Earl Franklin Cate was born on December 26, 1942, in Marshall, Searcy County, Arkansas, and grew up in Sonora, Arkansas. Earl's career spans five decades, primarily as part of the band Cate Brothers, which he started in the 1960s with his identical twin brother, Ernie. In addition to his achievements in singing and songwriting, Earl has been recognized as one of the most notable guitar players of our time.
The band released two albums as The Cates Gang in the early 1970s. The Cate Bros. released an additional nine albums over the course of their career, beginning with a self-titled album in 1975. The Cate Bros. album produced the Top 40 hit single, “Union Man” in 1976. Best known for their soulful, Southern style, the Cate Brothers played and toured with groups including Fleetwood Mac, Queen, Lynyrd Skynyrd, and The Band. The Cate Brothers hold the distinction of having performed at Bill Clinton’s Presidential Inaugural Ball in 1992.
Earl plays lead guitar in the band Earl and Them, which released its first album, Special Blend, in 2011.
#1: Composite image of early photo of Earl Cate and still frame from Pryor Center video interview
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#2: Earl and Ernie Cate's father, Lloyd Cate
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#3: LLoyd Cate with his wife, Florence Almeda Cate, and their sons, Ernie and Earl
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#4: Earl and Ernie Cate's father, Lloyd Cate, with his brother, Leo; May 1944
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#5: Earl and Ernie Cate
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#6: Earl and Ernie Cate
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#7: Earl and Ernie Cate
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#8: Earl and Ernie Cate
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#9: Earl and Ernie Cate
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#10: Ernie and Earl Cate
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#11: The Del-Reys: (clockwise from center) Ken Owens, Ernie Cate, Lonnie Watson, Randy Favorite, and Earl Cate
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#12: The Del-Reys: (from left) Gerald Golden, Ernie Cate, Randy Favorite, and Earl Cate, 1965
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#13: Earl Cate plays a Fender Telecaster guitar
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#14: The Cates Gang's 1970 album, Wanted
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#15: The Cates Gang's 1972 album, Come Back Home
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#16: Ernie and Earl Cate
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#17: Cate Bros. Band: Ernie Cate, Earl Cate, Terry Cagle, and Ron Eoff, ca. 1970s
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#18: Cate Bros. Band: Terry Cagle, Ron Eoff, Ernie Cate, and Earl Cate
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#19: Cate Brothers Band: Ernie Cate, Ron Eoff, Terry Cagle, and Earl Cate
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#20: Earl Cate plays a Fender Telecaster guitar
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#21: Cate Bros. 1975 self-titled album
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#22: Earl Cate
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#23: Earl Cate plays a Fender Telecaster guitar
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#24: Playbill for Kingfish, Charlie Daniels Band, and Cate Brothers; 1976
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#25: Cate Bros. 1976 album, In One Eye and Out the Other
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#26: Cate Bros. Band 1977 album
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#27: Ronnie Hawkins (left) and Herman Tuck on drums at Herman's Ribhouse, Fayetteville, Arkansas
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#28: Ernie and Earl Cate's parents, Florence and Lloyd Cate; 1978
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#29: Cate Bros. Band 1979 album, Fire on the Tracks
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#30: Earl Cate
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#31: Cate Bros. Band: Porky Hill, David Renko, Ernie Cate, Earl Cate, and John Davies
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#32: Cate Bros. Band: (clockwise from top left) Earl Cate, Ernie Cate, Ron Eoff, David Renko, and Porky Hill
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#33: Earl Cate's Ozark Music Award, 2002
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#34: Earl Cate's Fender Telecaster guitar at Levon Helm's Midnight Ramble; Woodstock, New York, March 10, 2007
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#35: Earl Cate plays a Fender Telecaster guitar
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#36: Earl Cate with his Fender Telecaster guitar
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#37: Behind-the-scenes photo from Pryor Center interview with Earl Cate; Springdale, Arkansas, 2010
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#38: Behind-the-scenes photo from Pryor Center interview with Earl Cate; Springdale, Arkansas, 2010
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#39: Behind-the-scenes photo from Pryor Center interview with Earl Cate; Springdale, Arkansas, 2010
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#40: Still frame from Pryor Center video interview with Earl Cate; Springdale, Arkansas, 2010
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#41: Still frame from Pryor Center video interview with Earl Cate; Springdale, Arkansas, 2010
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
