Tommy Tate was born September 29, 1944, in Homestead Florida and grew up in Jackson, Mississippi.

As a musician, songwriter, and, especially as a singer, he has been called “America's best kept secret” and “The greatest singer you've never heard.” An almost cult-like figure in Deep Soul, Southern Soul, and British Northern Soul circles, Tommy started drumming and singing in small clubs in the Jackson, Mississippi area.

Tommy recorded singles for ABC-Paramount in 1965 (“Ordinarily” b/w “What's The Matter”); Okeh in 1966 (“I'm Taking On Pain” b/w “Are You From Heaven”) and 1967 (“A Lover's Reward” b/w “Big Blue Diamonds”), and at least three others released under pseudonyms: “If You’re Looking for a Fool” b/w ”Darling, Something's Gotta Give” for Verve in 1967 (as ‘Tommy Yates”), “Handy Andy” b /w “Don’t Play the Role” for Swing in 1965 (as “Tommy & The Derbys”) and “Happy Is the Man” for Atco (as “Andy Chapman”).

Tommy's break came when he joined the state's most popular band at the time, Tim Whitsett and The Imperial Show Band, an all white group that played universities in the Southeastern United States and had several records released on major labels. After Tate joined up, the band toured the United States and Canada, but only cut two records featuring Tate singing lead (“Stand By Me” for Big Ten in 1966 and “Where Did I Go b/w “The Whole World Is The Same” for Musicor in 1969).

In 1970, after the breakup of the band, Whitsett and Tate joined Stax Records in Memphis. Tommy roomed with legendary songsmith Mack Rice who recruited him to sing lead on two singles by The Nightingales on Stax.

In 1971, Johnny Baylor, the owner of Koko Records, a label distributed by Stax, persuaded Tommy to become one of only two artists signed to his company, the other being Luther Ingram. Although Tommy made the R&B Top 30 charts with “School of Life” (Koko 2112), he became “the forgotten man” when label mate Luther Ingram scored big with “If Loving You Is Wrong (I Don't Want To Be Right).” Koko issued three more singles on Tate, but Baylor valued him more as a songwriter for Ingram. When Koko closed its doors, it had an unreleased album in the can on Tommy. Belatedly, the album was released in Japan in 1992, and ten years later in the UK.

Tommy returned to Jackson, Mississippi in 1978. The next year, Frederick Knight’s Juana label released an eponymous album by Tommy. Also in 1979, P-Vine Records in Japan put out an album of rare Tate demos and unreleased tracks.

Sundance Records issued a number of singles on Tommy in the 1980s, but he had more success as one of the Malaco Records’ most productive songwriters. Johnnie Taylor scored with Tommy’s beautiful “Everything's Out in the Open,” and Bobby Blue Bland charted with the catchy midtempos “Midnight Run” and “Get Your Money Where You Spend Your Time.”

In the early nineties, Tommy recorded two albums for Urgent! Records, although the second album, “All or Nothing,” was released only in Japan. However, LocoBop released “All or Nothing” in digital format in 2008. British label Soulscape issued a compilation of early Tommy Tate demos and unreleased tracks in May of 2008.

Tommy Tate’s singing and songwriting career came to an unfortunate and premature end in 2002 when he suffered a debilitating stroke. But he continues to gain new fans as his recordings keep appearing in compilations and new formats.