Mike Tate

Mike has been playing music in the St. Louis area for many years. He started his musical career at the age of 14 by playing drums. In trying to find his niche he tried other instruments such as lead and bass guitar. Mike has been playing bass for about 20 years.

Mike's long time influences are the Beatles. No one can come close, in his mind, to their accomplishments and he still holds them in highest regard.

Mike has played everything from Johnny Cash to Black Sabbath and likes all types of music except Rap.

Eric Clapton is his favorite guitarist and feels that he is the ultimate all around performer/songwriter.

Mike can be emailed at:

Professional Equipment: Fender American Jazz Bass, Ampeg VTS Amplifier, Hartke Pro Series speaker cabinets with 4-10 inch aluminum conned speakers.

Mike's Favorite Music:

All Along The Watch Tower - Jimi Hendrix
Things We Said Today - The Beatles
Sultans Of Swing - Dire Straights
Take It To The Limit - Eagles
In My Life - The Beatles

Butch Wax Highlight
It is hard for me to say which is a favorite highlight of mine because there has been a few. I think I am going to have to share a few of them that stand out the most.

One of them was recording along side the legendary Johnny Rivers at the same time as Johnnie Johnson. Playing with Johnie Johnson was always a thrill to me just knowing I was making music with one of the founders of the very music that moved me to the point of wanting to be a musician. I grew up listening to this man's hands pounding out that boogie and rock piano behind those Chuck Berry tunes. The Beatles came along and kicked it into high gear for me and who's songs were the Beatles playing on their albums?... Chuck Berry's! It all seem to have come full circle when I started out as a boy listening to Johnnie and then getting to play and record with him many times right up until just a few days before he past away. If I remember correctly, we were the last band he played with before he passed away.

And then there was the night at the Casa Loma Ballroom when we played to a hanging from the rafters full house, playing behind Johnnie Johnson and Johnny Rivers at the same time. There was a lot of history on that stage that night and it gave me one of my biggest thrills to be playing those guy's songs that I listened to, learned and played while growing up and during the course of my musical career.

The other highlight that I will also remember most was when we played our 20th anniversary show at the Pageant Theater and the Mayor of St. Louis declared it "Butch Wax and the Hollywoods Day in St. Louis". Our show included as many past and present members of Butch Wax that could make it and it was so nice to have the memories of the past 20 years come back as we all played together.

Favorite Butch Wax Story
When tom O'Brien sat his saxophone behind his car and then backed over it. He bent it all up and had to have someone in the Troy area to find a sax for him to play the gig with and some kid brought him a student sax to play out the gig.