Career
In recent years, Cates has worked in a commercially successful songwriting team with Lindy Robbins and Emanuel Kiriakou. In its 2008 "Roundup," American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers characterized the trio as "award-winning, multi-platinum selling songwriters." Other artists who have recorded his songs include Kevin Paige, Jordin Sparks, Britt Nicole, The Jonas Brothers, LaFollette Rimes, Clay Aiken, Kimberley Locke, The Afters, Bo Bice, JC Chasez, Taylor Hicks, plus international artists including Australian Idols Shannon Noll and Dean Geyer, Canadian Idols Melissa O’Neil and Ryan Malcolm, Germany’s Stanfour and Tobias Regner, and Latin superstar David Bisbal. While in Nashville, Cates earned recognition for cuts with platinum and gold artists Bebo Norman, Plus One, Avalon, and Rebecca Saint James.
Three of those songs garnered a #1 slot on the CCM Radio chart.
Cates wrote five songs for Nick Lachey’s gold album “What’s Left Of Maine,” including the first two singles, the title track and In 2002, Cates was recognized by American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers for cowriting "I Don"t Want To Go," one of the year"s most frequently performed Christian songs.
In 2008 he co-wrote David Archuleta"s debut single, "Crush". Ben Ratliff of The New York Times wrote that it was one of the "few dollops of good writing" on Archuleta"s debut album.
