Ernest “Ernie” Everett Cate was born on December 26, 1942, in Marshall, Searcy County, Arkansas, and grew up in Sonora, Arkansas. Ernie and his identical twin brother, Earl, formed the Cate Brothers, a Southern soul band in which Ernie played keyboard, sang, and wrote original songs. The band contributed to the rock sound that emerged from the Ozarks and was heavily influenced by the blues.
After Cate attended the University of Arkansas for a time, he and his brother, Earl, released two albums as The Cates Gang in the early 1970s. They signed a record deal with Asylum Records and released a self-titled album in 1975. The Cate Bros. album produced the single, “Union Man,” which broke the national Top 40 Charts in 1976. The Cate Brothers toured nationally and internationally with groups including Fleetwood Mac, Queen, Lynyrd Skynyrd, and The Band.
The Cate Brothers worked on a range of musical projects in the 1980s, prior to resuming recording in the 1990s. The band released nine albums over the course of a career spanning five decades. In 2006 Ernie Cate stepped away from frequent performing and touring, although he occasionally rejoins his brother on stage and maintains strong roots in Arkansas.
#1: Composite image of early photo of Ernie Cate and still frame from Pryor Center video interview
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#2: Ernie and Earl Cate's father, Lloyd Cate
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#3: Ernie and Earl Cate's uncle, Leo Cate
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#4: Ernie and Earl Cate's parents, Florence Almeda Brown and Lloyd Cate, in the California vineyard where they met
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#5: Ernie and Earl Cate with their grandfather, Stewart Cate; ca. 1942
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#6: Earl and Ernie Cate at 7 months old, 1943
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#7: Ernie and Earl Cate with their cousin, Donny (center), and their maternal grandparents, William E. and Lissee Brown; December 27, 1943
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#8: Ernie and Earl Cate with their mother, Florence Cate
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#9: Ernie and Earl Cate
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#10: Earl and Ernie Cate in front of their home in Sonora, Arkansas
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#11: Ernie Cate
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#12: Ernie Cate, Gene Ware, Scott Cool, and Earl Cate at a high school assembly
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#13: Ernie Cate in his senior class picture, Springdale High School, 1960
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#14: Earl Cate, Ken Owens, Lonnie Watson and Ernie Cate as The Del-Reys, ca. 1961
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#15: 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
#16: The Del-Reys: (standing, left to right) Lonnie Watson, Earl Cate, Ken Owens, Randy Favorite, and Ernie Cate (seated), 1962
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#17: Ernie and Earl Cate, ca. 1964
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#18: 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
#19: Earl and Ernie Cate with their children, Easter 1969
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#20: The Cates Gang's 1970 album, Wanted
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#21: Ernie Cate performs on keyboards with Earl Cate, Ron Eoff, and Terry Cagle; ca. 1970s
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#22: Earl and Ernie Cate onstage, ca. 1970s
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#23: The Cates Gang's 1972 album, Come Back Home
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#24: Ernie and Earl Cate; Asylum promotional photo, ca. 1970s
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#25: 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
#26: Earl and Ernie Cate
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#27: Earl and Ernie Cate
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#28: Cate Bros. Band: Terry Cagle, Ron Eoff, Ernie Cate, and Earl Cate
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#29: Cate Bros. 1975 self-titled album
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#30: Cate Brothers debut album, Cate Bros. inside cover, 1975
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#31: Elektra/Asylum marketing material for the album, Cate Bros., November 1975
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#32: Ernie Cate
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#33: Ernie and Linda Cate with their son, Brian, and daughter, Kimberly
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#34: Ernie Cate with his wife, Linda Cate, at the White House; Washington, DC, November 1976
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#35: Cate Bros. 1976 album, In One Eye and Out the Other
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#36: Elektra-Asylum Bullets featuring the Cate Bros. Band: (from left) Ernie Cate, Albert Singleton, Terry Cagle, and Earl Cate; February 2, 1976
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#37: Sheet music for "Union Man" by the Cate Bros., 1976
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#38: Newspaper advertisement for Queen plus special guests, Cate Bros., at the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium, March 1976
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#39: Elektra/Asylum new releases flyer includes the Cate Bros. album In One Eye and Out The Other, September 1976
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#40: Cate Bros. Band 1977 album
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#41: Article about The Cate Brothers from Crawdaddy! magazine, February 3, 1977, and an advertisement for The Cate Brothers with Jeff Beck and The Beach Boys at the Buffalo Memorial Auditorium, Buffalo, New York
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#42: Ernie and Earl Cate's parents, Florence and Lloyd Cate; 1978
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#43: Cate Bros. Band 1979 album, Fire on the Tracks
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#44: Cate Bros. Band: (clockwise from top left) Ernie Cate, Earl Cate, Terry Cagle, and Ron Eoff
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#45: Ernie and Linda Cate (back row, right) with Levon Helm (4th from left), and Ron Eoff and Terry Cagle (to Helm's left) at the Lone Star Cafe in New York City; February 12, 1981
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#46: Ernie Cate at the Lone Star Cafe in New York City; April 9, 1981
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#47: The Band is Back tour book for The Band's 1983 Japan tour
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#48: Ernie Cate plays during The Band's tour in Japan, 1983
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#49: Cate Bros. Band: Ron Eoff, Ernie Cate, Earl Cate, and Terry Cagle
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#50: The Band performs during their Japan tour: (from left) Ernie Cate, Levon Helm, Earl Cate, Garth Hudson, Rick Danko, Ron Eoff, and Richard Manuel, 1983
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#51: Ernie Cate
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#52: Ernie Cate
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#53: 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
#54: The Cate Brothers Band: Ernie Cate, John Davies, David Renko, Porky Hill, and Earl Cate
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#55: Earl and Ernie Cate
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#56: 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
#57: Earl and Ernie Cate press their hands in wet cement at George's Majestic Lounge, Fayetteville, Arkansas
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#58: Cate Brothers Band: (from left) Ernie Cate, Micky Eoff, Ron Eoff, David Renko, and Earl Cate
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#59: Ernie Cate, Ron Eoff, Earl Cate, and David Renko
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#60: Ernie and Earl Cate
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#61: Ernie Cate, 2004
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#62: Linda and Ernie Cate on New Year's Eve, 2004
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#63: Ernie Cate and Ron Eoff
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#64: Ernie Cate
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#65: Behind-the-scenes photo from Pryor Center interview with Ernie Cate; Springdale, Arkansas, 2010
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#66: Behind-the-scenes photo from Pryor Center interview with Ernie Cate; Springdale, Arkansas, 2010
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#67: Still frame from Pryor Center video interview with Ernie Cate; Springdale Arkansas, 2010
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#68: Still frame from Pryor Center video interview with Ernie Cate; Springdale Arkansas, 2010
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
