Rhythm and Blues singer Tevin Jermod Campbell was born on November 12, 1976, in Waxahachie, Texas, to Rhonda Byrd, a former postal worker and later co-manager of the young artist’s career. He began singing gospel as a soloist and choir member at Jacob’s Chapel in Waxahachie at an early age. At 12, he auditioned over the phone for jazz flutist Bobbi Humphrey, and she connected him to the NBC-TV children’s television program “Wally and the Valentines.” He then signed to Warner Bros. Records and met his father for the first time when he was 15. He has one sister, Marche, and a brother, DeMario.
In 1990, Campbell released the album T.E.V.I.N. with a series of hits, including “Round and Round” that peaked at no. 3 on the R&B chart and no. 12 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart The following year, in 1991, two other hits emerged from the same album. “Tell Me What You Want Me to Do,” reached no. 1 R&B and no. 6 on the Billboard Hot 100 while “Just Ask Me To” reached no. 9 R&B and no. 88 on the Billboard Hot 100. Campbell was nominated for the “Best Male R&B Vocal Performance” at the 33rd Annual Grammy Awards, for his song, “Round and Round.”
The hits continued in 1992 with “Alone with You” that peaked at no. 1 R&B, “Goodbye” that reached no. 2 on that chart, and “Confused” which peaked at 33 R&B. His fourth hit for the year, “Strawberry Letter 23” peaked at no. 40 R&B and no. 53 on the Billboard Hot 100. In 1993, Campbell’s album I’m Ready, produced by Quincy Jones and Benny Medina, sold more than a million copies. The single from the work that shared the album title, peaked at no. 2 R&B and no. 9 on the Billboard Hot 100 while “Always in My Heart” reached no. 6 R&B. His song, “Don’t Say Goodbye Girl” reached no. 28 on the R&B chart and no. 71 on the Billboard Hot 100. Campbell was a 1994 Soul Train Awards winner for the “Best R&B Single – Male” for the song: “Can We Talk.”
In 1995, Campbell was nominated at the 37th Annual Grammy Awards for the “Best R&B Album” for I’m Ready as well as for the “Best Male R&B Vocal Performance” for the song track “I’m Ready.” In addition, in 1995, Campbell voiced the character “Powerline” in the Disney animated film, A Goofy Movie.
Campbell’s “Knocks Me Off My Feet” from A Thin Line Between Love & Hate: Music from the Motion Picture peaked at no. 75 R&B in 1996. Also, in 1996 from the album Back to the World, there were several hits including “Back to the World” which reached no. 16 R&B, no. 33 on the Dance chart, and no. 47 on the Billboard Hot 100. “I Got it Bad” reached no. 41 R&B.
In 2005, Campbell appeared on “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air,” “Moesha,” and was cast in Broadway Musical, Hairspray.
Tevin Jermod Campbell continues to be a sought-after artist. In 2021, he was one of the featured headliners at the Atlanta R&B Holiday Jam at the State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Georgia.
Otis D. Alexander, Library Director at Saint John Vianney College Seminary & Graduate School in Miami, Florida, has also directed academic and public libraries in the District of Columbia, Indiana, Texas, and Virginia. In addition, he has been a library manager in the Virgin Islands of the United States as well as in the Republic of Liberia. His research has appeared in Public Library Quarterly, Scribner’s Encyclopedia of American Lives, and Virginia Libraries journal. Alexander received the Bachelor of Arts and Master of Science degrees from the University of the District of Columbia and the Master of Library & Information Science degree from Ball State University. He earned a Doctor of Philosophy degree from International University and studied additionally at Harvard Graduate School of Education Leadership for Academic Librarians, Oberlin Conservatory of Music Voice Performance Pedagogy, and Atlanta University School of Library & Information Studies.
