Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[LennonStarrFan]

Fort Worth keyboardist makes a name on late-night TV, playing with Ben Harper and Ringo Starr

FORT WORTH — Fort Worth native Justin Pate has luck on his side. Recently, the 31-year-old keyboardist got to perform with Ringo Starr and with Ben Harper – and on national television, no less.

So thanks to those connections, Pate has great memories of Ringo Starr. And what's the guy like? “Awesome,” Pate says. “He was really, really easy to get along with. You can tell that he’s a Beatle, and he always kind of gets his way … but he doesn’t take advantage of it.”

Pate first met Starr at Village Recording Studio in LA. That's the studio Fleetwood Mac built to record Rumours in.

“I was wearing this shirt with a big drawing of a lion with glasses on,” Pate remembered. “[Ringo] he turns around, looks at me, and says, ‘Wow! Look at that shirt. It looks like John [Lennon] as a lion.’ And he came over and put his hand just over the eyes … He was about this tall to me,” Pate says as Starr gestured his hand to about shoulder level.

In the past 11 months, Pate's performances include those with Starr and also with Ben Harper and Relentless 7. His resume includes appearances on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, Ellen, and The Jay Leno Show.

For now, Pate’s stint as keyboardist for the stars has slowed. And while he says he’s anxious for another call to play with Starr, he has a renewed faith in his abilities. “I’ve got a lot more confidence that I can do it now. It’s a lot better now that I have something to show for it, rather than a year ago at this point,” he says.

Pate’s also toiling away at home on local projects. He's excited about The Orbans’ new record, which is due for release in May.

Full Article: http://www.pegasusnews.com/news/2010/apr/13/fort-worth-justin-pate-ringo-starr/