[1] Born in Bramley, Leeds, Yorkshire, England,[1] Tate played violin from the age of eight, and was later an autodidact on clarinet and saxophone.
[2] He formed his own group, the Five Quavers, while in high school, and played in the RAF Silver Wings Dance Orchestra during World War II.
[1] The ensemble proved so cohesive that all twelve of its members decided to continue playing together after the war, under the name Phil Tate & His Orchestra, taking a residency at Leas Cliff Hall in Folkestone.
After appearing in the 1951 film Green Grow the Rushes, they took their next residency at the Hammersmith Palais and signed to Oriole Records.
[1][2] He disbanded his orchestra in 1967, and ran Mecca Agencies in addition to his duties with Miss World, where he remained until his retirement in 1992.