'Miracle' med puts veteran chanteuse back on tour

Editor's note: This story was changed on March 14, 2023, to reflect that the release date of the CD was 2022, not 2021 as listed on the jacket notes.

Despite the wheelchair she has used all her life, Panzarino grew up and fulfilled her childhood dream of becoming a singer in a band, Olypsys. But she stopped touring as her body grew weaker and breathing difficulties more pronounced.

When Patricia “Pidgie” Panzarino was growing up on Long Island, N.Y. her father built a sling to hoist her onto the flying bridge of the family’s boat so she could drive – even though she couldn’t walk.

“I was raised (to be) very independent-minded,” says Panzarino, 63, who lives in East Wareham and prefers her childhood nickname Pidgie. “I was raised before ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) … But my parents never said you can’t do this or that. Their attitude was ‘We’ll find a way.’”

What is spinal muscular atrophy?

When the United States marked Rare Diseases Day on Feb. 28, Panzarino’s condition was most certainly on the list. She was born with the hereditary and progressive disease known as spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) that affects approximately 10,000 to 25,000 people in the United States. Left untreated, it usually kills before the age of two, says Dr. Dalia Moawad, executive director and head of neurological rare diseases at Genentech, Inc.

“The progressive disease affects basic life functions such as breathing, swallowing, and walking, which contributes to risk of premature death without early treatment,” Moawad wrote in an email interview, noting that parents can pass on the disease without having it themselves.

How did Panzarino get back on the road?

“I’m taking a new medication for my disability and I’m feeling better, I’m able to sing again,” says Panzarino.

The new medicine is Evrysdi from Genentech, which the company says is being taken now by more than 7,000 people worldwide.

“People with SMA aren’t able to produce enough of a key protein called survival motor neuron, or SMN, which leads to debilitating and potentially fatal muscle weakness. Evrysdi helps the body create more SMN protein, addressing the underlying cause of SMA,” writes Moawad.

“I may be the oldest living woman with SMA-type 2," Panzarino said. "It’s not going to make me walk, but I can talk louder, sing louder. It’s been two years and I'm still improving. Singing is the best therapy.”

What renewed strength has meant to Panzarino

In April 2022, the singer released her first solo CD, “Just Breathe,” a genre-bending selection of songs she wrote.  It garnered a place on the Americana Radio Albums Chart and played on more than 100 radio stations, earning good reviews along the way.

“A few people have said they can’t pinpoint a genre …which makes me feel it is original.”

Panzarino is now working on a tour for the album, starting this summer on the Cape and South Shore and later extending to her native New York and New Jersey.

‘Just Breathe’ features ‘Beehive Queen’ Christine Ohlman

Christine Ohlman, a vocalist with the Saturday Night Live Band for 32 years, met Panzarino eight or nine years ago when Pidgie attended one of Ohlman’s concerts in Natick. Panzarino asked if Ohlman was giving music lessons. She was, for advanced students, so Pidgie signed on.

“She’s a wonderful singer and songwriter. So I said, ‘Why don’t you think about making a record?’ I introduced her to my brother (Vic Steffens) who has a studio (Horizon Music Group) and a studio band in West Haven, Connecticut.”

Ohlman also agreed to sing with Panzarino on some of the numbers, including the title song “Just Breathe.”

“I would say this drug has made a huge difference in her life and her ability to express herself as an artist,” says Ohlman, who is widely known for both her voice and her platinum hair upswept in a beehive style. “She’s a pistol … She’s a real Long Island girl. She was raised in Massapequa and, me in the Bronx. We’re tough.”

Why Pidgie named her company, Creative Perseverance Publishing

"You may need to find an alternate route to get to where you're going, but with creative perseverance you will always arrive at your destination."

She is a woman of music, Panzarino says, "and of faith."

“You lose something, you can cry over it and never recover or you can work with what you have," she said. "This gave me more focus on songwriting and singing.”

This article originally appeared on Cape Cod Times: New drug puts East Wareham singer Pidgie Panzarino back on tour