(Kevin Winter/Getty Images)Singer Cinjun Tate of Remy Zero performs at a private party in 2001.
The new season of Project Runway All Stars premieres tonight with Alyssa Milano returning for her fifth season of the hit design competition series. Season 7 will be the show’s last and will feature seven former Project Runway U.S. winners and seven winners from international series as well. Along with Milano, Isaac Mizrahi and Georgina Chapman return to their regular judge seats.
Milano’s ex-husband is Cinjun Tate, a songwriter, and alternative rock vocalist and guitarist. Here’s everything you need to know about Tate’s career and relationship with Milano.
1. Tate Was the Singer for the Band Remy Zero
(Kevin Winter/Getty Images)Remy Zero at a private party for the UPN in 2001.
Before Tate’s band had even released a full-length album, Radiohead found their demo tape and invited them to be part of the U.S. tour for their album The Bends. That opportunity launched them into the spotlight and got the attention of Geffen Records. Shortly after, the band, comprised of Tate (vocals, guitar), Shelby Tate (guitar, keyboards, vocals), Cedric LeMoyne (bass), Jeffrey Cain (guitar, vocals), and Gregory Slay (drums, percussion), headed to Los Angeles to record their self-titled debut album.
The band produced three albums between 1989 and 2003, and an additional EP in 2010. Though their first album received little attention from the mainstream or otherwise, their second release, Villa Elaine, was better received and helped them build buzz inside the industry.
It was 20 years ago today…
The band broke up following the release of its third record, The Golden Hum, but rejoined in 2010 as a tribute to Slay who passed away from complications related to cystic fibrosis.
2. Tate’s Band Was Best Known for Their Single and Smallville Theme Song “Save Me”
The band’s most well-known track, “Save Me,” was chosen as the theme song for the WB/CW’s Smallville. The show follows a young Clark Kent before he becomes Superman and aired for 10 seasons before ending its run in 2011. In 2002, the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) honored composer Mark Snow and Remy Zero for their contributions to the series.
That wasn’t the only time the band’s music appeared on TV or film. The song “Shattered” was used in the movies Crazy/Beautiful and Suicide Kings; “Fair” was used in Garden State and Fanboys; “Prophecy” was used in She’s All That and The Last Kiss; “Gramarye” was used in Stigmata; and “Temenos (Here Come The Shakes)” was used in The Chamber. Additionally, “Perfect Memory” was used in the last episode of Smallville‘s first season.
3. After Remy Zero Dismantled, Tate and the Other Band Members Joined New Projects
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Brothers Cinjun and Shelby Tate started a new band called Spartan Fidelity, a name derived from the name of an Alabama insurance company. The project produced one album, 2004’s Excava-11, which was originally thought to be the first part of a three-part series. Regardless, a date for a second album still remains to be seen.
To bridge the gap, the band released singles and EPs that were only available on the band’s website and originally intended for the follow-up record, Excava-22. The Tate brothers also released a song that was part of a side project with the Yoshida Brothers.
As for the other members of Remy Zero, Jeffrey Cain joined Isidore and later created Dead Snares; Cedric LeMoyne toured with Alanis Morissette’s band before joining O+S. Gregory Slay created Sleepwell before his untimely death.
4. Marriage to Alyssa Milano
In 1999, Tate married actress Alyssa Milano at a bed and breakfast in Louisiana. The details remained private, but the ceremony was attended by family and friends, including the bride’s fellow Charmed cast members, Shannon Doherty and Holly Marie Combs, reported the Associated Press. In early 2000, just 10 months later, the couple separated and divorced, citing irreconcilable differences.
Nine years after their split, Milano married Hollywood agent David Bugliari at Bugliari’s family home in New Jersey. The two now have two kids, son, Milo, and daughter, Elizabella.
Tate, 48, was last reported to be single.
5. Remy Zero Reunited in 2010 and Proceeds Went to Their Deceased Drummer’s Family
In 2010, Tate’s band played its first show in eight years as a tribute to drummer Slay. The show was played in New Orleans, the city he was born. According to a press release, “the band decided to reunite for several more one-off shows to further share the spirit of Gregory Slay and his love of performing.” Proceeds from the shows and recordings of previously unreleased songs went to benefit the Honeymoon Trust set up for Slay’s wife, Tiana Krahn-Slay, and their daughter, Honeymoon.
“The act of performing was very important to Gregory. It is the way we will always communicate with each other. Anytime we play those songs, he’s in the room,” said lead guitarist Jeffrey Cain.
The band hand-selected Portland, Seattle, San Francisco, and Los Angeles as dates for its 2010 tour, as those were the last cities Gregory toured with O+S. The band confirmed on Twitter that the tour would be the very last from Remy Zero.