Tebey, London

Tebey biography

Tebey Solomon Ottoh (born ca. 1983 on Peterborough, Ontario) is a Canadian country music singer and multi-genre songwriter. He started singing in church at the age of five, spreading his wings to sing at local events. In 1990 and again in 1994, he won the 14-and-under male division of the Canadian Open Country Singing Contest, and in 1996 and 1998, the 18-and-under male division. At 15, he signed a development deal with a major Nashville record label and moved to that city with his father, a Nigerian-born electronics engineer, with his mother and siblings staying back at their family home in Burlington, Ontario. After two years with very little movement, they returned to Burlington. Ottoh's success in high school football there drew the attention of American college recruiters, but his Nashville career took a belated turn as a friend successfully talked him up in the industry. Ottoh was signed to BNA Records as a singer and Warner Chappel Music as a staff songwriter, and signed fellow Canadian Bruce Allen as his manager. Allen put Ottoh together with a fellow client, record producer Bob Rock. Working towards his first album, Ottoh both wrote for himself and collaborated with songwriters Annie Roboff, Bob DiPiero, Jim Collins, Naoise Sheridan and Rory Bourke. In 2002 and 2003, as Tebey, his performance of "We Shook Hands (Man to Man)" became a charted country radio hit in the United States and Canada. Tebey was the subject of a segment on CBC Radio's Sounds Like Canada, and nominated for a 2004 Canadian Radio Music Award for Best New Group or Solo Artist (Country), against Damian Marshall, Deric Ruttan, Heather Dawn and Jason Blaine. Nonetheless, Ottoh and his label quietly parted ways, and no Tebey album or single appears to have been released to retail channels in either Canada or the United States. Returning to Canada, Ottoh became a professional songwriter in popular music outside of country. Artists for whom he has written include Rex Goudie (including co-writing "Run"), Shawn Desman (including co-writing "Let's Go"), Melissa O'Neil and Cory Lee. Tebey also has a co-penned song on the upcoming Big & Rich record (Warner Bros Nashville) scheduled for release in June. Tebey has recently shot the video for his first pop singled entitled "Damned If I". The single will be released in Canada in May, and plans are being made for a European release later in 2007.

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