Sand Rock native Pate sets 'clean comedy show' in Centre

Comedian/author/professor John Pate, who was reared in Sand Rock and is a graduate of Sand Rock High School, returns to Cherokee County for a Saturday evening "clean comedy show."

The 6:30 pm event will be staged at the Recreational Outreach Center, located at 300 East Chesnut 411 Bypass at the intersection with Alabama Highway 9.

Nationally syndicated radio comedy host Rich Natole will join Pate for the show.

Tickets are available at the Leesburg Country Store, the ROC, the Chamber of Commerce office and attorney Al Shumaker's office. Tickets are $10 in advance and $15 at the door.

The show is hosted by the Centre Lions Club. The club and Pate/Natole will share proceeds 50/50.

The Lions Club will use its share to provide eye exams and eyeglasses for students and adults. Pate and Natole will use their share to help pay for production costs of the film they have made.

Pate and Natole wrote the screenplay for "Faith Wins,” a story of a gentleman who goes from rags to riches and back again. Pate wrote the lyrics for the theme song; he and Nashville musical artist Jenny Tolman collaborated on the musical score.

Filming was done in California and was completed two weeks ago. Editing is underway in Atlanta, and music will soon be added. Pate said the film should be ready for preview showings by early May.

While in California, Pate worked for several years with the late Red Skelton. He also entertained on several cruise ships and at corporate seminars and retreats.

Pate and Natole both have frequently entertained audiences in Las Vegas.

While working in the entertainment business, Pate served several years as the head of the department of communications at California Baptist University in Riverside. While at CBU, Pate and his wife, Sarah, adopted three children from South America.

The Pates' church had an annual summer project to bring foster or orphaned children from South America with the hope that the children could get adopted. One summer all but a family of three children were adopted. Pate and his wife decided that they could not let the three children be the only children left to return to South America, so they signed on for adoption. They bought a bigger house and helped the children with their education.

The children are now out of college and working. John even wrote a book that helped pay for the children's college.

After retiring from CBU, the Pates moved to Ooltewah, Tennessee. That move pleased John's three Alabama siblings, since visits now are only a few hours away, instead of almost a whole day of flying.

This article originally appeared on The Gadsden Times: Clean comedy show planned in Cherokee County