Big Hopes is the third studio album recorded by country music artist Ty Herndon. It features the singles "A Man Holding On (To a Woman Lettin' Go)", "It Must Be Love", and "Hands of a Working Man". These songs peaked at #5, #1, and #5, respectively, on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks (now Hot Country Songs) charts. "It Must Be Love" was his third and final Number One on the country charts, while "Hands of a Working Man" was his last Top Ten.

Doug Virden and Drew Womack, then members of Sons of the Desert, serve as backing vocalists on other tracks, as they did on Herndon's previous album Living in a Moment. Blue Miller, formerly of Bob Seger's Silver Bullet Band and later of the Gibson/Miller Band, also provides background vocals.

Thom Owens of Allmusic rated the album three stars out of five, saying that it "comes as close to MOR rock and pop as it does to country."^[1]

Track listing[link]

1. "Big Hopes" (Walt Wilkins) – 3:46
2. "It Must Be Love" (Craig Bickhardt, Jack Sundrud) – 3:31
3. "A Man Holdin' On (To a Woman Lettin' Go)" (Bobby Taylor, Gene Dobbins, John Ramey) – 3:36
4. "Big Time Dreamer" (Gary Burr, Victoria Shaw) – 3:51
5. "Thinkin' with My Heart Again" (Donny Kees, Sanger D. Shafer, Dean Dillon) – 3:08
6. "Somewhere a Lover" (Tim Ryan Rouillier, Alex Harvey) – 3:40
7. "Hands of a Working Man" (D. Vincent Williams, Jim Collins) – 3:47
8. "How Much Can One Man Love You" (Burr, Bob DiPiero) – 3:41
9. "The Only Way I Know" (Burr, Mike Reid) – 4:17
10. "No Brakes" (Pat Bunch, Shane Teeters) – 2:46
11. "Tears in God's Eyes" (Skip Ewing, Kim Williams, Kent Blazy) – 4:36

Personnel[link]

Compiled from liner notes.^[2]

Byron Gallimore-produced tracks (1, 3-7)[link]

• Larry Byrom – electric guitar
• Steven Conn – accordion
• Dan Dugmore – steel guitar
• Sonny Garrish – steel guitar
• Aubrey Haynie – fiddle
• Jeff King – acoustic guitar
• B. James Lowry – acoustic guitar
• Brent Mason – electric guitar
• Terry McMillan – percussion
• Steve Nathan – keyboards
• Tom Roady – percussion
• D. Vincent Williams – background vocals
• Lonnie Wilson – drums
• Glenn Worf – bass guitar
• Curtis Wright – background vocals
• Curtis Young – background vocals

Doug Johnson-produced tracks (2, 8-11)[link]

• Joe Chemay – bass guitar
• Larry Franklin – fiddle
• Paul Franklin – steel guitar
• Steve Gibson – electric guitar
• John Hobbs – keyboards
• Dann Huff – electric guitar
• Mike Jones – background vocals
• Paul Leim – drums
• Patty Loveless – background vocals
• Blue Miller – background vocals
• Wendell Mobley – background vocals
• Steve Nathan – keyboards
• Tom Roady – percussion
• Brent Rowan – electric guitar
• Doug Virden – background vocals
• Biff Watson – acoustic guitar
• Drew Womack – background vocals

Chart performance[link]

References[link]

Ty Herndon
Background information
Birth name	Boyd Tyrone Herndon[1]
Born	(1962-05-02) May 2, 1962 (age 50), Meridian, Mississippi, USA[2]
Origin	Butler, Alabama, USA
Genres	Country
Occupations	Singer
Instruments	Vocals
Years active	1995–present
Labels	Epic, Riviera, Titan/Pyramid, FUNL Music, Inc.
Associated acts	Stephanie Bentley
Website	TyHerndon.com

Boyd Tyrone "Ty" Herndon (born May 2, 1962) is an American country music singer. Signed to Epic Records in 1995, Herndon made his debut that year with the Number One single "What Mattered Most", followed by the release of his first album, also entitled What Mattered Most. This album was followed one year later by Living in a Moment, which produced his second Number One country hit in its title track.

Herndon released three more albums for Epic — Big Hopes (1998), Steam (1999), and This Is Ty Herndon: Greatest Hits (2000). He recorded a Christmas album in 2002 for the Riviera label, followed by his fifth studio album (2007's Right About Now) and a second Christmas compilation for the Titan Pyramid label. Herndon's autobiographical 2010 album release "Journey On" under the FUNL Music record label earned him his first Grammy Nomination and Dove Award. His next Country studio album is due early 2012, with the first single "Stones" releasing in November 2011. The single debuted on PlayMPE as the most downloaded and streamed single on Nov. 3, 2011.

