Green began his music career as an 18-year-old at
Texas Tech University in
Lubbock playing small gigs at bars and clubs around the city. In 1995, he independently recorded and released a series of albums produced by
Lloyd Maines using money borrowed from his parents. Green did not commit fully to a music career until 1997 when his stepfather fired him from his job as a fuel wholesaler. Green had been counting his money from a weekend of singing and his stepfather knew he would need motivation to fully involve himself in music. After committing to performing, Green drew the attention of
Willie Nelson and joined a tour featuring Nelson and several famous country musicians. Green's appearance at the 1998 Willie Nelson 4th of July Picnic was his first step towards nationwide recognition, and he soon was playing sold out shows in
Texas. He was sponsored by
Miller Lite and sold more than 250,000 albums, even without signing a major label recording contract. In late 2004, "Lucky Ones" was Green's third and final CD release on the
Universal/
Republic Records label. Despite weak label support, the album peaked at No. 6 on the U.S. country charts. He joined popular country music artists including
Keith Urban,
Gretchen Wilson,
Dave Matthews Band, and
Kenny Chesney on major tours. Green released his album
Cannonball in 2006.
CMT questioned the album saying it was reaching for the "uninspired pop sound of today’s
Nashville," with songs "starting to sound too much alike" and "crossing the line into Nashville pop" and perhaps not "honest and natural." On September 2, 2014,
Taste of Country premiered the official lyric video for a new song, "Girls from Texas", featuring
Lyle Lovett. On September 16, 2014, "Girls from Texas" was made available on
iTunes. On May 18, 2015, Green released a new single, "While I Was Away". The video, an ode to long-distance parents, premiered on
People.com on May 22. "While I Was Away" was inducted into
Taste of Country's Showdown Hall of Fame after winning five consecutive fan-voted rounds against artists including
Blake Shelton,
Dierks Bentley,
Cassadee Pope, and
David Nail. Green's self-released
Home debuted on digital media on August 14, 2015, and entered on the Top Country Albums chart at No. 5. The album has appearances from Lyle Lovett,
Sheryl Crow, and more. The twelfth single from the album, "Day One" was released to Texas radio on May 2, 2016. Green released the single "Drinkin' Days" himself on May 26, 2017. On his 46th birthday, April 5, 2018, ''Dancehall Dreamin': A Tribute to Pat Green'' came out. The album features covers of 10 Pat Green hits along with commentary about each song. On July 20, 2018, he released the single "Friday's Comin'" worldwide. On September 2, 2022, Green released his first album in seven years, "Miles and Miles of You", produced by Dwight A. Baker. ==Personal life==