Career
Shortly after his birth his family relocated to Tacoma, Washington. Tate states that his influences are Rob Halford of Judas Priest and Bruce Dickinson of Iron Maiden. He began his musical career with progressive band Myth (who recorded the album Arabia after Tate had left), on lead vocals and keyboards, along with Kelly Gray (who was later one of the replacements for Queensrÿche guitarist Chris DeGarmo). He joined Queensrÿche (then called The Mob) in 1981. The band already had a full demo of songs, but there was one still left without lyrics, and "The Lady Wore Black" became Geoff's first penned song with the band. In 1983 the band released their self-produced debut EP Queensrÿche.
In 2002, Tate released a solo album on Sanctuary Records.
Court testimony eventually revealed that the rest of Queensryche fired Geoff Tate's family was due to misuse of the band's corporate accounts to pay expenses for an Irish band Susan Tate was managing called the Voodoos who did not have legal work visas to be in the United States and were also opening up for Queensryche during the 2011 U.S. tour . Geoff Tate also brokered a secret animated movie deal with Zoetifex Studios for the rights to the movie Operation:Mindcrime which would pay him an advance and most of the royalties associated with the movie's merchandising but significantly cut out his bandmates and former guitarist Chris DeGarmo . Tate alleged that he alone owned the rights to the story although most of the band contributed music to the concept of Mindcrime .
It was announced on June 20, 2012, that Queensrÿche had parted ways with Tate, replacing him with Crimson Glory vocalist Todd La Torre. Soon after, Tate and his wife filed a lawsuit in court, saying that he was wrongfully terminated from the group. They also filed a preliminary injunction in an attempt to prevent either side to use the band's name and likeness until the lawsuit was settled, but this was overturned by a judge who decided that both parties can use the name Queensrÿche during this time. On September 1, 2012 Tate announced his own Queensrÿche lineup featuring Rudy Sarzo, Bobby Blotzer, Glen Drover, Kelly Gray and Randy Gane. Who legally owns the right to use the Queensrÿche name is still unclear.
On November 6, 2012, Geoff Tate released his second solo record on InsideOut Music, entitled Kings and Thieves. He is currently touring in support of this release.
He is also working on a documentary about subliminal messages in media. Tate is currently scheduled to score the music to the in-production crime movie Fallen Moon.
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