Herndon has charted a total of 17 singles on the Billboard Hot Country Songs charts. This figure includes three Number ones — "What Mattered Most," "Living in a Moment" and "It Must Be Love" — and four additional Top Ten hits: "I Want My Goodbye Back," "Loved Too Much," "A Man Holding On (To a Woman Letting Go)" and "Hands of a Working Man."

Biography[link]

Boyd Tyrone Herndon was born in Meridian, Mississippi, but raised in Butler, Alabama.^[2] He became involved in music as a teenager, playing the piano and singing Gospel music. Shortly after graduating from Austin High School in Decatur, Alabama, Herndon moved to Nashville to pursue a career in music. This did not prove to be easy, however, and after 10 years, he moved to Texas. He gained a loyal following on the Texas honkytonk circuit and, in 1993, Herndon won Texas Entertainer of the Year. Later that year, Herndon was signed to Epic Records.

[edit] 1995-1996: What Mattered Most

Herndon made his chart debut in early 1995 with "What Mattered Most", which went to number on the Hot Country Singles & Tracks charts. This song served as the title track to his debut album, which was released in April 1995 and became a top 10 country album. The song was added to the playlists of 133 stations on the Billboard survey in its first week, breaking a record set by Tracy Lawrence for the most additions to country playlists in one week.^[3] The album itself debuted at number 15 on Top Country Albums and number 1 on Top Heatseekers, the highest debut for a country artist since Billy Ray Cyrus' Some Gave All in 1992.^[4] In addition, it had the biggest first-week shipment in the history of Epic Records's Nashville division.^[5]

"I Want My Goodbye Back," the album's second single, peaked at number 7 on country. Its b-side, a duet with Stephanie Bentley titled "Heart Half Empty," peaked at number 21 in early 1996; follow-up "In Your Face" spent only two weeks on the charts and peaked at number 63.^[1] What Mattered Most was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for shipments of 500,000 copies.

In July 1995, Herndon was arrested in Fort Worth, Texas, at Gateway Park by an undercover male police officer who alleged that Herndon exposed himself. When taken into custody, he was also discovered to be in possession of methamphetamine. A plea bargain saw the singer sentenced to community service and drug rehabilitation, and the charge of indecent exposure was dropped.^[2][6]

[edit] Living in a Moment, Big Hopes and Steam

Herndon's second album, Living in a Moment debuted at #6 on the Top Country Albums charts.^[2] The album's leadoff single, which was its title track, also reached Number One on the country charts. His next three singles all reached their peaks in 1997: "She Wants to Be Wanted Again" at #21, "Loved Too Much" at #2 and "I Have to Surrender" at #17.^[1]

Big Hopes, his third album, followed in 1998. The leadoff single, "A Man Holding On (To a Woman Letting Go)" reached Top 5, while the follow-up single "It Must Be Love" (featuring backing vocals from Doug Virden and Drew Womack, then members of Sons of the Desert) gave Herndon his third and final #1. The third single, "Hands of a Working Man," becoming his last Top 5.

In 1999, his fourth studio album, Steam, was released. The first single, the title track, was a Top 20 hit but did not see the same success as Herndon's other lead singles from his first three albums. "No Mercy" was released next in 2000 and peaked at #26, while two more singles from the album both failed to make Top 40.

Personal issues[link]

By 2000, Herndon was no longer being played on radio and by 2002 he had stopped touring. Thus began both a professional and personal downward slide that included a divorce from his second wife, bankruptcy, a weight gain of 75 pounds,^[7] a mugging in Los Angeles by three men at gunpoint,^[8] a lawsuit from a California dentist claiming that Herndon had not paid for emergency dental work^[9] and another lawsuit from a former manager for breach of contract.^[10] In 2004, he entered a drug and alcohol rehabilitation facility for the second time.^[7]

Departure from Epic Records[link]

In 2002, a new single titled "Heather's Wall" was released, peaking at #37 on the country charts. Although it was his highest charting single since "No Mercy" in 2000, its poor chart performance forced Herndon and his record executives to shelve the newly recorded album for which "Heather's Wall" would have served as lead single. Instead, Herndon put out a Greatest Hits compilation titled This Is Ty Herndon: Greatest Hits. "A Few Short Years" was the only new track released from that album, and after it failed to enter Top 40, Herndon exited Epic's roster.

