Laurie Tate

By Marv Goldberg

© 2025 by Marv Goldberg

[AUTHOR'S NOTE: I came across some sites that said nothing was known about Joe Morris' singer, Laurie Tate, other than that she probably came from Richmond, Virginia. That sounded like a challenge to me, so I decided to investigate. It didn't take long to determine that they were right: the only fact ever disclosed about her in contemporary accounts was that she came from Richmond (and they occasionally got her age wrong). So I started to dig; and dig; and dig. It took nearly two days, but I finally found out who Laurie Tate was. Of course, at that point, it became necessary to write an article about her, so as not to waste what I'd found. One of the things I do during that process is listen to as many of the artist's recordings as possible, in order to get a feel for the artist. What a mistake! Although, with one exception, contemporary accounts praised her singing, I found her voice to be strident and screechy; it was very unpleasant to hear her scream her way through a song. There was only a single recording of hers that I liked, which we'll get to later. (Obviously, these things are subjective; you might like her singing. Regardless, you'll soon know everything I was able to uncover about her.)]

She was born Laurie Laverne Tate, on November 11, 1928, in Richmond, Virginia. Her mother was Annie Bell Tate; I don't know who her father was. She had a sister, Annie Page Tate, born August 7, 1930 (again, I don't know who the father was). When Annie P. got married in 1953, she gave her parents' names as "James Tate" and "Annie Flemmind", both fictitious. In the 1930 census, Annie Bell Tate was living in Richmond with her parents, Benjamin and Janie Tate, but I can't find Laurie at all.

On February 16, 1934, Annie Bell Tate married James Calvin Moon. With him, Annie would have four more children: James Calvin, Jr. (1934), Shirley Mae (1938), Geraldine (1941), and Vivian Deloris (1944).

In the 1940 census (Richmond), Laurie and sister Annie were enumerated as "Moon", instead of "Tate". But that seemed to be the only time; she was always "Laurie Tate".

The first mention of Laurie Laverne Tate in the press was in the June 5, 1947 Richmond News Leader, when she was on a list of June graduates from Maggie L. Walker High School.

In the 1950 census, all six children were still living with their mother, Anna B. Moon, who's now a widow (James having died in 1948). However, although daughters Laura L. and Annie P. were given the surname of "Moon" on the sheet, it was crossed out and "Tate" written in. The other children were still "Moon".

Supposedly, Laurie Tate sang in the church in Richmond, but there's no mention of that in contemporary sources. Sometime in the spring of 1950, she joined Joe Morris' band as their vocalist. All that was ever written about it was that he discovered her in Richmond and signed her. The only time he seemed to be in Virginia during that time was on June 13, when he was at the Danville Fairgrounds. However, Danville isn't particularly near Richmond, so it's anyone's guess how they met. (So far, it seems, I'm raising as many questions as I'm answering.)

[Joe Morris was from Montgomery, Alabama. While attending Alabama State Teachers' College, he became the leader of the "Bama State Collegians", a swing band. In 1942, he joined the Lionel Hampton Orchestra as a trumpeter and arranger. Five years later Joe put together his own aggregation. He first recorded for Manor Records, but then switched over to the new Atlantic Records. His band was usually called the Apple Jackers.]

However it happened, sometime in June, 1950, Laurie and the Morris band had a 4-song session for Atlantic Records in New York: "Anytime, Any Place, Anywhere", "Stormy Weather", "Come Back Daddy, Daddy", and "Rock Me Daddy".

I might as well say this here: although "Anytime, Any Place, Anywhere" was credited to Joe Morris & Laurie Tate as writers, the first stanza was taken, almost word for word from a song called "Any Time, Any Day, Any Where", written by Ned Washington, Victor Young, and Lee Wiley (Duke Ellington had recorded it in 1932 and the Mills Brothers the following year). Morris and Tate added two more screaming stanzas to it, so there was some originality, but you'll see that it didn't go unchallenged.

Atlantic issued that tune, backed with "Come Back Daddy, Daddy", in July 1950, as by "Joe Morris and His Orchestra featuring Laurie Tate". The only honest review, as far as I'm concerned, was in the July 29, 1950 Miami Times:

Laurie Tate, a newcomer, is in the vocal spot for Joe Morris' crew on COME BACK DADDY, DADDY and ANY PLACE ANYWHERE [sic]. She has a good set of pipes, but seems to be forcing her voice. The sound grates in spots, especially on "anytime". When it settles down to normal, some good talent is heard.

