Johnny Pate facts for kids

John William Pate (born December 5, 1923) is an American musician, producer, and arranger. He started as a jazz bassist and became a very important person in Chicago soul, pop, and rhythm and blues music. He helped create many famous songs and albums.

Johnny Pate learned to play the piano and tuba when he was a kid. Later, he picked up the bass guitar. He learned how to arrange music while he was serving in the United States Army.

Johnny Pate's Amazing Career

Early Days in Jazz Music

In the 1940s, Johnny Pate played with musicians like Coleridge Davis. By 1951, he was recording with Eddie South and his Orchestra for Chess Records. He played bass and also helped arrange the music.

During the 1950s, he was a regular music arranger for Red Saunders' band at the famous Club DeLisa in Chicago.

Recording His Own Music

Johnny Pate had his own group, the Johnny Pate Trio. They recorded music for different record companies in Chicago. Later, his group, the Johnny Pate Quintet, had a big hit song called "Swinging Shepherd Blues." This song reached number 17 on the Billboard R&B chart in 1958.

One of the last albums where Pate played bass was Last Train from Overbrook by James Moody in 1958.

Becoming a Producer and Arranger

Johnny Pate became a very successful record producer and arranger. A producer helps artists make their music sound great. An arranger writes the music for different instruments, like horns or strings, to play along with the main song.

In 1964, Pate produced and arranged the famous album Live at the Regal for the legendary blues musician B. B. King. He also arranged and conducted the album Movin' Wes for jazz guitarist Wes Montgomery in 1965.

Working with The Impressions

In the early 1960s, Johnny Pate started working with Okeh Records. He wrote arrangements for many artists there.

Then, in 1963, Pate teamed up with Curtis Mayfield and the popular group The Impressions. Their first song together was "Sad Sad Girl and Boy." Their next song, "It's All Right," was a huge hit! It was number one on the R&B charts for two weeks.

They had many more hits together, including "Talking about My Baby," "I'm So Proud," and "Keep On Pushing." The Keep On Pushing album was also very popular. Johnny Pate produced and recorded most of these hit songs in Chicago.

Because of their success, ABC-Paramount opened an office in Chicago. They made Johnny Pate the A&R director in 1964. This meant he was in charge of finding new artists and helping them make music. He signed groups like the Marvelows, who had a big hit with "I Do."

Film Music and Other Projects

In 1968, Pate began arranging music for Curtis Mayfield's own record label, Curtom. He also worked on many other recordings. He arranged the horn parts for the album Bobby Bland and B. B. King Together Again...Live in 1976. He also produced and arranged several albums for Peabo Bryson.

Johnny Pate also created music for movies! He scored soundtracks for films like Shaft in Africa (1973), Bucktown (1975), and Satan's Triangle (1975). He even did arrangements for the Bee Gees' 1973 album Life in a Tin Can.

Some of his music has been sampled by other artists. This means parts of his original recordings were used in new songs. For example, his song "Shaft in Africa" was sampled by producers for songs by Diddy and Jay-Z.

Grammy Awards and Other Groups

In the late 1960s, Johnny Pate was a national trustee for the National Academy of Arts and Sciences. He played a big part in helping to bring the Grammy Awards show to television.

Personal Life

Johnny Pate celebrated his 100th birthday on December 5, 2023!

Selected Discography

As a Leader

• Johnny Pate Trio (1956)
• Jazz Goes Ivy League (1958)
• Shaft in Africa (1973)

With Other Artists

• With James Moody: Last Train from Overbrook (1958)
• With Curtis Mayfield: Super Fly (1972)