Buddy Tate (musician)

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For other persons of the same name, see Buddy Tate.

Jazz saxophonist Buddy Tate with pianist Bubba Kolb at the Village Jazz Lounge in Walt Disney World

George Holmes "Buddy" Tate (b. February 22, 1913, Sherman, Texas - d. February 10, 2001, Chandler, Arizona) was a jazz saxophonist and clarinetist. He has been counted as one of the great tenor saxophonists of his generation and was inducted into the Big Band and Jazz Hall of Fame. ^[1]

He began on alto saxophone, but quickly switched to tenor making a name for himself in bands like Andy Kirk's. He joined Count Basie's band in 1939 and stayed with him until 1948. He had been selected by Basie due to the sudden death of Herschel Evans, which Tate states he predicted in a dream. After his period with Basie ended he worked with several other bands before his own gained success starting in 1953 in Harlem. His band would work at the "Celebrity Club" there until 1974. After that he co-led a band with Paul Quinichette and worked with Benny Goodman in the late 1970s.

In 1981 he was seriously injured by scalding water at a hotel shower and later suffered from a serious illness. The 1990s saw him slow down, but he remained active playing with Lionel Hampton among others.

In 1992 he also took part in the documentary, Texas Tenor: The Illinois Jacquet Story. He lived in New York until 2001 when he moved to Arizona to be cared for by his daughter. He died soon after, aged 87.