The disc was reviewed in the September 23, 1950 Billboard:

Anytime, Any Place, Anywhere (85): New thrush, in the Dinah Washington-Little Esther tradition, sings with impressive conviction on a strong bluesy torcher. Should score big.

Come Back Daddy, Daddy (76): Slow rock blues is piped with piercing, heartfelt abandon by Miss Tate. ["piercing" is definitely the word.]

I consider it heresy to compare Laurie's voice to Dinah Washington's. Even Little Esther's voice was much calmer and easier to listen to.

Amazingly (to my ears) "Anytime" entered the Billboard charts on September 29 at #9; it was #1 by November 8 in a 22-week run. It just goes to show something or other.

On September 25 the band opened at the Ebony Lounge in Cleveland, replacing Lynn Hope. The September 23 Cleveland Call And Post said: "Joe Morris is perhaps best known for his hit recording of 'Any Time, Any Place, Any Where' [sic], and Little Laurie Tate helps bring it to life."

The week of October 26, the Morris band played the Apollo Theater, along with Lucky Millinder (truncated to "Lucky Miller" in the ad) and Moms Mabley.

The October 28 New York Age said:

Laurie Tate, the newest wax click, who debuts in the Apollo Theatre this week along with Lucky Millinder and Lee Richardson, hails from Richmond, where she gained a big rep as a church singer. Trumpeter Joe Morris, with whose unit she now chirps, discovered her. She's 19 years old. [She was actually a couple of weeks shy of 22.]

Apollo owner Frank Schiffman's notes for that show: "First appearance here. No box office value. Band had no use. Girl's fairly good." Considering that he sometimes had negative things to say about singers I think are excellent, I really can't understand this.

As long as they were in New York, they did some more recording for Atlantic. On November 18, they recorded a single song "Don't Take Your Love Away From Me". Two days later, they had a 5-song session that produced: "Too Long Now, It's Too Late", "You're My Darling", "I Hope You're Satisfied", "Can't Stop My Crying", and another attempt (this time a good take) at "Don't Take Your Love Away From Me".

Two days after that, on November 22, the band opened at the Paradise Ballroom in Nashville.

And then, someone noticed the theft of the lyrics to "Anytime". This was in the November 25, 1950 Billboard:

NEW YORK, Nov. 18. Crawford Music, Chappell subsid, this week told Atlantic Records it considered the tune Anytime, Anyplace, Anywhere an infringement of a 1933 Crawford copyright titled Any Time, Any Day, Any Where.

The Atlantic ditty is currently riding the top of the rhythm and blues charts via the Joe Morris waxing, with Laurie Tate chirping. Miss Tate is credited as writer; Progressive Music, Atlantic subsid, has pubbing rights.

The Crawford tune was written by Ned Washington, Victor Young, and Lee Wiley. Crawford has asked that the disk be withdrawn and an accounting furnished. Atlantic's counsel is investigating the Crawford allegations.

As I said before, the first stanza of Laurie's version was taken, almost word-for-word, from the earlier song.

From December 8-11, the band was at the Royal Peacock Club in Atlanta. On December 16, it was the Lynch Colored Gym in Cumberland, Kentucky.


1951 opened with an appearance at Miami's Rockland Palace on January 7. The ad called Laurie "The New Girl Vocalist Sensation".

The January 20, 1951 Billboard talked about Atlantic's new product:

Atlantic Records is going into the 45 r.p.m. field; label's current pair of hits, Ruth Brown's "Teardrops From My Heart" [sic] and the Joe Morris-Laurie Tate "Anytime, Anyplace, Anywhere", will be the diskery's first doughnut platter releases.

The same month, Atlantic issued "Don't Take Your Love Away From Me", backed by "Stormy Weather". It received Cash Box's "Award O' The Week" on January 27 and was reviewed in the February 17 Billboard:

Don't Take Your Love Away From Me (85): A hard-hitting melody blues is socked home with emotion and meaning by Miss Tate, with apt slow-drag orking by Morris. Could be a big item.

