Howard Tate Quotes

At around ten years old, my two nephews wanted to sing with me. We started singing as a trio. We'd sing every Sunday before my father brought the sermon. At about 14 or 15, another gospel group came to my father's church to do a concert. That group consisted of Garnet Mimms, who later became a big star, and Sam Bell and Little Joe Cook. That group was named the Evening Star but they changed their name to the Belairs at this time. Joe Cook had left them and they were in search of a second lead singer with Garnet Mimms- he was the only lead singer they had at the time. Cook had left and recorded pop music with a record called "Peanuts." So that left them short.
Howard Tate

I was performing in a nightclub in Philadelphia. After we started singing pop music, I didn't go back to the church or anything. I started doing little gigs around Philadelphia, in the nightclubs. I was singing there one night and I did a show and I was using a lot of falsetto there. Bill Doggett was passing through. I didn't even know he was in the club. He heard me and he sent for me. He said 'listen, I really like the way you sing. I'd like you to come to New York to interview with me.' So he set a date up and I went to New York. He put me up in a motel and paid all the expenses and everything. He said 'listen, I'd like to hire you. We're going on tour and I'd like you to meet us, join the band in Savannah Georgia.' I agreed to that, he paid for the ticket and I went with him. I'll never forget it- I caught the train down to Savannah and met the band there. We traveled all through Georgia, Texas, Florida, Oklahoma, Mississippi, Alabama, Tennessee, Missouri, New Mexico, California, everywhere. This was around '60, '61, '62.
Howard Tate