Soulstress Teri Tobin is reminiscent of the sultry sounds and richness of R&B and Jazz singers of yesterday. Her influences are male singers like Stevie Wonder, Luther Vandross, Marvin Gaye, Prince, and Donny Hathaway. Tobin punctuates each line with heart and soul, speaking to every generation with each melodic phrase. Born in Mesa, Arizona and raised in Southern California, Tobin has been cooing in key since coming out of the womb. As with many of the soul greats she admires, from Donny Hathaway to Marvin Gaye, Tobin’s training and early performances began standing flatfoot in front of the pews and belting past the church steeple. A comfortable alto with lilting soprano notes, the young Tobin experienced her first studio session as a child with R&B legend Jeffery Osborne. A teenage Tobin was later recruited in high school to be a part of an R&B and hip-hop soul act, Simpli R.A.W., who despite getting signed, fell prey to unscrupulous industry practices. Undaunted, after graduating from high school and a brief ATL move, Tobin had been promised a solo deal that never materialized, before finally landing at Howard University during a particularly charmed period in Washington, DC. Training in classical voice at the famed historically black college, Tobin was present for a storied time that boasted such artists as Shai, Sy Smith, and Eric Roberson as program peers and performing partners. A member of HU’s famed Chorale, Tobin shared stages with Patti Labelle and Luther Vandross, and was part of history when the Chorale performed with icons like Diana Ross at President Clinton’s Inaugural Gala on the National Mall. Further getting her feet wet by gigging at landmark spots like Takoma Station and Old Glory, Tobin was the first artist to perform at Georgia Brown’s, which has since become a DC music staple. Moves to Atlanta and back to Cali followed, resulting in session and background work with Joe, Mica Paris, Chico Debarge, and Chante Moore. Young and gifted, Tobin was a working artist making an industry name while actively writing the early songs with Debbie Nelson, cuts that would eventually find a home on Tobin’s debut, Love Infinity, but not for another decade. Life had more writing material for Tobin.
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