The Reverend Joseph Patrick Pillsbury Costello III is the professional name of singer, songwriter, author and music educator, Patrick Costello. An accomplished multi-instrumentalist, Costello has been entertaining fans and teaching students since the 1990s. He is known in some circles as The Merry God of Banjo, and his story is inspiring.
Costello’s hearing gradually diminished through his early childhood until he was left completely deaf by the third grade. After that tragic loss young Patrick decided to pursue a life in music, inspired by a blind entertainer at his school. With the help of his musician father he learned to play banjo, guitar and eventually a number of other instruments. He found that by resting his teeth on an instrument as he played, the sound would reverberate to his auditory nerve and he could hear the music.
Eventually Patrick Costello received an ocular device which allows him to hear normally. Over the years he has built his love of banjo into a successful business, authoring numerous books and sharing thousands of hours of educational videos via YouTube and his website FrailingBanjo.com. In recent months he has released a string of new audio recordings.
“No Expectations” is the brand new single from The Reverend Joseph Patrick Pillsbury Costello III, released worldwide via all major streaming services on October 2, 2022. The track is a cover of the folk/blues classic from The Rolling Stones’ masterpiece Exile on Main Street. The recording features Costello performing solo on vocals and banjo. His simultaneous use of fingered chords and a pinky slide creates an infectious, percussive organic blues vibe.
Check out the excellent “No Expectation” video below. You can also hear the song on the Deep Indie Songwriters playlist, or listen on your favorite streaming service. Follow the links below to connect with The Reverend Joseph Patrick Pillsbury Costello III.