An In Depth Interview with Freddie Pate
He grew up on the west coast in Los Angeles, raised by my Granny & Pop. I started learning chords when I was 4 or 5, and believe it or not at 8 years old, I was already singing in nightclubs… (but that’s a whole other story…). I played shows with some of the greats, Buck, Merle, Paycheck, Lefty and many more thanks to my Granny who I refered to as “Colonel Parker”:) , because she could talk me onto stages with the best of em. I owe all that I am because of them and their sacrifices to nuture my musical talent.
Moving from Los Angeles in 1974 as a 17 year old kid I spent the better part of 20 years between Houston and Dallas as a sideman, eventually as bandleader fronting bands of my own and got the musical education of a lifetime. Playing with some of the best musicians in town in just about every honky tonk in town. Including Gilley’s, the Western Club, The Western Swing, Dancetown and many more. Opening for some great acts, Ronnie Misap, Willie Nelson, Johnny Rodriguez, Eddie Rabbit, Alabama, Johnny Cash, Loretta Lynn, David Alan Coe, George Jones, Conway Twitty, Ray Price and countless others.
In 1985 we won the Marlboro Country Music Talent Roundup and were finalist in the Willie Nelson Music Showdown as Freddie Pate and Metropolis and spent a week with Willie up in Austin. Also as part of the prize was the ooportunity to open for Ricky Skaggs, Ronnie Mislap, Hank Jr and Merle Haggard at the Summit to a sold out crowd.
In 1990 I moved and spent the next 30 years in Southwest Louisiana, so we may have crossed paths as I’ve played coast to coast, border to border and halfway around the world as a member of Wayne Toups and Zydecajun. Working with Wayne on several album projects and touring with the boys has been one of the funnest times in my musical career.
As of late I have been spending a lot more time back in Texas, my second home, I have been reconnecting with old friends and making a lot of new ones. The Texas music scene is alive and kicking and I am honored to be back in the thick of it.
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