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Tim & Bob facts for kids
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Tim & Bob
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Tim Kelley (left), Bob Robinson (right)
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| Background information | |
| Also known as | Tim Kelley & Bob Robinson, Funktwons |
| Origin | Peoria, Illinois, U.S. |
| Genres | |
| Occupation(s) | Record producers, songwriters |
| Instruments | Piano, keyboards, acoustic guitar, drums (Tim Kelley) Acoustic guitar, electric guitar, keyboards, Hammond B3 (Bob Robinson) |
| Years active | 1993–2014 (as a duo) 2014–present (as solo artists) |
| Labels |
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| Associated acts | |
| Members | Tim Kelley Bob Robinson |
Tim & Bob (Tim Kelley and Bob Robinson), also known as Funktwons, were a music duo from Peoria, Illinois, in the U.S. They were famous for writing and producing songs. They helped create many hit songs for other artists.
Some of their biggest hits include "Thong Song" by Sisqó, "Slow Down" by Bobby V, and "They Don't Know" by Jon B.. They also worked on "So Into You" by Tamia and "Come See Me" by 112. They even discovered the group 112!
Tim & Bob worked with many famous artists like Boyz II Men, Donell Jones, and Monica. They helped produce their albums. The duo stopped working together in 2014 to start their own solo music careers.
Tim & Bob have won three Grammy Awards and were nominated 12 times.
Contents
How They Started
Tim Kelley grew up in Peoria, Illinois. He loved R&B music because his dad was a musician. His dad played the trumpet and many other instruments. Tim learned to play the trumpet, piano, guitar, drums, and bass when he was just 10 years old. He played music in his school band all the way through college.
Bob Robinson started playing the organ and piano at his church when he was 9. He brought a lot of gospel music knowledge to the duo. Tim and Bob met through a friend at a local mall. They started making music together in Tim's basement, using equipment his mom bought.
They later moved to New Orleans for a year. After that, they went to Chicago and Detroit. In those cities, they started a small music production company with their own studio.
Working with Big Labels
Early Success (1993–1996)
In Atlanta, Tim & Bob met a music producer named Dallas Austin. He signed them to his company, D.A.R.P., and gave them the name "Tim & Bob." They began working with huge artists like TLC, Boyz II Men, Madonna, 112, and Monica. They even helped develop Monica's career.
Tim & Bob won two Grammy Awards during this time. In 1995, they won for Best R&B Album for Boyz II Men's album II. The next year, in 1996, they won the same award for TLC's album CrazySexyCool. This album sold millions of copies!
They produced and wrote five songs on the Boyz II Men album II. This album became the best-selling album ever by an R&B group. After winning these Grammys, they also worked on songs for movies like The Players Club and Nutty Professor II: The Klumps.
New Labels and More Hits (1997–1999)
Tim & Bob moved to Los Angeles. They signed a deal with DreamWorks Records. Soon, they had a number one hit song with Jon B. called "They Don't Know". They also had a top 5 hit with Tamia called "So Into You".
"Thong Song"
In 1999, Tim & Bob produced Sisqó's huge hit song "Thong Song". This song was a massive success! It won Song of the Year Hip Hop/Rhythmic at the 2000 Radio Music Awards. The song reached number 1 in New Zealand and on several Billboard charts in the U.S. It also reached number 3 on the main Billboard Hot 100 chart.
More Chart Toppers (2000–2003)
In 2001, Tim & Bob produced "Missing You" for Case. This was Case's only number one song. They also worked on "Take Care of Home" for Dave Hollister.
In 2003, they worked with the Isley Brothers on their album Body Kiss. They also worked with Earth, Wind And Fire on the song "Hold Me." Both of these projects were nominated for Grammy Awards.
Discovering New Talent (2004–Present)
Tim & Bob discovered Bobby Valentino. They produced his first album, which included the hit songs "Tell Me" and "Slow Down" in 2005. "Slow Down" was number 1 on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart for four weeks!
