––––– CAMERON TATE ––––– BY TAYLOR KENT
•
Cameron Tate has a friendly smile and sincere, earnest eyes. Sitting across from him at the coffeeshop, I can feel both the ease of his presence and the natural energy he emits. To be simultaneously at ease and energized is a difficult combination for most to emulate, but for Cameron, it seems to come naturally. As an artist, it’s his most defining characteristic, one that draws his audience in and keeps them paying attention. 33 year old Cameron Tate is a skillful singer-songwriter, an accomplished performer, a multi-instrumentalist and a proficient musician. A native of Kingsport, Tennessee, Cameron grew up listening to his father play music, primarily country and bluegrass. Throughout his childhood, he always found himself drawn to music, and participated in school and church choirs. At age 10, he found a guitar under the Christmas tree with a tag that read his name. He began to teach himself chords, learning the instrument little by little. The first full song he could ever play was “Raindrops Keep Fallin’ On My Head”, followed by The Temptations’ hit “My Girl”. When he was a sophomore in high school, he decided to experiment with writing songs of his own. With the help of a school friend to bounce around input and ideas, Cameron started to develop a catalog. He found songwriting difficult in the beginning, but got the hang of it rather quickly by starting with the music and waiting for the words to come. At age 16, he put out his first songs on the social media platform MySpace. Since then, Cameron has written over 35 songs. His subject matter varies, as he is able to draw lyrics from his own life as well as the lives and stories of people he encounters. It was also around his late teens when Cameron dove into the live music scene. As a solo artist, he got his first gig at The Down Home in Johnson City, Tennessee. Living in Kingsport, Cameron had easy accessibility to both Johnson City, well-known for their bluegrass, and Bristol, the birthplace of country music. However, he never considered himself strictly a country artist, instead choosing to remain fluid amongst several genres including pop, rock, indie, soul, and reggae. His love for Bob Marley inspired him to form a reggae band, and nine years ago, Untold Empire was born. The band’s genres progressed with their songwriting styles, later finding success in the territory of alternative rock. Cameron led Untold Empire for three years before the band ultimately decided to go their separate ways. He took a brief hiatus from music, joining the army reserves and serving for two years. It wasn’t long before the pull of music found him again, this time changing the direction of his life completely. Five years ago Cameron set foot on Hilton Head for the first time, on vacation with his family. He met local musicians Nick Poulin and Derrick Ludaway at Tiki Hut, joining them onstage for a few songs. They encouraged Cameron to play a set at the famous Big Bamboo open mic, which just so happened to be occurring that very night. Impressed by the island’s scene and opportunities, Cameron left
PHOTO BY JACLYN VALENTI
his home of Tennessee, the only place he’d ever lived, to come to Hilton Head permanently. His decision, clearly, has paid off. Since coming to Hilton Head, Cameron has established himself as a local favorite, played countless shows at the island’s top venues, collaborated with an assortment of musicians, and even met his wife. He loves
the lowcountry and all that it offers, and enjoys meeting and connecting with people from all over the country. He aspires to release his first full solo album in 2021. This spring, you can catch Cameron Tate at Big Bamboo, Tiki Hut, the Boardroom, and beyond. Cameron has released music on Spotify, iTunes, and YouTube. For more information on his schedule, visit his facebook page @camerontatemusic. TASTEOFHILTONHEAD.COM
51