Stormy Weather (76): Thrush note-bends the standard expressively.

But, a couple of months later, said the April 7, 1951 Billboard:

Atlantic Records has changed the title of the Joe Morris-Laurie Tate disking, "Don't Take Your Love From Me" [sic], to "Don't Take Your Love Away" to avoid confusion with a standard tune of the former's title. The disking has been resting comfortably on the best-seller lists. [It rose as high as #3 in its 10 weeks on the Billboard charts.]

On February 2, the band appeared at Danceland in Greensboro, North Carolina. A short while later, they left on a tour of Texas, appearing in Beaumont (February 15), Houston (16), San Antonio (17), Fort Worth (18), Dallas (19), Waco (20), and Paris (21).

The February 17, 1951 Billboard, talking about that tour, told us: "In addition to his girl singer, Laurie Tate, Morris has come up with a boy vocalist, Bob Mitchell, who was discovered by the ex-Hampton sideman and arranger [Morris] in Washington." That's Washington, D.C. and his name was actually Billy "Long Tall" Mitchell; he'd end up joining the Clovers in November 1953. Morris would describe his voice as "a combination of Amos Milburn, Roy Brown, and Frankie Laine."

NOTE: on April 26, 1951, Joe Morris had another session for Atlantic. One of the songs was "If I Had Known", with vocals by Billy Mitchell and the enigmatic Teddy Smith. She never seems to turn up anywhere else, but she definitely had more control over her voice than Laurie Tate did.

On March 11, they were at the Paradise Ballroom in Nashville; on April 8, it was the Arch Tavern in Monessen, Pennsylvania; and on April 15, the Sunset Terrace Ballroom in Indianapolis.

The April 28, 1951 Afro-American had an article about Joe Morris titled "Sweet Music Key To Success":

If you were to ask bandleader Joe Morris to explain the recent phenomenal success of his Blues Cavalcade he'd begin by explaining that "just the right balance between sweet music and jump tunes is the key to the money-making potentialities of a band today."

This genial, ex-Lionel Hampton trumpet star and arranger must know, because the Joe Morris Blues Cavalcade has just finished a successful one-nighter tour.
"Taking regional preferences in mind" says Joe, "we've come to the not so original conclusion that people are the same everywhere.

"The same folks who come to listen to and to dance to my music are the people who buy records.

"If there's any secret to the success of the Blues Cavalcade, it's that we gear our programs to the record popularity and actual sales of records in each town that we appear.

"This may be news to many," continued Morris, "but we've noticed a decided trend to more sweet music lately. When the band gets to some dreamy moody piece like "Tenderly", the reaction of the audience is phenomenal.

"In fact, I've been spending most of my spare time lately making arrangements of the good old ballads for use on our next tour."

The agency and recording firm, for whom the Morris Blues Cavalcade records, are seriously considering trying out a string section with the Morris unit both for backing of Morris' vocalists, Laurie Tate and Bill Mitchell and for straight instrumentals.

Morris' latest Atlantic release is "My Love My Desire" and "Pack Up All Your Rags", featuring vocalist Bill Mitchell.

The ad for the band appearing at the Embassy Club (Hattiesburg, Mississippi) on May 6 said: "Plus Little Laurie Tate And Her Voice". Not that I would go to hear it, but why would she be there without it?

On May 17, they were at the Up-To-Daters Club in Oklahoma City; on June 9, it was the Auditorium in Richmond, California.

In May 1951, Atlantic issued "You're My Darling", coupled with "I Hope You're Satisfied". "Darling" is her least screamy Atlantic side (but not by much). They were reviewed in the July 7 Billboard and the July 21 Cash Box:

You're My Darling (BB; 82); Miss Tate's piercing, high-pitched voice is one of the unusual - and exceedingly effective - instruments in the blues field. Here, she sells a neat, slow blues.

I Hope You're Satisfied (BB; 77): The individualistic Tate pipes are applied to a routine blues item, but she sure gets mileage.

Cash Box (no ratings): Joe Morris and Laurie Tate have another grand record to offer here. Each side is a slow, slow thing with Laurie doing the lyrics in her own wonderful fashion and Joe Morris and the orchestra coming up with a backing that's just right. No op will want to miss this one.

