Official Biography (courtesy of Tene’)
There’s a soul stirring beauty in her voice. Undoubtedly, she possesses outward beauty, but it’s Tene’s vocal prowess that paints an undeniable picture of what beautiful really is.
The consummate singer and songwriter, Tene’ is best known from her hit song, “Give Him A Love,” which topped the Billboard charts for four months straight in 1993. That song is still a recurrent at radio and its video is enjoying over 7,000 YouTube hits to this day.
Now taking an active hand in her career, the beautiful Tene’ is President of her record label, Sierra Music Group, joining her trusted adviser Kyle Bynoe, CEO of the label, in charting the course for the resumption of her musical journey. She’ll release her next CD, “Brave,” in the third quarter of 2011, with the lush, moving ballad “Your Love Completes Me” leading the way as the debut single.
A native of Akron, Ohio, where she began her interest in music at the age of 3, Tene’ comes from a musical family. Her mother gently guided her vocal talent and vocal education in a music-filled home, where Tene’ grew up to a backdrop of sounds, from Barbra Streisand and Patti LaBelle to Natalie Cole and Whitney Houston. Outside the home, Tene’ followed the time-honored tradition of most classic singers, by singing in her local church choir. Adding to the familial music mix was her grandmother, Charlena Brown, a gospel music promoter and radio station owner, who is in the Radio Hall of Fame and was known as “The Lady With The Golden Voice.” Rounding out the family ties is Tene’s uncle, R&B vocalist Howard Hewett of vocal group Shalamar fame, with whom she toured for a year as a backup singer.
Tene’ proved her young vocal chops at the world famous Apollo Theater’s Amateur Night, winning not once, but three times, wherein she was offered a deal on their Apollo Records, but as she was only 16, decided to complete her education before taking a big professional step.
Therefore, two weeks after graduating from high school, a teenaged Tene’ moved to New York City to follow her musical road. She was quickly discovered by the former President of Columbia Records, Mickey Eichner, who became her manager. He decided that the beautiful young Tene’ was best suited to be a hip-hop artist and pushed her in that direction, though Tene’ felt an affinity to ballads. Being a neophyte, she went with the flow, as Eichner found her a label home at Pendulum Records, and introduced her to music executive Ruben Rodriguez. “Give Him A Love” was the result, her first big hit, produced by Steve “Silk” Hurley; it topped the Billboard charts and was a club and international smash, earning her appearances on Soul Train, BET’s Teen Summit and Video Soul and on The Box.
But…that wasn’t really Tene’. She stepped back and took a breather, to evaluate her career, her desires, her future and what she really wants. The 2011 Tene’, wiser and even more beautiful, is poised to re-emerge at the top of the charts with her new music, which now represents her in a more personal way.
Tene’s record label, Sierra Music Group, is distributed by Urban Creed/Universal Music and she’s working with some of today’s top producers and writers, compiling her new CD, “Brave.” Tene’ loves songs with substance and emotion and is still a balladeer in her heart. She wants to bring back the diversity of R&B music, with its strong vocals. Her new album will beautifully feature the best of that genre.
Joining the debut single of “Your Love Completes Me” on the CD will be a midtempo duet with her uncle, Howard Hewett, called “That Real R&B;” an uptempo tune called “The Power of a Woman;” and a fun song called “I Like Shoppin.”
Tene’ also serves as a praise and worship leader at her church, and is an author, currently completing her book, entitled “Don’t Do It!,” which is an advice guide for artists, regarding balancing their music and their morals. As an artist, she believes in accountability for how you represent yourself and the message that you convey to the public.
The video for the debut single, “Your Love Completes Me” depicts Tene’ in a car, as the radio plays her first hit song, “Give Him A Love.” Directed by SMG Group, it’s as if Tene’ was never gone from the scene at all. Her talent and beauty still shine through, more radiant than ever, as she finally now travels her musical road and gifts the listening public with ballads that are embellished by her experiences and are filled with her heart. Tene’ will Bring Back The Romance, The Voice, The Look and The Passion.