Herndon released a Christmas album, A Not So Silent Night, in 2002 through his fan club and official website. In 2003 the Christmas album was repackaged with additional content and released on the independent label Riviera/Liquid8 Records.^[2] Herndon was then signed to Titan Pyramid Records in 2006. On January 9, 2007, his album Right About Now was released^[2] — his first full studio album since 1999's Steam. Right About Now's title track was the first single released. However, both it and the followup, "Mighty Mighty Love" (previously recorded by Lila McCann), failed to reach the country charts. A second Christmas album followed later in 2007.

Philanthropy[link]

Herndon has raised money for the Make-A-Wish Foundation, St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital, the Special Olympics and the Drug Abuse Resistance Education program.^[11] He has also been involved with equine therapy for children. Currently, Ty is a National Spokesman for CVS pharmacy's ALS fundraising campaign. Ty was on hand to present the $4.5 million check from 2011's campaign, to the ALS Therapy Alliance, at Fenway Park on Sept. 1, 2011. Ty also sang the National Anthem before the Red Sox v. Yankees game that day.

Current projects[link]

On June 8, 2010, Herndon released an album of self-penned Contemporary Christian songs called Journey On under the FUNL Music label. The music video for the title track documents the battle of former National Football League player Kevin Turner with Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Herndon is finalizing a country music CD, tentatively titled, Love Wins. The first single, "Stones" from the new project has been released to radio and debuted as both the Number 1 download and Number 1 stream on PlayMPE on Nov. 3, 2011.

Herndon received a Grammy award nomination in the Best Southern, Country or Bluegrass Gospel Album category for Journey On. The award went to Diamond Rio for The Reason. Herndon received a Dove award in 2010 for Best Bluegrass Recorded Song for When We Fly.

Discography[link]

Studio albums[link]

Compilation albums[link]

Holiday albums[link]

Singles[link]

1990-2000[link]

2001-2010[link]

2011-present[link]

Other charted songs[link]

Music videos[link]

References[link]

External links[link]

• Ty Herndon Official Website

The group Signal (from left to right): Frank Bretschneider (Komet), Carsten Nicolai (Noto) and Olaf Bender (Byetone), playing live at MUTEK 2004

Frank Bretschneider (born 1956) is a German electronic musician. He works primarily with sine waves and white noise as his source material. He also releases material under the name Komet.

Bretschneider was born and raised in Karl-Marx-Stadt (now Chemnitz) in the German Democratic Republic (East Germany). In 1984, inspired by science fiction radio plays and films, he began experimenting with tape machines, synthesizers, and modified guitars. In 1986 he formed the band AG. Geige (German: work group violin), which was influenced by the Dada art movement, The Residents, and Soviet science fiction. AG. Geige disbanded in 1992.

In 1995, Bretschneider and fellow AG. Geige band member Olaf Bender founded the Rastermusic record label. In 1999 this label merged with Carsten Nicolai's Noton label, to become Raster-Noton. Bretschneider has released material on record labels such as 12k, Raster-Noton, Mille Plateaux, Fällt and Bip Hop.

External links[link]

• Frank Bretschneider's homepage (in English)
• Raster-Noton homepage
• Frank Bretschneider discography
• AG. Geige (in German)
• Live at CTM Festival in Berlin

Jim Parsons
Parsons at Comic Con in 2009
Born	James Joseph Parsons (1973-03-24) March 24, 1973 (age 39) Houston, Texas, U.S.
Alma mater	University of Houston (BA) University of San Diego (MA)
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1994–present

James Joseph "Jim" Parsons (born March 24, 1973) is an American television and film actor. He is best known for playing Sheldon Cooper on the CBS sitcom The Big Bang Theory, with his performance often cited as a significant reason for the program's success.^[1][2][3] He has received several awards for his performance, including the Television Critics Association award for the highest individual achievements in comedy,^[4] the National Association of Broadcasters Television Chairman's Award for a significant breakthrough in a specific art discipline,^[5] two consecutive Emmy Awards for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series^[6] and the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a Television Series Musical or Comedy.