In August, the Morris Band and Joe Turner made another tour of the Southwest. It would play Big Springs, Texas; Hobbs, New Mexico; San Angelo, Lubbock, and Wichita Falls, Texas; Oklahoma City and Lawton, Oklahoma; and finish off in Texas: Dallas, Fort Worth, Houston, Corpus Christi, Beaumont, Austin, Mexia, San Antonio, Galveston, Waco, and Sherman.

On September 9, they were at Gamby's in Washington, D.C.; September 28-October 6, it was the Glass Bar in St. Louis; then Gleason's (Cleveland) through October 13.

Somehow, she managed to get to New York on November 3, 1951 where she married Charlie Branch, Jr. They would have four children: Laverne, Charles III, Calvin, and Ronnie.

No time for a honeymoon; the next day she appeared, with the band, at the Rockland Palace in Miami. Then, it was the Magnolia Ballroom in Atlanta (8) and the Paradise Theater in Detroit (16) for a week.

However, during that week (on November 20, 1951), she somehow had another session for Atlantic Records in New York (possibly backed by the Morris band). The four songs were: "Free Again", "The Way You Look Tonight", "All I Want Is Just To Be With You", and "Sometime, Somewhere, Someday". It's this last one that's interesting, because the headline in the November 24, 1951 Billboard said: "Crawford and Atlantic Settle 'Anytime' Fuss":

NEW YORK, Nov. 17 Atlantic Records and Crawford Music have reached an amicable and out-of-court settlement on the alleged infringement of the diskery's "Any Time, Any Place, Any Where" disk on the pubbery's "Anytime, Anyday, Anywhere" written by Ned Washington, Victor Young and Lee Wiley. Tho actual terms of the settlement were not disclosed, it is known that Atlantic agreed to pay royalties to Crawford on the number of disks sold before the allegedly infringing version was withdrawn plus a considerable lump sum cash payment.

The Atlantic disk was written and recorded by Joe Morris and Laurie Tate. The original version which stirred up the Crawford protest was withdrawn and a new version of the song released. Royalties were paid only on those disks sold prior to the release of the second Tate-Morris disk.

Presumably the "second" disk would have been the recently-recorded "Sometime, Somewhere, Someday", but it was never released. Actually, none of the four songs from the November 20 session was ever issued; possibly Atlantic was mad at her for the money they'd had to pay out for "Anytime". It would be a dozen years before Laurie Tate recorded again.

On December 2, 1951, the band appeared at the Sunset Terrace Ballroom in Indianapolis. On the 27th, they were at the Raleigh (North Carolina) Memorial Auditorium, along with the 5 Keys.

Some 1952 engagements: Virginia Theater - Roanoke (January 13; with the Clovers & Joe Turner); Capitol Theater - Portsmouth, Virginia (January 26); Riverview Ballroom - Milwaukee (February 24; with the Clovers); Circle Theater - Cleveland (February 9, with the 5 Keys & Billy Wright); Dreamland - Omaha (February 28); Flagler Garden - Wichita, Kansas (March 8); Palladium - El Paso (April 5); and Riverside Park - Phoenix (April 10).

In April, Atlantic issued "Can't Stop My Crying", backed with "Rock Me Daddy". This time, they were credited to "Laurie Tate with the Joe Morris Blues Cavalcade". On May 17, the record was Cash Box's "Sleeper Of The Week". It was reviewed in the July 2 issue of Down Beat:

Can't Stop My Crying (4 stars): Laurie wails effectively on an excellent slow blues to an appropriate after-hours Joe Morris band backing, spotting gutty squeak tenor [sax]. Should be a coin catcher.

Rock Me Daddy (2 stars): Rock Me is a routine good rocker which spots a large chunk of honk tenor.

Laurie's name was on the May 28 copyright applications for both songs: "Crying" with Atlantic president, Ahmet Ertegun, and "Daddy" with Joe Morris.

As they were preparing to play the Farm Dell Club (Dayton, Ohio) for the week beginning May 26, 1952 the May 24 Dayton Daily Express had this article:

Little Laurie Tate, nineteen year old Virginian [she was actually 23 1/2] who was discovered by trumpet ace Joe Morris, will climax a sensational rise to stardom when she comes to Farm Dell Nite Club, Monday, May 26 for 7 days with Saturday and Sunday matinee 4-7.

