Clarence "Tater" Tate
Clarence "Tater" Tate (February 4, 1931—October 17, 2007) was an American bluegrass fiddler, and multi-instrumentalist. Born in Gate City, Virginia, he developed his musical roots performing on regional radio programs including the Mid-Day Merry-Go-Round in Knoxville, Tennessee, where grocery entrepreneur Cas Walker gave him the nickname “Tater”. He began his professional career recording with the Sauceman Brothers and the Bailey Brothers before completing a term of military service in 1956. He later joined Bill Monroe's Blue Grass Boys on fiddle before returning to the group as a multi-decade bassist and session player until Monroe's death in 1996. He toured and recorded extensively with other bluegrass acts Jimmy Martin, Hylo Brown, Red Smiley, and Lester Flatt's Nashville Grass. He was inducted into the Virginia Country Music Hall of Fame in 1992.