Pat Green was born in San Antonio and raised in Waco, Texas, the eighth of nine siblings. His father was a stage actor, and Green fell in love with the musicals his father acted in. Green began his musical career when he was 18 and in college at Texas Tech in Lubbock. "I started playing guitar to pick up the chicks," Green laughs. "Before that, I only sang in the shower. I could mimic other people's voices. It took me a long time to find my own voice, but once I did, I became very comfortable with it. It's not real pretty but it's believable." During those college years, Green started playing clubs and opening shows for other artists. In 1995, he put out his first independent record.