Tim Be Told

Tim Be Told was a Contemporary Christian music group founded in 2006 and originating in Charlottesville, VA,[2][3] and since 2016 continuing as a solo act under the same name by band lead singer Tim Ouyang. Ouyang also works as an interior designer in San Francisco Bay Area

Tim Be Told
OriginCharlottesville, VA United States
GenresPop
Gospel
Rock
R&B[1]
Years active2006–2015 (band) /
2016-presently solo
LabelsIndependent
WebsiteOfficial Website
MembersTim Ouyang
Past membersJim Barredo
Parker Stanley
William Jin
Luan Nguyen
Tim Elder
Andrew Chae
Caleb Wu

Musical style

The musical style of the band incorporated elements of soul, pop, rock, gospel and blues.[4][5] Their name was derived from the term "truth be told",[6][7] where honesty is one of the band's focuses.[8] Their goal within the music industry was to promote the themes of honesty, hope, redemption, and change.[9] In 2008, they won the University of Virginia's "Battle of the Bands" competition.[10][11] Despite their accomplishments, the band was still somewhat unknown in the traditional communities, including Christian radio. Much of this changed when the track "Analyze" off of their From the Inside album grew popular with various Contemporary Christian music outlets, such as the Gospel Music Channel, which used the video as their weekly feature.[12]

Members
Original members (since 2006)
  • Tim Ouyang - lead singer, songwriter, keyboards (of Chinese origin)
  • Andrew Chae - lead guitar (of Korean origin)
  • Luan Nguyen - guitar, back-up vocalist (of Vietnamese origin)
  • Jim Barredo - drummer (of Filipino origin)
  • Parker Stanley (since 2007) - bass guitar (a Cherokee Indian)
Joining in
  • William Jin -
  • Tim Elder -
  • Caleb Wu (since 2011) - drums

Tim Ouyang

Tim Ouyang, born Timothy Ouyang, a Chinese American, was the lead singer and songwriter of Tim Be Told and now a solo carrying the name as a stage name. He is also a keyboard player and interior designer. He came out as gay in 2015.[13] He resides in the California Bay Area. Tim has performed the national anthem for NBA's Golden State Warriors and produced and wrote for many including 106 & Park rapper and actor MC Jin and wrote "Secrets" for gospel singer Israel Houghton. The song was nominated for an Emmy in 2019.

Break-up

With the 2016 album Friends and Foes, the group had disbanded and lead singer Tim Ouyang continued the project as a solo act. Soon afterward, he came out as gay. In 2020, Ouyang released a new album still keeping the name Tim Be Told. The album is titled Love and Happiness.

Band career

Getting By and From the Inside

Tim Be Told released their debut LP, titled Getting By in 2007.[14] Their second project was an EP titled From the Inside, which was released in 2009. The album was positively compared by critics to the likes of The Fray and Maroon 5,[15] and was critically considered to be a leap forward for the band, due to what many considered to be a "more mature sound".[16] After their second album was released, Tim Be Told was featured in Audrey magazine.[17] and The Hook weekly,[18] as well as played regularly on WCNR (106.1 the Corner) and on KBIF. Throughout the tour following From the Inside's release, Tim Be Told became more well known around college campuses, as well as the online Christian community.[19]

Humanity

Throughout late 2010, Tim be Told lost three of its members, leaving only a two-man crew consisting of Timothy Ouyang and Andrew Chae.[20] Although at that point most of the songs for their next album had already been written, Ouyang stated on a number of times that the album almost wasn't released and that the band was close to folding. However, they were able to complete the recording in early 2011, and shortly after, acquired new drummer Caleb Wu. In March, 2011, Tim Be Told announced that their new album, entitled Humanity would be shipped to the general public on March 22, 2011. There would also be 300 albums available for pre-order that would be shipped on March 20.[21] Within a few days, the 300 albums were sold out, and ordering was opened to the public nine days later, on March 22.[22]

On August 16, 2011, Tim Be Told released a completely new version of "Gravity's Hold", a song which first appeared on their debut album. The song was available to be purchased as a single, or was free when buying a digital copy of their Humanity album on their BandCamp page .[23]

