Cutting Room Jams: Greg "Ironman" Tate
Michael Gonzales helps introduce a collection of the late writer's work for Musician magazine.
Earlier this spring, I picked up a collection of back issues of Musician magazine from a person I found on Craigslist. Musician was a favorite of mine growing up and the person, who lived in San Rafael, gave them away for free. Most of the issues were published in the early 80s and included cover stories on Prince, Miles Davis, Joni Mitchell and others.
Fast forward to October 16, when I caught a post by Michael Gonzales on Twitter/X celebrating the late Greg Tate’s birthday.
Tate, who passed away on December 7, 2021, was a major Black cultural critic and musician who wrote for the Village Voice and other publications from the early 80s onward. His 1992 collection of essays, Flyboy in the Buttermilk, is considered a foundational work by critics and journalists, including myself. He’s also remembered for co-founding the Black Rock Coalition, an advocacy group that promotes Black musicians’ and combats racial stereotypes and industry segregation affecting their work.
As a protégé of Tate, …