Geoff Tate

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Geoff Tate
Queensrÿche no Brasil-14.jpg
Geoff Tate performing with Queensrÿche in Brazil on 14 April 2012.
Background information
Birth name Jeffrey Wayne Tate
Born (1959-01-14) January 14, 1959 (age 54)
Stuttgart, West Germany
Genres Heavy metal, progressive metal, hard rock
Occupations Singer-songwriter
Instruments Vocals, keyboards, saxophone
Years active 1981–present
Associated acts Queensrÿche, Hear 'n Aid
Website Official website
Geoff Tate in Germany, Tribe Tour 2004.

Geoff Tate (born Jeffrey Wayne Tate,[1] January 14, 1959; he later changed his first name to Geoffery or Geoffrey)[1][2][3] is an American singer and musician, who rose to fame in the 1980s with the progressive metal band, Queensrÿche. Tate is ranked fourteenth on Hit Parader's list of the 100 Greatest Metal Vocalists of All Time. He was voted #2 on That Metal Show's top 5 hard rock vocalists of the 80's, and in 2012 received the Vegas Rocks Magazine Award for "Voice in Progressive Heavy Metal'.[3]

Contents

Career

Tate was born in Stuttgart,[1] which was then part of West Germany. Shortly after, his family relocated to Tacoma, Washington.

Queensrÿche

While Tate was in the band Babylon, he was asked to sing with the cover band The Mob (who would later start writing original material and become Queensrÿche) at a local rock festival.[4] After Babylon broke up, Tate performed a few shows with The Mob, but left because he was not interested in performing heavy metal cover songs.[4][1] Tate then joined the progressive metal band Myth as lead vocalist and keyboardist. Other band members of Myth included Kelly Gray, who was later one of the replacements for Queensrÿche guitarist Chris DeGarmo, and Randy Gane, both of whom joined Tate's version of Queensrÿche in 2012.[5]

The Mob again called on Tate in 1981, this time to record a demo tape, which he accepted, convincing his bandmates in Myth that getting professional recording experience would benefit all of them in the future.[1] The band already had a set of songs, but one song was still left without lyrics. Tate was asked to write lyrics to this song, which would become the song "The Lady Wore Black", Tate's first penned song with the band. The demo tape was widely circulated, and was released as an EP in 1982 on the 206 Records label. Around this time, the name The Mob was changed to Queensrÿche, and Tate left Myth to become Queensrÿche's permanent lead singer.[6] Myth went on to record the album Arabia after Tate had left.

Queensrÿche was signed to EMI in the summer of 1983,[4] with a contract spanning 15 years and encompassing seven albums.[6] EMI re-released the EP, Queensrÿche, to moderate success, peaking at No. 81 on the Billboard charts. With Queensrÿche, Tate had great successes, especially with the concept album Operation: Mindcrime, which was released in 1988, and 1990's Empire. The band has sold over 20 million albums worldwide.

On June 20, 2012, it was announced that Queensrÿche had fired Tate, replacing him with Crimson Glory vocalist Todd La Torre.[7] Soon after, Tate and his wife Susan (who served as the band's manager from 2005–2012) filed a lawsuit in a Washington court, saying that he was wrongfully terminated from the group. They also filed a preliminary injunction in an attempt to prevent either side to use the band's name and likeness until the lawsuit was settled, but this was overturned by a judge who decided that both parties can use the name Queensrÿche until the next court date, which is scheduled for November 18, 2013.[8]

On September 1, 2012, Tate announced his own Queensrÿche lineup featuring Rudy Sarzo, Bobby Blotzer, Glen Drover (who left the band on November 23),[9] Kelly Gray and Randy Gane.[10] They have been on the "Operation: Mindcrime Anniversary Tour" since April 6, 2013, celebrating the album's 25th anniversary.[11] Tate has also released the album Frequency Unknown on April 23 via the Deadline Music label.[12]

Solo work

In 1985, Tate participated in the famine relief collaboration Hear 'n Aid.

In 2002, Tate released an eponymous solo album on Sanctuary Records. Around this time, he had shaven off his long hair, out of solidarity to a close family member who was battling cancer until her death.[13] On November 6, 2012, Tate released his second solo record on InsideOut Music, entitled Kings and Thieves.

In 2013, Tate was announced to be covering the KISS song "The Oath" in the tribute project “A World With Heroes”, commemorating the band's 40th anniversary and serving as a pledge drive for a cancer care hospice.[14]

Other activities

Tate stars as the narrator and killer in the found footage horror movie Reality Kills. It was released direct-to-video on March 4, 2013.[8] Tate is also working on a documentary about subliminal messages in media,[15] and is scheduled to score the music to the in-production crime movie Fallen Moon.[16]

Tate is also a noted wine enthusiast, giving several interviews to the magazine Wine Spectator. In 2010, Geoff and Susan Tate launched their own brand of wine, "Insania".[17]

Personal life

Tate was married to Sue (Suzanne) from 1990 until 1996. She inspired the lyrics to "Jet City Woman".[18] In 1996, he married Susan, with whom he is still married. She and Geoff used to be vegans.[17] Tate has three daughters: Sabra, Bella, and Emily, and one step-daughter via Susan, named Miranda. Sabra was named after one of the songs Tate played with the band Myth, called "The Sabre's Edge".[19] Tate was never married to Sabra's mother.

