Grady Tate Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Grady Tate
Grady Tate in 1972
Background information
Born	(1932-01-14)January 14, 1932 Durham, North Carolina, U.S.
Died	October 8, 2017(2017-10-08) (aged 85) New York City, U.S.
Genres	Jazz
Occupation(s)	Musician
Instruments	Drums, percussion, vocals
Years active	1950s–2017
Labels	Skye, Impulse!, Milestone

Grady Tate (born January 14, 1932 – died October 8, 2017) was an amazing American musician. He was known as a talented jazz and soul-jazz drummer. He also had a deep, smooth singing voice. Grady Tate released many of his own albums. He also played drums and sang with many other famous musicians. You might even know his voice from the fun animated TV show Schoolhouse Rock!.

About Grady Tate
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About Grady Tate

His Life and Music

Grady Tate was born in a place called Hayti, in Durham, North Carolina, in the United States. In 1963, he moved to New York City. There, he became the drummer for the famous musician Quincy Jones's band.

A Special Drumming Style

Grady Tate's drumming helped create a special sound for jazz music in the 1960s. His drumming was smooth and intense. It was also easy to recognize because of his quiet style. He added small, clever touches to his drumming. He also played "on top of the beat," which means his timing was very sharp and exact.

You can hear Grady Tate's unique drumming on many classic albums. These include records by Jimmy Smith and Wes Montgomery. These albums were made on the Verve record label in the 1960s.

Playing with Other Stars

In the 1970s, Grady Tate was part of a group called the New York Jazz Quartet. In 1981, he played drums and percussion for a huge concert. This was Simon and Garfunkel's Concert in Central Park.

He played with many other great musicians. Some of these include Ella Fitzgerald, Duke Ellington, Count Basie, and Stan Getz.

Singing for Kids!

Grady Tate's voice was heard by many children across America. He sang songs for the popular animated TV series Schoolhouse Rock!. Some of his most famous songs from the show include "I Got Six," "Naughty Number Nine," and "Fireworks." These songs helped kids learn about numbers and American history.

He also sang the main song for the 1973 movie Cops And Robbers. This song was written by Michel Legrand. Grady Tate also shared vocals on a song called "Misty" with singer Mark Murphy.

In 1989, Grady Tate started teaching music. He joined the faculty at Howard University.

Grady Tate passed away on October 8, 2017. He was 85 years old. He is remembered as a talented drummer and singer who brought joy to many.

His Albums

Grady Tate released many albums where he was the main artist. Here are some of them:

Windmills of My Mind (Skye, 1968)
Slaves [O.S.T.] (Skye, 1969)
Feeling Life (Skye, 1969)
After the Long Drive Home (Skye, 1970)
She Is My Lady (Janus, 1972)
Movin' Day (Janus, 1974)
By Special Request (Buddah, 1974) compilation
Master Grady Tate (ABC Impulse, 1977)
Sings TNT (Milestone, 1991)
Body & Soul (Milestone, 1993)
Feeling Free (Pow Wow, 1999)
All Love (Eighty-Eight's, 2002)
From the Heart: Songs Sung Live at the Blue Note (Half Note, 2006)

Playing with Other Musicians

Grady Tate was a very busy musician. He played drums and sang on many albums for other artists. This is called being a "sideman." He worked with a huge number of jazz and soul legends. Some of the many musicians he played with include:

Grady Tate facts for kids

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