Mighty Sound

In late 2012, Tim Be Told made several updates on their Facebook page that they were in the process of preparing to record a new album, and subsequently began to play some new songs at their live shows, including "Winners and Losers" and "Temple of Stone". On March 21, 2013, Tim Be Told announced that the official title of their upcoming album would be Mighty Sound, and they held an artwork submission contest for the album cover.[24] On December 10, 2013, Tim Be Told announced, along with pre-ordering, that the album would be available December 16, 2013.[25] After the album's release, two music videos were filmed for the songs "The Battle Hymn" and "Mighty Sound".

Solo career

Tim Ouyang (born Timothy Ouyang) is a singer, composer, record producer, mixer and graphic artist and interior designer in the San Francisco Bay Area. He studied music at Berklee College of Music.

Friends and Foes

Tim Be told released the album Friends and Foes in 2016. As the group had disbanded leaving the lead singer Tim Ouyang all alone, he decided to go on as a solo act recording the album with session musicians. The track "Lay Your Burdens Down" created the most interest as it considered the acceptance of homosexuality in Christian churches. Soon after in 2017, Tim Ouyang came out as gay, with the church absolving him of his role as a worship leader. He addressed the issue of his homosexuality in a personal blog and in an article in Inheritance Magazine in an article "The Dark Voice" on February 1, 2017[26] Most concert opportunities dried up for Tim with him considering quitting the music business altogether.

Love and Happiness

Tim Ouyang worked three years after coming out writing songs that he released in a recent solo album under the title Love and Happiness in 2020, but keeping the original band name Tim Be Told. Now as a gay Christian, he addressed in the album difficult subjects including experiences with love, disappointment, disbelief, faith, hope, and God, vulnerability as a gay man, decision to continue a closeted life as a believer or coming out, hypocrisy and corruption in the church, loneliness of the young in modern culture, etc.

Discography

Albums and EPs

(Until 2016 as a band, starting 2016 as a solo act)

Title Year Label
Getting By 2007 Independent
From the Inside (EP) 2009 Independent
Humanity 2011 Independent
Mighty Sound 2013 Independent
Friends and Foes 2016 Independent
Love and Happiness 2020 Independent
Other albums
Title Year Label
Mighty Sound Deluxe 2015 Independent

Singles

(Until 2016 as a band, starting 2016 as a solo act)

Title Year Album
"Stand By Me" 2007 N/A
"Baby King" 2008 N/A
"Gravity's Hold" (New Version) 2011 N/A
"The Battle Hymn"
(with Jae Jin, Michelle Chae, Psalm Bird, Calie Garrett)		 2013 Mighty Sound
"Mighty Sound" 2014 Mighty Sound
"The Rising Sun"
(feat. Calie Garrett and Yolonda Jones)		 2014 N/A
"One Chance" 2014 N/A
"Toll The Bell" 2014 N/A
"End of the Day" 2014 N/A
"All Ye Nations"
(feat. Calie Garrett, Dustin Keele, Jae Jin, Michelle Chae, Yolonda Jones)		 2014 N/A
"Into the Stars"
(feat. MC Jin)		 2015 N/A
"Two Hearts On Fire" 2015 N/A
"Love Ain't No Love" 2015 Mighty Sound Deluxe
"Friends and Foes" 2016 Friends and Foes
"Weeping Into Praise" 2018 N/A
"Again" 2020 Love and Happiness
"Me to You"

