Artist description Michigan’s blue chip R&B prospect teka From church choirs to the charts Long before developing a love for R&B music through listening to Keith Sweat, Janet Jackson and Boyz II Men, Timothy Michael Kelley began honing his skills as a singer in the gospel choir at St. Peters Church in his native Mt. Clemens, Michigan. Kelley, who records and performs under the name teka these days, was more into singing than bible study back then. “I just fell in love with it,” he said. “I was a singer, you know? I had this powerful voice as a kid. I actually got into the choir through my grandfather. We always had the same 10 or 11 songs, but they were always good ones. We did songs like ‘Mary Mary’ and ‘Happy Day.’ ” Teka looks back on his days in the church choir positively, which is no surprise when you realize that the up-and-coming R&B singer is one of the most upbeat and optimistic people you’ll encounter. He’s also one of the most thoughtful artists, and this side of teka shines through his earliest solo work - a handful of demos that he wrote, arranged and produced. Among these initial tracks are the urban, funky cut “Keep Yellin,’ ” which features a violin on the hook, a cheap guitar and a “funny-sounding” organ; “What Say You,” which is about proposing marriage; and “Away We Go,” a club song about getting alcoholic “provisions” for an extended weekend of partying. The product of a strict Catholic upbringing, teka was born Nov. 17, 1972 in Mt. Clemens, a small Detroit suburb. Mother Renee worked in medical transcription and was an amazing cook, while father Paul was a production manager at a welding shop. The whole family, which also includes older brother Pete and younger twin siblings Kevin and Colleen, was musically inclined. The Kelley parents set rules to keep their children out of trouble, something teka appreciates to this day. “They might chew you out, but they’re always there,” said teka, who grew up in a middle class setting. “I love my parents.” Teka found another love when he began singing in the church choir at 13. He enjoyed the choir’s camaraderie and the overwhelmingly awesome feeling singing gave him. He started listening to the R&B-contemporary Christian group Take 6 in the late ’80s while attending L’Anse Creuse Central High School. While in high school, teka played lacrosse, ran track and was the only male member of the school choir.

Music Style R&B/Urban/Soul

Musical Influences Mainstream R&B/ HipiHop

Similar Artists R Kelly/Sisqo/Take6/ with a littlebit of H-Town,and some Music Soulchild

Location Detroit, Michigan - USA

Copyright notice. All material on MP3.com is protected by copyright law and by international treaties. You may download this material and make reasonable number of copies of this material only for your own personal use. You may not otherwise reproduce, distribute, publicly perform, publicly display, or create derivative works of this material, unless authorized by the appropriate copyright owner(s).