Early life[link]

Parsons was born and raised in Houston, Texas, the older of two children.^[7] After playing the role of the Kola-Kola bird in a school production of The Elephant's Child at age six, Parsons was determined to become an actor.^[7][8] The young Parsons was heavily influenced by sitcoms, particularly Three's Company, Family Ties, and The Cosby Show.^[9] He attended Klein Oak High School in Spring, Texas, a northern suburb of Houston. Parsons points to a role in Noises Off during his junior year as the first time "I fully connected with the role I was playing and started to truly understand what it meant to be honest on stage".^[7]

After graduating from high school, Parsons received an undergraduate degree from the University of Houston. He was prolific during this time, appearing in 17 plays in 3 years. He was a founding member of Infernal Bridegroom Productions, and regularly appeared at the Stages Repertory Theatre.^[10] Parsons enrolled in graduate school at the University of San Diego in 1999.^[10] He was one of seven students accepted into a special two-year course in classical theater, taught in partnership with the Old Globe Theater. Program director Rick Seer recalled having reservations about admitting Parsons, saying, "Jim is a very specific personality. He's thoroughly original, which is one reason he's been so successful. But we worried, ‘Does that adapt itself to classical theater, does that adapt itself to the kind of training that we're doing?' But we decided that he was so talented that we would give him a try and see how it worked out."^[11] Parsons enjoyed school, and told an interviewer that he would have pursued a doctorate in acting if possible: "school was so safe!...you frequently would surprise yourself by what you were capable of, and you were not surprised by some things."^[12] Parsons graduated in 2001^[11] and moved to New York.^[10]

Career[link]

In New York, Parsons worked in Off-Broadway productions and made several television appearances. In a much-discussed 2003 Quiznos commercial, Parsons played a man who had been raised by wolves and continued to nurse from his wolf "mother".^[10] He had a recurring role on the television show Judging Amy^[13] and appeared on the television series Ed.^[10] Parsons also had minor roles in several movies, including Garden State and School for Scoundrels.^[14]

Parsons has estimated that he auditioned for between 15 and 30 television pilots, but on many of the occasions when he was cast, the show failed to find a television network willing to purchase it.^[10] The exception came with The Big Bang Theory. After reading the pilot script, Parsons felt that the role of Sheldon Cooper would be a very good fit for him.^[7] Although he did not feel any sort of relationship with the character, he was enchanted by the dialogue structure, the way the writers "brilliantly use those words that most of us don't recognize to create that rhythm. And the rhythm got me. It was the chance to dance through that dialogue, and in a lot of ways still is."^[9]

In his audition, Parsons so impressed series creator Chuck Lorre that Lorre insisted on a second audition to see if Parsons could replicate the performance.^[10] Parsons was cast as Sheldon Cooper, a genius physicist with nonexistent social skills who interacts with his other nerdy friends and the attractive waitress who lives across the hall.^[10] The role requires Parsons to "rattle off line after line of tightly composed, rhythmic dialogue, and then do something with his face or body during the silence that follows."^[10] Parsons credits his University of San Diego training with giving him the tools to break down Sheldon's lines.^[7]

Television critic Andrew Dansby compares Parsons' physical comedy to that of Buster Keaton and other silent film stars. Lorre praises Parsons' instincts, saying that "You can't teach that."^[10] Lorre describes Parsons' "great sense of control over every part of his body, the way he walks, holds his hands, cocks his head, the facial tics" as "inspired".^[14] Reviewer Lewis Beale describes Parsons' performance as "so spot-on, it seems as if the character and the actor are the same person."^[9] Parsons admits that the work is "more effort than I ever thought a sitcom would take. And that's really the fun of it."^[9]

In August 2009, Parsons won the Television Critics Association award for individual achievement in comedy, beating Alec Baldwin, Tina Fey, Steve Carrell, and Neil Patrick Harris.^[9][15] He was nominated for Emmy awards in 2009 and 2010, winning in 2010 for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series.^[16] In September 2010, Parsons and costars Johnny Galecki and Kaley Cuoco signed new contracts, guaranteeing each of them $200,000 per episode for the fourth season of The Big Bang Theory, with substantial raises for each of the next three seasons. The three were also promised a percentage of the show's earnings.^[17] In January 2011, he won the Golden Globe award for Best Actor in a Television Series – Comedy (the award was presented by co-star Cuoco).

