Tebey facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Tebey
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Tebey Solomon Ottoh |
| Born | October 14, 1983 Peterborough, Ontario, Canada |
| Origin | Burlington, Ontario, Canada |
| Genres | Country, pop |
| Occupation(s) | Singer-songwriter |
| Years active | 2002–present |
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Tebey Solomon Ottoh (born October 14, 1983), known simply as Tebey, is a Canadian-American country music singer and a talented songwriter for many different music styles. He is famous for his own country hits and for writing popular songs for other artists.
Tebey's first single, "We Shook Hands (Man to Man)," was a hit on the American country music charts. In Canada, he has had seven songs reach the top ten, including the number one hit "Who's Gonna Love You" in 2018.
Contents
From Young Singer to Nashville Star
Tebey started singing in church when he was only five years old. He soon began performing at local events. He was so good that he won the Canadian Open Country Singing Contest four times in different age groups.
When he was 15, a major record label in Nashville, Tennessee, the center of country music, offered him a contract to help develop his talent. He and his father, an electronics engineer, moved to Nashville. His mother and siblings stayed in their family home in Burlington, Ontario.
After a few years, Tebey and his father returned to Canada. He played football in high school, but his music career was just getting started. In 2000, he signed a deal with BNA Records as a singer and with Warner Chappell Music as a professional songwriter.
Music Career
Early Success
In 2002, Tebey released his song "We Shook Hands (Man to Man)," which became a hit on country radio in both the United States and Canada. His success earned him a nomination for a 2004 Canadian Radio Music Award for Best New Country Artist.
Becoming a Hit Songwriter
After his early success as a singer, Tebey focused on writing songs for other musicians in different genres, not just country. He co-wrote the number one hit "Run" for Rex Goudie and the number one pop song "Let's Go" for Shawn Desman. He also wrote songs for Canadian Idol winner Melissa O'Neil and the famous country duo Big & Rich.
Return as a Country Artist
Tebey later returned to making his own country music and released several hit singles in Canada. His songs "Somewhere In The Country" and "Till It's Gone" were both top 10 hits. In 2014, his country version of the song "Wake Me Up" was a huge success. It reached number 5 on the Canadian country charts and was certified Gold in Canada for its high sales.
In 2018, he released the popular song "Denim on Denim" from his EP Love a Girl. In 2019, Tebey started his own record label called Jayward Artist Group. He released his third album, The Good Ones, in 2021. This album included hit singles like "Good Jeans" and "Happened on a Saturday Night".
More recently, Tebey released the single "What Was I Drinking" in 2022. In 2024, he released a country version of The Weeknd's famous song "Blinding Lights".
Writing Songs for Pop Stars
Tebey is a songwriter for BMG Music Publishing and has written songs for some of the biggest names in pop music. Artists like One Direction, Flo Rida, Fifth Harmony, and Cher have all recorded songs written by him.
In 2011, a song he co-wrote for British singer Pixie Lott, called "All About Tonight", went to number one in the United Kingdom. It was even nominated for Single of The Year at the 2012 Brit Awards.
For the band One Direction, Tebey co-wrote the songs "They Don't Know About Us" and "Loved You First" for their hit album Take Me Home.
Discography
Here are the studio albums and extended plays (EPs) released by Tebey.
Studio Albums
| Title | Details |
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| The Wait |
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| Two |
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| The Good Ones |
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Extended Plays
| Title | Details |
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| Old School |
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| Love a Girl |
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Awards and Recognition
Tebey has been recognized for his talent with many awards and nominations throughout his career. He has been nominated multiple times by the Canadian Country Music Association (CCMA) for awards like Rising Star, Album of the Year, and Male Artist of the Year.
He has also won several awards from the Country Music Association of Ontario, including Single of the Year in 2022 for his song "Shotgun Rider." In 2024, the CCMA awarded him for the Innovative Campaign of the Year for his country version of "Blinding Lights."