Tate is known for involving family members with his musical endeavours. His wife Susan worked for Queensrÿche's fan club since 1997, served as the band's assistant manager since 2001, and as band manager from 2005-2012.[20] She is also the manager for Tate's solo career. Stepdaughter Miranda has also run Queensrÿche's fanclub.[21] Guitarist Parker Lundgren joined the band of Tate's solo project in the summer of 2008,[22] while dating Miranda. In February 2009 he joined Queensrÿche,[22][23] and on 18 July married Miranda,[24] but they were divorced shortly after.[25] Late 2009 and early 2010, Miranda was a go-go dancer with the Queensrÿche Cabaret.[26] Daughter Emily has sung a duet with her father on the song "Home Again" on the 2009 Queensrÿche album American Soldier and the ensuing tour, at age 12. In 2013, Miranda and Emily sung backing vocals on a re-recording of "Silent Lucidity" for the album Frequency Unknown.[27]

Tate has an interest in acting and enjoys motorcycling and sailing.[1]

Discography

Queensrÿche

Main article: Queensrÿche discography

Solo

Contributions

Compilations

Notes and references

  1. ^ a b c d e f "Tate". AnybodyListening.net. Retrieved 2012-12-19. 
  2. ^ "Declaration of Randall Rutherford Gane". Court declaration. 2012-06-12. Retrieved 2012-12-07. 
  3. ^ a b "Declaration of Counsel, Thomas T. Osinski Jr.". Court declaration. 2012-06-09. Retrieved 2012-12-19.  (Pp. 11, 48).
  4. ^ a b c Miller, Brett. "Before the Storm - The Early Days of Queensrÿche". www.queensrychehistory.com. Retrieved April 24, 2006.
  5. ^ "Queensryche celebrate "Operation: Mindcrime" anniversary". SoundSpike. 2012-11-28. 
  6. ^ a b "Declaration of Scott Rockenfield". Court declaration. 2011-07-10. Retrieved 2012-12-06. 
  7. ^ "Latest Music News, Band, Artist, Musician & Music Video News". Billboard.com. Retrieved 2012-07-15. 
  8. ^ a b "Geoff Tate Wins Court Ruling to Continue Using Queensrÿche Name". Loudwire. 2012-10-20. Retrieved 2012-11-29. 
  9. ^ Glen Drover Quits Geoff Tate's Queensrÿche. Blabbermouth.net. Retrieved on 2012-11-26.
  10. ^ New Lineup. Queensryche (2012-09-01). Retrieved on 2012-09-16.
  11. ^ Geoff Tate: Heading to the Future with a New Queensrÿche. Entertaim.net. Retrieved on 2012-11-26.
  12. ^ Queensryche.com (2013-03-06). "Queensryche's thirteenth studio album". Retrieved 2013-03-09. 
  13. ^ "Declaration of Eddie Jackson". Court declaration. 2012-06-12. Retrieved 2012-12-04. 
  14. ^ PledgeMusic. "A World With Heroes (KISS Tribute)". Retrieved 2013-05-07. 
  15. ^ Komodo Rock | Queensryche's Geoff Tate Set For Acting Debut
  16. ^ "Queensrÿche Singer To Score 'Fallen Moon' Film". Blabbermouth.net. 2009-07-30. Retrieved 2012-12-19. 
  17. ^ a b "His Own Brand Of Insania, Part 1". Attention Deficit Delirium. 2010-02-23. Retrieved 2012-12-19. 
  18. ^ http://ink19.com/issues/january2002/eventReviews/queensrChe.html
  19. ^ Brett Miller. "The Kelly Gray Myth". QueensrycheHistory.com. Retrieved 2013-01-05. 
  20. ^ "Declaration of Susan Tate". Court declaration. 2012-06-09. Retrieved 2012-12-08. 
  21. ^ "Queensrÿche Singer’s Stepdaughter Spouts Off". Court declaration. 2012-06-12. Retrieved 2012-12-24. 
  22. ^ a b "Living a rocker's dream: Parker Lundgren tours with Queensrÿche". ptleader.com. 2009-08-12. Retrieved 2012-12-24. 
  23. ^ "Declaration of Parker Lundgren". Court declaration. 2012-07-09. Retrieved 2012-12-24. 
  24. ^ "Queensrÿche Guitarist Marries Geoff Tate's Daughter - July 18, 2009". Blabbermouth.net. 2009-07-18. Retrieved 2012-12-24. 
  25. ^ "Parker Lundgren". Encyclopedia Metallum. 2011-04-12. Retrieved 2012-12-24. 
  26. ^ "Queensryche". YouTube. 2010-01-22. Retrieved 2012-12-24. 
  27. ^ "Frequency Unknown – Queensrÿche: Credits". Allmusic. Retrieved 2013-04-11. 

External links

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