User:Djbrianpate

DJ Brian Pate was born in Tallahassee, Florida and moved 5 times before his 9th birthday. Once he settled with his family in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, the music bug bit him.

Brian's mother and father met in the marching band while in college and passed along their love of music to their son. Brian used to sit with his father and listen to Beach Boys, Rolling Stones and Chicago albums for hours at a time. Eventually, Brian played trumpet, baritone and sousaphone for his junior high school band which his mother directed.

In 1986, Brian became interested in DJing and began to learn the business from a friend who played many high school dances. His first solo performance with the DJ business was at Socastee High School in Myrtle Beach, where he graduated. During the summer after graduation, Brian began to DJ at Studebakers in Myrtle Beach and spent his summer playing to 500 people per night at the popular vacation night spot. That came to an end as Brian left in the fall of 1987 for his freshman year of college at the University of Oklahoma.

Suffice it to say that Brian and college at the University of Oklahoma didn't work well together. Brian spent his weekends DJing at the world famous Confetti night club in Dallas Alley. At the end of the school year, he decided to return to Myrtle Beach and pursue his education at a smaller local college and continue with his DJ career.

During the next year, The Spanish Galleon, Fat Harold's Beach Club and Crazy Zack's in North Myrtle Beach were on his regular performance schedule in addition to the famous Palladium in the heart of the Myrtle Beach Pavilion.

In August of 1989, Brian made the decision to move to Raleigh, North Carolina to be a ring announcer for World Championship Wrestling and to DJ at Cheers nightclub in Raleigh. Over the next ten years, Brian would be recognized in the DJ industry with many awards and Battle of the DJs championships including the Raleigh Battle of the DJS (1991 and 1993), the Hilton Head Battle of the DJs and the Dixie Dance Kings 1997 North Carolina DJ of the Year. In addition, he was a judge for the International DJ Championships in 1996, 1997, and 1999, and competed for the National DJ Championship in Las Vegas in January of 1998.

During that time, Brian became a popular speaker at DJ conventions including the Night Club and Bar Expo (1995-1999), DJ Times convention (1996 and 1998) and the Winter Music Conference (2001).

After moving to Wake Forest, North Carolina with his wife in 1998, Brian served on the Board of Directors of the Wake Forest Chamber of Commerce (1999-2002), the Wake Forest 4th of July Committee (2000-2007) and the American Cancer Society's Relay For Life (2002-2004, 2006-2008).

He is also currently serving on the Board of Directors of the Wake Forest Chamber of Commerce for a second term ending in 2009.

During his career, Brian has played over 1,000 wedding receptions, over 250 proms and school dances and more than 2,000 shows. In addition to being nominated for many DJ awards, in 2006, the Triangle Business Journal named Brian to their "40 Under 40" award, honoring the top young executives in the Raleigh/Durham area. He was also one of 4 nominees for Wake Forest Citizen of the Year in 2008.

Brian continues to live in the Wake Forest area with his wife and his two daughters. He also continues to be very active in the Wake Forest community, providing a sound system for many local events on a volunteer basis.

On New Years Eve of 2008, Brian is producing the First Light Wake Forest event in Historic Downtown Wake Forest. The event is expecting over 5,000 people and is the first of its kind in Wake Forest.