Giacomo Gates (born September 14, 1950) is an American jazz vocalist.
Career
Gates was born and raised in Connecticut. His father was a classical violinist. He made his public debut as a vocalist at the age of six. Soon after, he picked up guitar. In his youth he listened to jazz stations broadcasting from New York City, learned about jazz from disc jockeys, and played along on guitar. When he was ten, he bought his first jazz album, Time Out by Dave Brubeck. Between radio and his record collection, he listened to many of the biggest names in jazz. He took a particular interest in vocalists, such as Perry Como, Bing Crosby, Sammy Davis Jr., Dean Martin, Frank Sinatra. As he got older, he admired Mose Allison, Cab Calloway, Betty Carter, Babs Gonzales, Al Hibbler, Eddie Jefferson, Lambert, Hendricks & Ross, Carmen McRae, Mark Murphy, Anita O'Day, Louis Prima, Martha Raye, Keely Smith, Sarah Vaughan, and Joe Williams.
After graduating from high school, he went to college but dropped out after a year. He found work on a road crew as a laborer, then drove dump trucks and heavier vehicles like bulldozers. Gates moved to Alaska to work on the Alaska Pipeline, intending to stay only a year but remaining for twelve.