8 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY JULY 20-26, 2023 www.montereycountyweekly.com 831 The license plate holder on Pat DuVal’s car says it all: “Happiness is Singing.” Singing not only makes DuVal happy, it’s been the former Monterey County sheriff’s deputy’s ticket to a fascinating life filled with good friends and opportunities that DuVal himself could have never imagined growing up in the segregated South in the 1940s and 1950s. Speak with DuVal for only a few minutes and it’s not long before the names start dropping of friends and people he’s met along the way. Maya Angelou told him he should write his book, From Colored Town to Pebble Beach: The Story of the Singing Sheriff. Clint Eastwood cast him in movies. DuVal is no braggart and there’s no conceit as he shares his stories—it’s just his life since joining the Sheriff’s Department as its first Black deputy in 1967 after a stint in the U.S. Army that led him to the former Fort Ord. He forged a successful 30-year career as a deputy, answering calls in Carmel Valley, Big Sur and Pebble Beach. He also found success as a sought-after singer, earning his “Singing Sheriff” nickname from appearances in lounges, singing with the Monterey Symphony, and performing the national anthem for the San Francisco Giants. Over three decades ago, his appearances led to an invitation to sing the traditional song that opens the California Rodeo Salinas annually, “I Love You, California.” When the Rodeo’s directors approached him, DuVal was doubtful. “‘Man, I can’t do that,’” he remembers saying to the directors. “‘Oh yes, you can,’” they told him. Disaster nearly derailed his debut when he suffered a stroke just a few months before the Rodeo’s opening. In the hospital unable to speak, DuVal worried he wouldn’t be able to make it. “Just a couple of weeks before I got there, boy, I learned that thing. And I said, ‘Jesus, I wonder if I can do it?’ And I did, I sang it. It’s cool,” he says. And so began the annual ritual. DuVal says he’s asked organizers if they really still want him to come back. The answer is always “Yes.” (This year, the annual ritual takes place at 6:30pm Thursday and Friday, and just before 2pm Saturday and Sunday.) Now, at age 81, DuVal is being inducted into the California Rodeo Salinas Hall of Fame to commemorate his time as the Rodeo’s official opener, as well as for his service to the community over his many years—including with the Carmel Valley Rotary and Lions clubs, the Boy Scouts of America and Boys & Girls Clubs in Seaside. It’s another amazing achievement in a life that has seen multiple twists. In his late teens, he left the South and the racism he encountered there for Detroit, and spent six months trying to get an audition with Motown Records. He finally got it and was invited to join a tour, only to find out he was wanted back at home in Florida for failing to register for the draft. After being stationed in Panama and finding a more diverse and welcoming atmosphere, DuVal thought he’d move there after the Army, but was convinced to stay in Monterey County and join the Sheriff’s Department. His work as a deputy in affluent white communities and his singing offered opportunities to make numerous connections and friendships. DuVal made friends with many celebrities who either lived in Monterey County or were frequent visitors—Doris Day, John Denver, Bing Crosby, Rosemary Clooney, to name just a few. His friendship with Eastwood led to small roles in Sudden Impact (1983), where he had the opening lines as a court bailiff, and The Rookie (1990) with Charlie Sheen. Connections in Pebble Beach led to an offer from Republican insiders there to work for President Richard Nixon on his advance team—until DuVal was told to hold off, because something was up in Washington D.C. After Nixon resigned, President Gerald Ford extended the invitation to come work for him. DuVal, somewhat wary, told Ford he wanted to wait until after the 1976 election to make a decision. “He didn’t get elected; I still had my job.” Ford got on a plane to play golf at Pebble Beach; DuVal was at the airport to greet him. “I was the first person at the bottom of the stairs he talked to.” In Tune The twists and turns of Pat DuVal’s life led him to become the Rodeo’s beloved “Singing Sheriff.” By Pam Marino Pat DuVal has opened the California Rodeo Salinas for more than 30 years with a rendition of “I Love You, California.” The former Monterey County sheriff’s deputy is known—by a lot of people—for his voice and personality. “I said, ‘Jesus, I wonder if I can do it?’ And I did.” TALES FROM THE AREA CODE MAG ONE MEDIA Meaningful Partnerships, Community Connection At the Monterey Peninsula Chamber of Commerce, we are connectors, providing our members with valuable introductions to new customers and referral sources. 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