Laurie, who formerly appeared exclusively in her neighborhood churches at song festivals and choir recitals now devotes her time to professional engagements but is still active in church work.

On record with Joe Morris, the ex-Lionel Hampton trumpet ace Laurie created an overnight sensation with her Atlantic recording of "Anytime, Any Place, Anywhere". So unique and unusual is her vocal phrasing, that critics, when they first heard test records of Laurie's arrangement of his tune, declared that her style was so "Different" that it would catch. A fickle public, however, branded them wrong with their overwhelming acceptance of her unique vocalizing. [Since the last two sentences contradict each other, I guess they meant to say "that it wouldn't catch."]

On July 13, the band was back at Miami's Rockland Palace. Sometime between July 26 and August 31, they were on a Chesapeake riverboat cruise. Other acts booked for the cruise series were Charles Brown, the Clovers, Sarah Vaughan, Lynn Hope, Ruth Brown, the Orioles, Hal Singer, the 5 Keys, Ray Charles, the Griffin Brothers, and Danny Cobb. However, nothing said which act would appear when.

October 12, 1952 found them back at the Sunset Terrace Ballroom in Indianapolis, along with Lowell Fulson. On November 3, the two acts played Gleason's (Cleveland) before starting a week at the Sportsman's Club (Louisville). Then, it was the Belmont Club in Toledo. From November 28 through December 11, they, plus the 5 Keys were on a theater tour.

Then, it gets murky.

On December 23, 1952 in NY, Faye Scruggs (the future Faye Adams) recorded with the Morris band for Atlantic. The session included "I'm Goin' To Leave You" and her cute duet with Joe Morris, "That's What Makes My Baby Fat", both of which were advertised in the January 17, 1953 Billboard.

The Morris band spent Christmas Eve 1952 at the Penn Shady Ballroom in Pittsburgh. (Lowell Fulson and the 5 Keys were gone by this time). Laurie, not Faye, was the advertised singer.

The January 10, 1953 Cash Box said: "Joe Morris with Little Laurie Tate playing Flint [Michigan], Toledo, and Youngstown, after a date for Ike Coggs in Milwaukee on the 9th of January. Was she still with Morris or was this old information that hadn't been updated? Also, on January 25, when the band played the Arch Tavern in Monessen, Pennsylvania, her name was prominently in the ad. Whatever the details were, this was the last time she was ever advertised with him.

It's possible that she just wanted to stay home with her daughter, Laverne, who was around a year and a half.

On March 5, 1960, Laurie separated from Charlie Branch; the divorce was finalized on May 22, 1961. The reason given was "willful desertion", but, since there were few grounds for divorce in those days, you shouldn't read anything into that.

The August 11, 1963 Richmond Times-Dispatch talked about a recording called "Nut Sundae". It had been released the prior month on George Donald McGraw's Salem label (from Salem, Virginia). The credit went to the "Fabulous Tempoes, Featuring Laurie Tate". The leader of the Tempoes was Johnny Moore. (No, not that Johnny Moore; no, not that one either.) "Nut Sundae" is an instrumental, with them all yelling "Nut Sundae" every once in a while - since her name is on the label, I guess she's part of the yelling crew. The flip, "Tell Me", is a Laurie Tate solo that's really strident. This was the article, which I have to say is pretty silly:

TWO RICHMONDERS have written and recorded a tune that has met with such success hereabouts that Johnny Moore and Flip Winters are under contract to do another, "Nut Sundae, No. 2", for the Virginia-planted Salem label.

"Nut Sundae" (No. 1) has a simple verse and lyric structure.

The verse consists of a grunt and/or groan in the Prado Perez fashion, and then, for choral effect, The Fabulous Tempos (that's their proper billing) shout in unison, "Nut Sundae!"

That's it; that's all. So much for the vocal gymnastics.

The instrumentation is somewhat more complicated.

There's Johnny Moore's guitar, Flip Winters' trumpet, Doug Tyndall's drums, with Earl Carter playing the electric organ, Laurie Tate does the vocals - when vocals are involved.

