T.K. Soul

Contemporary soul singer T.K. Soul cultivated a devoted following from the ground up through music that blends classic R&B with contemporary edge and hip-hop inflections. Born Terence Kimble on August 26, 1964, in Winnfield, Louisiana, he displayed an early aptitude for music and absorbed the sounds of Stevie Wonder, the Jackson 5, Al Green, Maze, Rick James, and Prince. At age ten he took up the guitar and found he could play it by ear; soon afterward he added keyboards, drums, and bass to his abilities. By junior high he had joined the band at the local high school. Music took center stage in his routine as he balanced performances with school ensembles, the church choir, and regional R&B groups. Following a difficult split from his girlfriend, he started composing songs and, while working as a club and party DJ, performed those originals during set breaks. His lack of industry experience delayed a recording deal for nearly ten years. During this period he toured as a sideman with R&B and funk ensembles; while playing with Under 21—the group that later recorded for Motown as Profyle—he caught the attention of the manager for Houston-based vocal group H-Town. He joined H-Town on keyboards and continued writing material on the side.

Once his time with H-Town concluded, he spent several years serving as musical director at a church. He later returned to the road as keyboardist for soul-blues singer Willie Clayton, who went on to record Kimble’s compositions “Wiggle in the Middle” and “Party Like We Used To.” After five years alongside Clayton, he launched a solo career under the name T.K. Soul. His debut album, One Woman Man, appeared in 2002 on his own Soulful Records imprint. That release and its 2003 follow-up, The Bad Boy of Southern Soul, stirred interest on the soul-blues circuit, while 2004’s Love Games produced regional hits with “Cheating and Lying” and “You Ring My Bell.” The subsequent album Undisputed reached number 85 on the R&B and hip-hop album chart and number nine on the blues album chart. The Evolution of Soul arrived in 2009, and Soul maintained a steady presence on the live circuit by headlining nightclubs, festivals, and theme cruises. He also grew Soulful Records by signing Magic One, Nikita, and Rhomey. Remaining active through the 2010s, he issued Ghetto Superstar in 2013, Life After Love in 2014, and The Legacy in 2016.