References
  1. Tim Be Told. "Tim Be Told's Facebook Page". Retrieved June 20, 2011. Combining elements of pop, rock and soul, Tim Be Told has exploded onto the music scene with their own unique sound.
  2. "USAsian Wire". Archived from the original on July 17, 2011. Retrieved July 9, 2010. Tim Be Told has exploded out of the Charlottesville music scene with its own unique, Chinese soulful pop-rock sound. The band, composed largely of young Asian-Americans, is establishing itself in the mainstream music arena, with performances at major music festivals, countrywide tours, and commercial radio support.
  3. "Northwest Asian Weekly". Retrieved July 8, 2010. The band originated in Charlottesville, Va., where students Tim Ouyang and Luan Nguyen sang in an a cappella group together.
  4. "Blog -www.TimBeTold.com". Archived from the original on November 6, 2010. Retrieved July 7, 2010. Combining elements of soul, pop, rock, gospel and blues, Tim Be Told has emerged in the Charlottesville music scene with their own unique sound.
  5. "Northwest Asian Weekly". Retrieved July 8, 2010. The band's musical genre is a mixture of pop, soul, and rock.
  6. "Asian Central". Retrieved July 8, 2010. The group named itself Tim Be Told, which derived from the phrase, "truth be told," in order to convey the idea that music should be honest, hopeful, and transformative. Tim Be Told dedicated many of its performances to raising awareness of social injustice.
  7. "Northwest Asian Weekly". Retrieved July 10, 2010. The group named itself Tim Be Told, which derives from the phrase, "truth be told,"...
  8. "Northwest Asian Weekly". Retrieved July 10, 2010. The group named itself Tim Be Told, which derives from the phrase, "truth be told," in order to convey the idea that music should be honest, hopeful, and transformative.
  9. "Blog -www.TimBeTold.com". Archived from the original on November 6, 2010. Retrieved July 7, 2010. but most importantly, they hope that their music will cause people to view life through a different lens, one of honesty, hope, redemption, and change.
  10. "Mochi Magazine". Archived from the original on September 25, 2009. Retrieved April 21, 2011. Boasting a surprisingly polished sound for mostly self-trained musicians, the band is building up on wave after wave of increasing successes, from winning UVA's Battle of the Bands to snagging a top ten ranking on MySpace's unsigned chart.
  11. "AA Theory's Ellie Meets Talent: Tim Be Told". Archived from the original on April 1, 2016. Retrieved June 11, 2011. UVA's Battle of the Bands 2008 winner is comprised of 5 men who bring an assortment of soothing melodies, rocking hits, and addicting hooks that keep you coming for more.
  12. "Gospel Music Channel". Retrieved July 9, 2010. Gospel Music Channel's Featured Video"
  13. Fox: Tim Be Told Releases an Album Every Gay Christian Needs To Hear
  14. "ReverbNation". Retrieved July 10, 2010. After tracking their debut album "Getting By" in the summer of 2007...
  15. "Adequacy". Retrieved July 10, 2010. Choosing instead to inject heavy doses of sentimentality into a familiar brand of piano-based pop, the material on the band's latest EP, From The Inside, is as fetching as anything the Fray or Maroon 5 could whip up.
  16. "USAsian Wire". Archived from the original on July 17, 2011. Retrieved July 9, 2010. From The Inside highlights the band's maturing sound. The new EP expresses broader concerns outside of what Tim calls "angsty love songs."
  17. "First Listen and Free Download: Tim Be Told". Audrey Magazine. Retrieved June 11, 2011.
  18. "Premiere (ish): Tim Be Told's "Analyze" video". The Hook Magazine. 2010-05-05. Retrieved 2010-07-16.
  19. "Northwest Asian Weekly". Retrieved July 16, 2010. "A lot of the shows on college campuses have focused towards raising awareness for different things, [such as] injustices in Africa," said bassist Parker Stanley.
  20. "Tim be Told at Ohio State University". Ohio State University. 2012-02-02. Retrieved 2012-03-18.
  21. "Tim Be Told". Retrieved March 13, 2011. Pre-ordering will close after the first 300 CDs and will reopen again on March 22nd. Pre-orders will ship on March 20th.
  22. "Tim Be Told's Facebook Page". Retrieved June 12, 2011. Thanks for pre-ordering guys! Unfortunately we are out of pre-orders. We'll be opening everything back up on the 22nd.
  23. Tim Be Told. "Gravity's Hold (New Version)". Retrieved September 3, 2011.
  24. Tim Be Told. "Mighty Sound Art Contest". Retrieved May 30, 2013.
  25. Tim Be Told. "Mighty Sound release date". Retrieved December 10, 2013.
  26. Inheritance Magazine: Tim Ouyang page - The Dark Voice
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