John William Pate (born December 5, 1923) is an American former musician, a jazz bassist who became a producer, arranger, and leading figure in Chicago soul, pop, and rhythm and blues.[1][2]
He learned piano and tuba as a child and later picked up the bass guitar. He learned arranging while serving in the United States Army.[1]
Career
The jazz era: Early works
Following stints with Coleridge Davis and Stuff Smith in the 1940s,[1] in 1951, Pate was recording on Chess Records with Eddie South and his Orchestra, credited on bass and arrangements. This was also the first of a series of Chess recordings on which Pate collaborated with saxophonist Eddie Johnson.[3] In the 1950s, he was also a resident arranger for Red Saunders' house band at the Club DeLisa.
Recording
Johnny Pate's trio recorded for a number of Chicago labels, including Gig and Talisman. For the Cincinnati-based Federal Records, the Johnny Pate Quintet had a hit with "Swinging Shepherd Blues", which reached No. 17 on the Billboard R&B chart in spring 1958.[1]
Pate, Curtis Mayfield and The Impressions first teamed in January 1963 recording the ballad "Sad Sad Girl and Boy," which mid-charted in Cashbox magazine's charts. The following single, "It's All Right," stayed at number one R&B for two weeks and hit number four pop in fall 1963; it was followed by "Talking about My Baby," "I'm So Proud," and "Keep On Pushing". The Keep On Pushing LP peaked at number eight pop in fall 1964. Pate produced and recorded most of their hits at Universal Recording Corporation in Chicago.[1]
Their success led the group's label, ABC-Paramount, to open a Chicago office on 14th and Michigan and appoint Pate as A&R director in 1964. One of the acts he signed, the Marvelows, had a number seven R&B hit with "I Do". "I Do" was followed by another hit with "In the Morning."
Other acts signed to ABC-Paramount through the Chicago branch were the Trends, the Kittens, and former Vee-Jay Records star Betty Everett. He also did the arrangements for Major Lance's Monkey Time.[8][9]
In the late 1960s, Pate served as a national trustee on the National Academy of Arts and Sciences and he was very instrumental in bringing the Grammy Awards to television.[10]