The quality of competent musicianship is evident but it appears some effort has been made to disguise it. However, that's not really misleading or dishonest. Most of the rock tunes roll out in that manner to measure up to current teen-age standards.

For certain, you can't argue with success. "Nut Sundae" (No. 1) climbed to the 27th position of the "WEET Sheet," a popularity charting conducted by the radio station here. (It was 29th on the August 5 list.) And the juke box reaction is reported to be good.

What's more, with the demonstrated success of "Nut Sundae" (No. 1) and the anticipated musical glory of "Nut Sundae No. 2", The Fabulous Tempos are committed for a (December) LP. Perhaps the title will be "Assorted Nut Sundaes" or "Nuts To You Every Sundae".

Flipside of "Nut Sundae" (No. 1) spins Laurie Tate singing her own "Tell Me", a sort of torchy, blues theme of traditional rhythm and race extraction. But "Tell Me" has not made the charts yet and must be content to play second fiddle to "Nut Sundae" (No. 1).

The Fabulous Tempos, who often entertain with dance arrangements of such dated standards as "Stardust" at the Willow Oaks, Meadowbrook, Oak Hills and other country clubs, is a versatile group. Just the other night, they voted to work some folk tunes into their performance library. Why? Leader Johnny Moore speaking:
"Hootenanny (the new swinging thing for folk tunes) may kill rock 'n' roll!"

Hooray for Hootenanny!

Nothing more for another seven years, when she had three releases on Elmer Hillard's FAAP label from Richmond. As far as I can tell, they're all from 1970, with the first issued around April.

Please Tell Me (Laurie Tate & The Untouchables) / Worrie [sic] About Me Baby
We Silent Americans (Laurie Tate & Frank Allen) / Moral Reform
Bright And Lighter / Woman Of The World

Notes on the FAAP recordings:

1. "Please Tell Me" is the same song as "Tell Me" on Salem. It's an R&B group sound which could have been released 15 years previously. While the Salem version was her usual screamy sound, this version is the only one of her recordings that I like.

2. "We Silent Americans" and "Moral Reform" - I can't really understand the lyrics of either one.

3. "Bright And Lighter" and "Woman Of The World" are country sounds. It even says "Country" on the label.

The May 10, 1970 Richmond Times-Dispatch said:

"Fabulous" is the stamp of approval Dan Larsen [another FAAP artist] gives another young group in Our Town: Laurie Tate and the Untouchables with their recording of "Worry About Me Baby" and "Please Tell Me".

Never another word about her until Laurie Tate Branch passed away on May 29, 2008. Her obituary, in the June 2 Richmond Times-Dispatch named her children and two sisters (Ann and Vivian), but didn't say a word about Laurie having been a singer.

Sadly, my conclusion is the same as my introduction: I don't care for Laurie Tate's voice at all. And yet, most contemporary accounts had good things to say about her, so maybe I just need a new pair of ears.



ATLANTIC
914 Anytime, Any Place, Anywhere / Come Back Daddy, Daddy - 7/50
923 Stormy Weather / Don't Take Your Love Away From Me* - 1/51
942 I Hope You're Satisfied / You're My Darling - 5/51
      Above three by Joe Morris and His Orchestra featuring Laurie Tate
      * Note: Later copies say "Don't Take Your Love Away"
965 Rock Me Daddy / Can't Stop My Crying - 4/52
      Above by Laurie Tate with the Joe Morris Blues Cavalcade

   ATLANTIC UNRELEASED
      Don't Take Your Love Away From Me (first version; recorded November 18, 1950)
      Too Long Now, It's Too Late (recorded November 18, 1950)
      Free Again (recorded November 20, 1951)
      The Way You Look Tonight (recorded November 20, 1951)
      All I Want Is Just To Be With You (recorded November 20, 1951)
      Sometime, Somewhere, Someday (recorded November 20, 1951)

SALEM (Fabulous Tempoes featuring Laurie Tate)
P-1101 Nut Sundae / Tell Me - ca 7/63

FAAP
VD-7-C3 Please Tell Me (Laurie Tate & The Untouchables) / Worrie [sic] About Me Baby - ca 4/70
VD-7-C4 We Silent Americans (Laurie Tate & Frank Allen) / Moral Reform - 70
VD-7-CO4 Bright And Lighter / Woman Of The World - 70