1956년 서울중앙여자고등학교를 졸업하고, 3년 후 1959년에 미국 제8군 무대에서 본명으로 데뷔했다. 이후 일본과 동남아시아, 미국에 진출하였고 쟈니 카슨의 투나잇 쇼에 출연하기도 했다. 1978년에는 대중 가수 최초로 세종문화회관 대강당에서 ‘패티김 리사이틀 - 서울의 연가’를 성공적으로 공연했으며, 1989년에는 한국인 가수로는 처음으로 미국 뉴욕의 카네기 홀에서 공연하였다.
1962년에 대한민국에서 처음으로 ‘리사이틀’이라는 이름으로 공연했으며, 1971년에는 최초로 ‘디너쇼’를 시도했다.
색소포니스트 겸 작곡가 길옥윤과 결혼했다가 남편의 도박벽과 음주벽으로 이혼하여 헤어졌으며, 음주나 흡연·철야 등을 하지 않는 것으로 유명하다. 대표곡 <이별>이 김정일 前 조선민주주의인민공화국 국방위원장의 애창곡이라는 소문이 있다 .... ....
And now, the end is near And so I face the final curtain My friend, I'll say it clear I'll state my case of which I'm certain I've lived a life that's full I've traveled each and every highway And more much more than this I did it my way Regrets, I've had a few But then again, too few to mention I did what I had to do And saw it through without exemption I planned each charted course Each careful step along the byway And more, much more than this I did it my way Yes, there were times I'm sure you knew When I bit off more than I could chew But through it all when there was doubt I ate it up and spit it out I faced it all and I stood tall And did it my way I've loved I've laughed and cried I've had my fill my share of losing And now, as tears subside I find it all so amusing To think I did all that And may I say, not in a shy way, No, oh no, not me, I did it my way For what is a man, what has he got If not himself, then he has naught To say the things he truly feels And not the words of one who kneels The record shows I took the blows, And did it my way
Midnight not a sound from the pavement has the moon lost her memory She is smiling alone in the lamplight the withered leaves collect at my feet and the wind begins to moan Memory all alone in the moonlight I can dream of the old days Life was beautiful then I remember the time I knew what happiness was let the memory live again Every street lamp seems to beat a fatalistic warning Someone mutters and the streetlamp sputters and soon it will be morning Daylight I must wait for the sunrise I must think of a new life and I mustn't give in When the dawn comes tonight will be a momory too and a new day will begin Burnt-outends of smoky days The stale cold smell of morning A street lamp dies another night is over Another day is dawning Touch me It's so easy to leave me all alone with the memory of my days in the sun If you touch me you'll understand what happiness is Look a new day has begun