They continued to work on many other projects. They produced songs for Jennifer Lopez's album Rebirth and Brian McKnight's album Ten. They also worked with artists like Donell Jones, Hilary Duff, Nas, Joe, Musiq Soulchild, Brandy, Usher, and Jamie Foxx.
In 2011, Tim & Bob produced half of Bobby V's album Fly on the Wall. They also worked with Boyz II Men again, producing four songs for their album Twenty.
Special Recognition
Key to the City
On November 18, 2011, the city of Peoria, Illinois honored Tim & Bob. They declared it "Tim & Bob Day" and gave the producers a special ceremonial key to the city. This was a big honor for them in their hometown.
Movie Music
Tim & Bob also created the music for the 2010 film Lottery Ticket. This shows their talent goes beyond just making songs for singers.
Why They Split Up
Tim & Bob decided to stop working together in 2014. Tim Kelley explained that it was a friendly decision. They simply had different ideas about their music style. Tim said that Bob wanted to try making music on his own, and their sounds started to change. They decided it was best to pursue their own creative paths.
After their split, Tim Kelley became the President of Urban Music and Head of A&R for a record label called SoNo Recording Group. He signed and produced albums for artists like Brian McKnight and Bobby V.
Bob Robinson also continued his music career. In 2017, he produced the song "My Man" for Tamar Braxton. This song did very well on the Billboard Adult R&B Songs chart. Both Tim and Bob continue to have successful careers in music.
Discography
Awards and Nominations
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| Wins | 36 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Nominations | 33 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Note
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American Music Awards
The American Music Awards are a yearly awards show that started in 1973.
| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | Boyz ll Men | Favorite Soul/R&B Album | Won |
| Favorite Pop/Rock Album | Nominated | ||
| TLC | Favorite Soul/R&B Album | Nominated | |
| 2001 | Sisqo | Favorite Soul/R&B Album | Nominated |
| 2015 | Chris Brown | Favorite Soul/R&B Album | Nominated |
| Pitch Perfect 2 | Favorite Soundtrack | Won |
Billboard R&B/Hip-Hop Awards
The Billboard R&B/Hip-Hop Awards are given out every December by Billboard magazine.
| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
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| 1998 | Jon B. | Hot R&B Single of the Year | Won |
| 1998 | Jon B. | Hot R&B Single Sales | Won |
| 2000 | Sisqo | R&B/Hip Hop Single of the Year | Won |
| 2001 | Case | R&B/Hip Hop Single of the Year | Won |
| 2005 | Bobby V | R&B/Hip Hop Single of the Year | Won |
Blockbuster Entertainment Awards
| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | Boyz ll Men "II" | Favorite CD | Won |
| Favorite R&B CD | Won | ||
| 2001 | Joe "My Name Is Joe" | Favorite Male Artist R&B CD | Won |
Broadcast Music Inc. Awards
Broadcast Music, Inc. (BMI) is one of the main groups that protects music rights in the U.S. They hold awards shows every year.
| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1993 | Get It Up | TLC | Won |
| 1994 | Vibin | Boyz ll Men | Won |
| 1996 | Come See Me | 112 | Won |
| 1996 | Just Be Good To Me | Deborah Cox | Won |
| 1998 | They Don't Know | Jon B. | Won |
| 1998 | So into You | Tamia | Won |
| 2000 | Thong Song | Sisqo | Won |
| 2001 | Take Care of Home | Dave Hollister | Won |
| 2002 | Missing You | Case | Won |
| 2003 | Into You | Fabolous | Won |
| 2005 | Slow Down | Bobby V | Won |
| 2005 | Tell Me | Bobby V | Won |
| 2006 | Used To Be My Girl | Brian McKnight | Won |
| 2007 | I'm Gonna Be | Donell Jones | Won |
Dove Awards
| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
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| 2007 | Revealed | Deitrick Haddon | Nominated |
Grammy Awards
The Grammy Awards are a very famous annual awards show in the United States.
| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
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| 1994 | II | Best R&B Album | Won |
| 1995 | "CrazySexyCool" | Best R&B Album | Won |
| 1998 | "Tamia" | Best R&B Album | Nominated |
| 2000 | "My Name is Joe" | Best R&B Album | Nominated |
| 2001 | "Thong Song" | Best R&B Song | Nominated |
| "Thong Song" | Best Male R&B Vocal Performance | Nominated | |
| "Unleash The Dragon" | Best R&B Album | Nominated | |
| 2002 | "Missing You" | Best Male R&B Vocal Performance | Nominated |
| 2003 | "Body Kiss" | Best R&B Album | Nominated |
| "Hold Me" | Best Traditional R&B Vocal Performance | Nominated | |
| 2014 | "Three Kings" | Best R&B Album | Nominated |
| 2015 | "X" | Best Urban Contemporary Album | Nominated |
| 2017 | "This Is Acting" | Best Pop Vocal Album | Nominated |
Juno Awards
The Juno Awards are Canada's biggest music awards.
| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
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| 1996 | Deborah Cox | Best R&B/Soul Recording | Won |
| 1999 | Tamia | Best R&B/Soul Recording | Won |
MTV Video Music Awards
The MTV Video Music Awards started in 1984 and celebrate the best music videos.
| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
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| 2000 | Thong Song | Best Hip Hop Video | Won |
| Best Dance Video | Nominated | ||
| Best Viewer's Choice | Nominated | ||
| 2000 | Thong Song (Remix Feat. Foxy Brown) | Best Video From A Film | Nominated |
Music of Black Origin Awards
The Music of Black Origin (MOBO) Awards started in 1995 in the UK. They celebrate artists who make black music.
| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
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| 1998 | They Don't Know | Jon B. | Nominated |
| R&B Single Sales | Nominated | ||
| 2000 | Thong Song | Best Video | Nominated |
NAACP Image Awards
The NAACP Image Awards honor amazing people of color in movies, TV, music, and books.
| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
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| 2001 | Joe/ My Name Is Joe | Outstanding Music Album | Nominated |
| 2002 | Tyrese/ 2000 Watts | Outstanding Hip Hop Artist | Nominated |
Radio Music Awards
The Radio Music Awards were a U.S. awards show that honored the most popular songs on the radio each year.
| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
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| 2000 | Thong Song | Hip Hop/ Rhythmic Song of the Year | Won |
Soul Train Lady of Soul Awards
The Soul Train Lady of Soul Awards started in 1995. They celebrated the best achievements by female performers.
| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
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| 1996 | CrazySexyCool | Best R&B/Soul Album of The Year | Won |
| 1998 | Destiny's Child | Best R&B/Soul Album of The Year | Won |
Soul Train Music Awards
The Soul Train Music Awards honor the best in Black music and entertainment.
| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
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| 1995 | ll | Best R&B/Soul Album | Won |
| 1997 | CrazySexyCool | Best R&B/Soul Album | Won |
| 1998 | They Don't Know | Best Male Single | Nominated |
| 2000 | J.E. Heartbreak | Best R&B Album Group, Band or Duo | Won |
| 2001 | Part lll | Best R&B/Soul Album | Nominated |
| Unleash The Dragon | Favorite Male R&B/Soul Album | Nominated | |
| 2003 | Body Kiss | Best R&B Album | Nominated |
| Body Kiss | Best R&B/Soul Album – Group, Band or Duo | Nominated | |
| 2006 | Slow Down | Best R&B Soul Single | Nominated |
| 2015 | Black Rose | Album Of The Year | Nominated |
| X | Album Of The Year | Nominated |
Equipment Used
- NeKo LX (Gen3)
- Akai Pro MPC Series / MPC X
Images for kids
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Tim Kelley (left), Babyface, and Bob Robinson (right)