Marvin Tate facts for kids

Marvin Tate (born 1959) is a talented American artist, poet, and singer-songwriter. He comes from Chicago, a big city in the United States. Marvin Tate is known for his unique way of blending poetry with music.

Marvin Tate's Early Life

Marvin Tate was born in 1959 in the North Lawndale area of Chicago. He went to the University of Illinois at Chicago. There, he studied with a famous writer named Sterling Plumpp. In 1983, Tate moved to New York City. He then returned to Chicago in 1985, where he still lives and works today.

His Amazing Career

Marvin Tate is a very creative person. He has written two books: Schoolyard of Broken Dreams (published in 1994) and The Amazing Mister Orange (published in 2014). He has also received special awards from groups like the Poetry Foundation.

Starting with Poetry Slams

In the mid-1980s, Marvin Tate began performing his poems. He would go to "open mics," where anyone can perform. He also joined "slam poetry" competitions. These are fun events where poets perform their work and are judged by the audience. Tate was a regular at the Uptown Poetry Slam in Chicago.

In 1990, Marvin Tate became Chicago's poetry slam champion! This was a big deal. He even appeared on a national TV show called the MacNeil/Lehrer NewsHour. In the early 1990s, he was part of a band called Uptighty. He also hosted a local talk show called Talk-A-Riot-Y. Tate won another poetry slam at Lollapalooza in 1994. This is a very popular music festival. In 1997, he was featured on the radio show This American Life with writer David Sedaris.

Music with D-Settlement

Marvin Tate led an experimental band called D-Settlement. They combined poetry with funk music. The band released three albums between 1997 and 2002. The Chicago Tribune newspaper said that Tate was like a modern-day "urban griot." A griot is a storyteller or musician who shares important stories and history.

Collaborations and Performances

Marvin Tate has worked with many other artists. In 2004, his work appeared on an album called reVerse. This album also featured famous artists like Lou Reed. In 2005, Tate performed his poem "My Life to the Present" on the TV show Def Jam Poetry.

In 2014, an album was released called Tim Kinsella Sings the Songs of Marvin Tate. It featured songs based on Tate's work. In 2017, the Jazz Institute of Chicago asked Tate to perform a poem by Langston Hughes. Hughes was a very important poet. Tate turned it into a show called "A Great Day in the Neighborhood." It included film, dance, and jazz music.

Marvin Tate also shows his artwork at the Hana Pietri Gallery in Chicago. In 2019, a special art show called Looking at You From a Distance Not Too Far featured his art.

Marvin Tate's Poetry Style

Marvin Tate's poetry is influenced by many things. These include other poets like Amiri Baraka and Gwendolyn Brooks. He also gets ideas from different music styles. These include doo-wop, gospel, and the blues. The Chicago Tribune noted that his writing is often funny. But it also has a calm, thoughtful feeling.

Marvin Tate's Music Albums

Marvin Tate has released several albums, both with his band and on his own.

As a Leader or Co-Leader

• Partly Cloudy (with D-Settlement) (1997)
• The Minstrel Show (with D-Settlement) (1999)
• American Icons (with D-Settlement) (2002)
• Family Swim (2007)
• Tim Kinsella Sings the Songs of Marvin Tate by LeRoy Bach Featuring Angel Olsen (2014)
• The Process (with Joseph Clayton Mills) (2016)
• Kitchen Songs (2018)
• "Jesus on'da Green Line" (with Ben LaMar Gay) (2020)
• Marvin Tate's D-Settlement (2022)

Guest Appearances

Marvin Tate has also appeared as a guest on other artists' albums:

• Uptighty by Uptighty (1993)
• Flesh & Bone by Mike Reed (2017)
• Fly or Die II: Bird Dogs of Paradise by Jaimie Branch (2019)
• Immensity of the Territory Vol. 3 by Charles-Henry Beneteau, Christophe Havard, Anthony Taillard (2020)

On Compilation Albums

His work has also been included on special compilation albums:

• "San Francisco Sky," "Schoolyard of Broken Dreams" on A Snake In The Heart (1994)
• "Take Off Your Shoes (And Run)" on reVerse (2005)
• "Blood in the Potatoe Salad," "Take Off Your Shoes (and Run)" on Urban Collision Presents (2005)