How an obscure lost record from the 1970s brought together Simon Joyner and renowned rock climber Pat Ament

A little over 20 years ago, musician Simon Joyner happened across a record called Songs By Pat Ament. He didn't know what to expect when he picked it up, but was blown away when he pressed play. Having no idea who Pat Ament was, Joyner went on a mission to learn more about the artist behind the songs. The record was from 1971, the cover looked a bit mysterious — all black and white, with a tall tree standing up against the sky — and a Google search for Ament's name didn't reveal much except for photos of an expert rock climber from Colorado. Joyner soon realized that Pat Ament, the mysterious musician he was searching for, and Pat Ament, the famous rock climber, were one in the same. 

Joyner finally tracked Ament down and just earlier this year, reissued Ament's album on his own record label, Grapefruit Records, so everyone could enjoy it. To get to the bottom of this unbelievable story we reached out to Joyner in Omaha and Ament in Colorado who got to speak to one another for the first time and explain how their paths unexpectedly crossed thanks to one obscure record.

— Produced by Stuart Berman

Pat Ament, "The Farewell"