Who Is Mariah Carey’s Late Mother? Meet Patricia Carey After Her Death at Age 87

After Mariah Carey revealed that her mother, Patricia Carey, died, fans want to know more about the singer's mom and their strained relationship.

Where Was Mariah Carey's Mom Patricia Carey From?

Patricia was born on February 15, 1937, in Virgin, Utah. She grew up in Springfield, Illinois, before getting a scholarship to the prestigious Julliard School of Music in New York City to study opera.

Mariah Carey's Mom Patricia Carey Was an Opera Singer

Patricia fell in love with opera while growing up listening to a classical music station. After studying at Julliard, she went on to perform with the New York City Opera and became a vocal coach, Operawire noted in their obituary for Patricia.

The singer recorded a 13-track album called To Start Again in 1977, but ultimately retired from her professional career to raise her three children.

Was Mariah Carey's Mom Patricia Married?

Patricia wed Alfred Carey, an aeronautical engineer from Venezuela, in 1960. The former couple welcomed their first child, daughter Alison, in 1961. They added to the family with the birth of son Morgan in 1964. Mariah was the youngest child in the family, born in March 1969.

The pair divorced in 1973 when Mariah was 3 years old, with Patricia gaining primary custody of the children.

Mariah Carey and Her Mom Patricia Carey Had a Strained Relationship

In her 2020 memoir The Meaning of Mariah Carey, the "We Belong Together" singer detailed “significant neglect” during her upbringing.

“For my sanity and peace of mind, my therapist encouraged me to literally rename and reframe my family,” she wrote. “My mother became Pat to me, Morgan my ex-brother and Alison my ex-sister … I had to stop expecting them to one day miraculously become the mommy, big brother and big sister I fantasized about.”

Mariah said of her mother, “Ours is a story of betrayal and beauty. Of love and abandonment. Of sacrifice and survival. I’ve emancipated myself from bondage several times, but there is a cloud of sadness that I suspect will always hang over me, not simply because of my mother but because of our complicated journey together.”

“Like many aspects of my life, my journey with my mother has been full of contradictions and competing realities. It’s never been only black-and-white — it’s been a whole rainbow of emotions,” she shared with readers.

Mariah told the U.K.'s The Sunday Times in October 2022 about the difficulties of growing up biracial and how her mom was unsupportive of what she went through. Her father was Black, while Patricia was a white Irish Catholic.

“I grew up thinking hair was supposed to look a certain way. As a mixed-race person with a Black father growing up in predominantly white neighborhoods, it was difficult," Mariah explained. "My Black friends were able to do different types of treatments on their hair from the ones who were mixed. My white friends didn’t have to do anything — they just woke up and their hair was fabulous."

The "Hero" singer then called out her mom, saying, "We didn’t have conditioner in our house because my mother was like, ‘Whatever, it looks fine.’ Now I’m never far from a bottle of conditioner. I travel with one.”

Mariah Carey Was 'Heartbroken' Over Her Mother's Death

Despite their estrangement, the "Fantasy" was bereft by her mom's passing. She died on the same day as her daughter and Mariah's older sister, Alison, the Grammy winner revealed on August 26, 2024.

“My heart is broken that I’ve lost my mother this past weekend. Sadly, in a tragic turn of events, my sister lost her life on the same day,” Mariah said in a statement to People.

“I feel blessed that I was able to spend the last week with my mom before she passed,” the Bronx, New York, native added. “I appreciate everyone’s love and support and respect for my privacy during this impossible time.”