Kim Tibbs: A Woman of Faith and Musical Manifestations

Songwriter Kim Tibbs is a woman of faith and manifestation. Therefore the imminent and anticipated success of her newly released debut album, Kim, which she calls a “solid soul punch of 12 songs”, will be anything but shocking for the talented vocalist. Hailing from Huntsville, Alabama, as a professional musician she’s stepped out on faith by moving to London to take her music career to the next level. As a result of that solid belief in herself, and direction from the holy one above, her pursuit of a career in music is reaping many rewards and blessings. Not only have four of her singles charted with two number 1 hits on the UK Soul Charts, she has also secured several endorsements from musical instrument manufacturers. But all of this is destiny for the girl who’s certain that she is doing everything big she’s ever dreamed of doing. In a recent interview, Kim Tibbs is quoted as saying, “Before I die, I will be the girl that said, I actually did everything I dreamed of doing, and not the other way around.”

Music came instinctively for Kim, who was encouraged from the age of two to sit at the piano so she could tinker with the keys and find melodies. She remembers how she figured out the melody to The Young And The Restless theme song as a toddler, and how this triggered great support from her mother, who immediately recognized her talent, and her father, pastor of a Southern Baptist church. Throughout her childhood and adolescence, her love for all things music and serious formal study were always apparent: singing with a dear friend during free time while in high school, or singing and playing in church during services. Later on, another dear friend would teach her the art and craft of songwriting, which enabled her to experiment with restructuring her poems into proper songs. This was the springboard of a true desire to devote her life to music, though she wasn’t quite sure until much later how to navigate the ups and downs of a career, or how to be incredibly successful at it.

But, being compared to the likes of Patti LaBelle and Stephanie Mills, and being influenced by soul legends like Al Green and Aretha Franklin, she knew that she had the talent and know-how to give her career a legitimate go. To date, she has added Hammond B-3 organist, keyboardist, pianist, lyricist, composer, arranger, producer, and vocalist to her credibility as a stellar musician in demand. Though she convinced her father, the late Pastor Robert L. Tibbs, that she’d surely make it big as an award-winning singer one day, she still has pursued her educational goals at the same time. Having earned several degrees, and currently a doctoral candidate, she understands the reality of chasing a dream career that may sometimes be delayed or even turns out less than expected. But that doesn’t stop her from believing that she will one day be a Grammy-winning artist for her original music, songwriting and vocal performance. And because she believes it, and her fans across the world believe it, we should all expect it to happen.

 
Written by Mai Perkins

Originally from Los Angeles, Mai Perkins is living a genuine bona fide love affair with NYC and the music that keeps its spirit moving. While spending the majority of the last decade in Brooklyn, many of her adventures around the globe are documented on her blog: Mai On The Move! www.MaiOnTheMove.com