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Tebey (born October 14, 1983 as Tebey Solomon Ottoh) is a Canadian country music singer and multi-genre songwriter. His only chart hit to date is 2003's "We Shook Hands (Man to Man)", a #47 hit on the Billboard Hot Country Songs charts and a Top 5 single on the Canadian country music charts. He has composed several singles for other artists, in addition to releasing singles of his own.
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.
Returning to Canada, Ottoh became a professional songwriter in popular music outside of country. Artists for whom he has written include Sony BMG recording artist Rex Goudie (including co-writing the #1 Hot AC single "Run"), Shawn Desman (including co-writing his #1 pop/r&b single "Let's Go"), 2006 Canadian Idol winner Melissa O'Neil, Open Road/Universal country Tara Oram and On Ramp/EMI artist Brad Johner. Tebey also has a co-penned song on Big & Rich's million selling album Between Raising Hell and Amazing Grace" platinum.
In 2007 Tebey signed a worldwide co-publishing deal with Ole Media Management. He subsequently then moved to Nashville, Tennessee where he currently resides. In 2008 Tebey has found himself traveling quite frequently to Stockholm Sweden, and Los Angeles to write for projects outside of the country music genre. His recent co-writers include production team The Runners (Chris Brown/Danity Kane), Fancci Richard (Jojo, Keysha Cole), Location Songs (Celine Dion, Westlife, Lindsay Lohan), Kristian Lundin (Backstreet Boys, Celine Dion, NSYNC) & Lonny Bereal (Beyonce, Jamie Foxx).
In 2009 Tebey co-wrote the Teairra Mari single featuring FLO RIDA called "Cause A Scene". The music video was shot in Las Vegas on April 7. The album was released by Fo'Reel Ent/Warner Bros that summer. On September 11, 2011 Tebey scored his first-ever UK #1 single as a songwriter when his song "All About Tonight", recorded by Pixie Lott (Mercury Records), debuted at #1 with over 88,000 copies sold. On September 18 the song also topped the official UK Radio Airplay Chart, surpassing Maroon 5's "Moves Like Jagger".
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