In 2011, Parsons appeared with Jack Black, Owen Wilson, Steve Martin, and Rashida Jones in the comedy film The Big Year. It was released in October.^[18] That same year, he appeared as the human alter ego of Walter, the newest Muppet introduced in The Muppets.^[19]

On May 18 2012, Parsons began appearing on Broadway as Elwood P. Dowd in a revival of Harvey.^[20][21]

Personal life[link]

Parsons lives in Los Angeles.^[22] In an interview for a New York Times article in May 2012, he said he is gay, having been in a relationship for ten years.^[23][24]

Stage appearances[link]

This section needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (July 2011)

• The Balcony
• Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead (1994) .... Rosencrantz
• La Ronde (1995)
• Endgame (1995) .... Clov (Infernal Bridegroom Productions)^[25]
• Marat/Sade (1995) (Infernal Bridegroom Productions)^[25]
• Guys and Dolls (1996) .... Rusty Charlie (Infernal Bridegroom Productions)^[25]
• Eddie Goes to Poetry City (1996) .... Eddie (New York Theatre)
• Jack and the Future Is In Eggs (1996) .... Father Jack
• Othello (1996) (Infernal Bridegroom Productions)^[25]
• Suicide in B-flat (1996) (Infernal Bridegroom Productions)^[25]
• Woyzeck (1996) .... Doctor / Horse's Head (Infernal Bridegroom Productions)^[25]
• The Cherry Orchard (1997) .... Yasha, a young man servant (Infernal Bridegroom Productions)^[25]
• Chili Queen (1997) .... Buddy (Stages Repertory Theatre, World Premiere)^[25]
• Camino Real (1997) .... Baron (Infernal Bridegroom Productions)^[25]
• Last Rites (1997) .... Tiger Clean (Infernal Bridegroom Productions, World Premiere)^[25]
• Threepenny Opera (1998) .... MacHeath (Infernal Bridegroom Productions)^[25]
• Below the Belt (1998) .... Dobbitt
• In the Jungle of the Cities (1998) .... J. Finnay (Infernal Bridegroom Productions)^[25]
• Tamalalia 3: The Cocktail Party (1998) .... Psychotic psychiatrist (Infernal Bridegroom Productions, World Premiere)^[25]
• King Ubu is King (1998) .... Tom, Mister Nice Guy (Infernal Bridegroom Productions, World Premiere)^[25]
• The Pitchfork Disney (1998) .... Presley Stray (Stages Repertory Theatre)
• Marie and Bruce (1999) .... Herb / Fred / Waiter (Infernal Bridegroom Productions)^[25]
• Tamalalia 4: The Camp-Out (1999) (Infernal Bridegroom Productions, World Premiere)^[25]
• Da (2001) (Old Globe Theatre)^[26]
• What Happened Was (2002) .... Jackie (The Paradise Theatre)
• The Castle (2002) .... Jeremiah (Manhattan Ensemble Theatre)^[27]
• Tartuffe (2002) .... Valère (La Jolla Playhouse)^[28]
• The Love for Three Oranges (Gozzi) (2004) .... Prince Tartaglia (La Jolla Playhouse)^[29]
• The Normal Heart (2011) .... Tommy Boatwright (John Golden Theatre)^[30]

Filmography[link]

Film[link]

Television[link]

Music videos[link]

Awards and nominations[link]

References[link]

External links[link]

Find more about Jim Parsons on Wikipedia's sister projects:
	Images and media from Commons

• Jim Parsons at the Internet Movie Database
• Jim Parsons at AllRovi
• CBS Biography
• Movieline interviews Big Bang Theory's Jim Parsons On Learning Lines, Emmy Nods and Cast Ping Pong Deathmatches
• Fresh Air Interview: Jim Parsons On The Science Of Sheldon, 'Big Bang'

Tinie Tempah
Tempah at the 2010 Way Out West Festival.
Background information
Birth name	Patrick Junior Chukwuemeka Okogwu
Born	(1988-11-07) 7 November 1988 (age 23) Plumstead, London, England
Genres	Grime, Hip hop, drum and bass
Occupations	Rapper, songwriter
Years active	2005–present
Labels	Parlophone, Disturbing London
Associated acts	Labrinth, Ellie Goulding, Swedish House Mafia, Chase & Status, Usher, Kelly Rowland, Eric Turner, Range, Emeli Sandé, Wiz Khalifa, Bei Maejor, Snoop Dogg, Ester Dean, Taio Cruz, Wretch 32, J. Cole, Lupe Fiasco, Rita Ora, Taylor ThePALACE
Website	tinietempah.com

Patrick Chukwuemeka Okogwu^[1] (born 7 November 1988),^[2] better known by his stage name Tinie Tempah, is an English rapper. He made his first mixtape in 2007; his first album, Disc-Overy, debuted at number one in October 2010 and was preceded by two number-one singles.

