealed at such a tender age, it’s particularly painful."

Yet, despite the pain, Mariah acknowledges the complexity of their bond. In her memoir, she dedicated a heartfelt message to Patricia: "And to Pat, my mother, who, through it all, I do believe actually did the best she could. I will love you the best I can, always."

Collaboration

Mariah and Patricia collaborated on a holiday classic song called "O Come All Ye Faithful" for her Merry Christmas II You holiday album in 2010. Mariah has reportedly stated that she had discussed doing a duet with her mom and wanted to make sure it happened on the Christmas album. "She's the one who really got me into being so festive at Christmas," Carey said. Mariah and Patricia performed the song live during a Christmas special which aired on December 13, 2010 on ABC. The special special was filmed at the Los Angeles's Orpheum Theater.

Death

On August 24, 2024, Patricia Carey passed away, as confirmed by Mariah Carey, in an exclusive interview with People Magazine. Mariah also revealed that her sister Alison tragically passed away on the same day. In her statement, Mariah expressed her deep sorrow, saying, "My heart is broken that I’ve lost my mother this past weekend. Sadly, in a tragic turn of events, my sister lost her life on the same day." Despite the heartbreak, Mariah shared that she felt fortunate to have spent the last week with her mother before her passing and expressed gratitude for the love and support she has received during this incredibly difficult time.

Patricia's cause of death is unknown at this time.

Trivia

• Patricia was 23 when she married Alfred.
• Patricia went to The Juilliard School in New York City
• According to Mariah, There were no physical evidence of Patricia's and Alfred's "romance" except for three children ("Morgan, Mariah, Allison).
• According to "The Oprah Conversation" Mariah does not refer to Patricia as "Mom" anymore. She refers to her as "Patricia."
• Patricia is a former mezzo-soprano with the New York City Opera and a freelance vocal coach
• Patricia was 23 when she gave birth to Morgan.
• Patricia was 24 when she gave birth to Alison.
• Patricia was 32 when she gave birth to Mariah.
• Patricia appeared with Mariah on Oprah Winfrey show in 2001.
• Patricia was 36 when she & Alfred got divorced.
• Mariah was 3 when her parents got divorced.
• Patricia had worked with Beverly Sills.