Early life[link]

Patrick Chukwuemeka Okogwu, was born in London, England on 7 November 1988, and is of Ibusa, Delta State, Nigerian origin. ^[3] He lived on the Aylesbury Estate in South East London until he was 12 with his parents and three younger siblings.^[3] He attended St. Paul's Catholic School in Abbey Wood, London SE2, (now known as St. Paul's Academy). He went on to study A Levels at St Francis Xavier Sixth Form College, SW12. Of his London upbringing, Tempah states: “London is one of the only places in the world where you can live in a council block and see a beautiful semi-detached house across the street. Growing up around that was inspirational, it kept me motivated".^[1]

Career history[link]

Early career[link]

In 2006, Tempah gained a great deal of airplay on British music TV channel, Channel AKA, for his song "Tears" He made his first mixtape in 2007 with 28 songs, freestyles and remixes, featuring Mz Bratt, Chipmunk and G-Unit.^{[citation needed]} His first album, Disc-Overy, debuted at number one in October 2010 and was preceded by the number-one singles "Pass Out" and "Written in the Stars" and the UK Top 5 hits "Frisky" and "Miami 2 Ibiza". In late 2007, he collaborated on a track ("Perfect GCD Hood Economics Room 147") with grime artist Ultra and producers/songwriters Agent X.

Tempah toured with Chipmunk in February 2010. His first break as a musician came when Sony launched its PlayStation Portable (PSP) and used a track entitled "Listen To The Vibe" featuring Yasmin and DJ Ironik, and "Atlantic/Warner" for the futuristic racing game, Wipeout Pure. This resulted in a promotional European tour alongside the likes of Sway and Dizzee Rascal.

Tempah, his manager and cousin Dumi Oburota founded the independent label Disturbing London primarily as an official outlet for Tempah's music, but with the idea of also signing other young artists. According to Dumi: "We wanted to have a platform to put out our music and there wasn't any Def Jam or Roc-A-Fella label equivalent in England. [Also] I wanted to create a major independent label with quality artists. I felt like the major labels had lost the passion for music."^[4] The activities of the label were initially largely funded by student loans and the proceeds from buying and selling cars.^[4]

When scout and music consultant Jade Richardson saw Tempah performing at the 2009 Wireless Festival she called Parlophone Records president Miles Leonard saying: “You’ve got to check out this guy Tinie Tempah. He came on at lunchtime and there’s about 1,000 kids screaming for him. He’s only put out one independent release and he’s got this huge audience.”^[5] Leonard and A&R Nathan Thompson visited Tempah and his manager Dumi at their studio a few weeks later and were hugely impressed to hear about the work they had already done in developing Tempah's career and by the ambitious plans they had for his future.^[5] Leonard told HitQuarters: "I thought it was incredible that an artist and manager were doing so much so soon with so little ... That impressed as much as the music."^[5]

Tempah announced his signing to Parlophone in October 2009 by running a competition on his blog, with the winner invited to High Tea at Claridges to celebrate the deal.^[6]

[edit] 2010–2011: Success and Disc-Overy

Tempah released his debut single "Pass Out" with Parlophone on 28 February 2010, with it entering the UK Singles Chart at number 1. Selling just over 92,000 copies, making this his first number 1 which it remained for two consecutive weeks. Tempah would later perform "Pass Out" on 25 June 2010 at Glastonbury on the Pyramid stage with Snoop Dogg. Tempah then announced his second single, "Frisky", which was released on 6 June 2010 entering the UK Singles Chart at number 2. Tempah supported Rihanna for four dates in May on her 10-date UK tour with Tinchy Stryder and Pixie Lott.^[8] Tempah performed at many summer balls at various universities around the United Kingdom.^{[citation needed]} Tempah performed at Radio 1 Big Weekend in Bangor on 22 May 2010 on the In New Music We Trust stage. He also toured with Mr Hudson in May 2010. Tinie Tempah played the Summertime Ball at Wembley Stadium on 6 June 2010, at Wakestock in Abersoch on 3 July 2010, both T4 on the Beach and the Wireless Festival in London's Hyde Park on 4 July, and V Festival on 21 and 22 August 2010. Tempah released his third single "Written in the Stars" on 19 September 2010. This again charted at number 1 in the UK Singles Chart selling over 115,000 copies in its first week, making it his biggest-selling single to date. The song also went on to chart in a number of other countries. Tempah went on to team up with Swedish House Mafia for his fourth single "Miami 2 Ibiza" which was released on 1 October 2010. This went on to reach a peak of number 4 in the UK Singles Chart and his first number 1 in the Netherlands Mega Single Top 100 chart. He released his long-awaited debut album, Disc-Overy on 4 October 2010 which featured all his previous charted singles.

On 11 October 2010, he kicked off his first UK tour which was supported by Chiddy Bang. He went on to win his first 2 MOBO Awards in October. Tempah also featured on the Tinchy Stryder single "Game Over" which was released on 15 November 2010. This reached number 22 on the UK Singles Chart. On 25 December, Tempah released his fifth single "Invincible" featuring Kelly Rowland, which peaked at number 11 on the UK Singles Chart. "Wonderman", featuring Ellie Goulding, was released and was the fifth official single. Tempah joined Usher on the European leg of his OMG Tour in January 2011. Tempah was also nominated for 4 Brit Awards making him the most nominated artist at the awards. His single "Written in the Stars" was used for a WrestleMania XXVII countdown promo during the WWE PPV Royal Rumble on 30 January 2011. It was later confirmed by WWE that it will be the official theme for Wrestlemania XXVII. It's also the theme song for the 2011 MLB Post Season. On 15 February 2011, he won his first ever Brit Award, for Best British Breakthrough Act. He also won a Brit for Best British Single.^[9] On 7 March 2011, Tempah expressed his desire for his next album to go triple platinum. "I reckon in 2011, towards the end of it, I'm going to do an arena tour – and sell it out – then I reckon I'm going to release another album, and fingers crossed it can go platinum again, and double platinum, and triple. Let's just sell a million."^[10] In early 2011, Tinie Tempah announced a UK Arena tour. Support acts included Nero, Labrinth and Chase and Status (After Party DJ Set).^{[citation needed]} In 2011, Labrinth revealed that Tempah will be releasing "Pass Out" in the United States, featuring a well recognised artist in the American rap game.^[11] On 28 November 2011, Tinie Tempah hosted an episode of the TV show, Never Mind the Buzzcocks.^[12] Also in November, Tinie Tempah released two tracks, "Like It or Love It" which featured both Wretch 32 & J. Cole, and "Lucky Cunt" which featured Big Sean. On 16 December, Tempah released a 9-track mixtape/EP titled Happy Birthday. In early 2012 Tempah featured with Eric Turner and Lupe Fiasco on a track called "Angels and Stars". Tempah's song "Written in the Stars" was used as the entrance song for the New York Giants before Super Bowl XLVI.

[edit] 2012–present: Demonstration

By December 2010 Tempah was writing a second album,^[13] saying there will be a more electronic and live feel to it. It was originally intended for a late 2011 release.^[7][14] but is now scheduled for October 2012.^[15] During an interview, Tempah commented on his second album: "I always like to work with different people on each project I do, just so you get a different sound and angle. I will be working with some of the same people I did for the first album, you know what they say ‘if it ain't broke then don’t try and fix it’."^[16] Tempah hoped to collaborate with other artists; "I really want to collaborate with Toronto's very own Drake. I think he's amazing at what he does. I'd also like to collaborate with Adele, Sleigh Bells, Lykke Li, Dev, James Blake ― those are the few that I'd really like to work with."^[17] Tempah announced in an interview with Rolling Stone that his next single is to be called "Till I'm Gone" which will feature Wiz Khalifa and is produced by Stargate.^[18][19] The single and the video song were released at the end of June 2011.^[20] Tinie Tempah, world renowned drummer Travis Barker and Irish boxing champion Katie Taylor, joined forces to launch Lucozade’s new Yes Campaign, which signals a repositioning of its sports and energy drink brand. Featuring a performance of Tempah's "Simply Unstoppable" with Travis Barker on drums, remixed especially for Lucozade Sport,^{[citation needed]} the campaign was released in Summer 2011.

Tinie Tempah has asked a number of artists to appear on his upcoming second album, including Gary Barlow, Chris Martin, Dizzee Rascal, and The Script.^[21]

At the Brit Awards in 2012, he announced his second album would be called 'Demonstration'.^[22]

Discography[link]

• Disc-Overy (2010)
• Demonstration (2012)

Awards and nominations[link]