Additional Expertise
About Kevin Toney
An award winning musician, composer, and author, Kevin Toney first started playing piano at age five in his city of birth, Detroit, Michigan. Kevin earned his B.A. in composition and jazz studies at Howard University in Washington, D.C. During college years he achieved great success with The Blackbyrds, the innovative jazz-R&B fusion sextet founded by jazz trumpet legend Donald Byrd. The band had many hit records including Walking In Rhythm, Rock Creek Park and Happy Music. Kevin has had tremendous success as a solo artist beginning with his 1994 release Lovescape, featuring his composition Kings . He has since released nine more CDs with his latest titled “New American Suite”. Kevin's awards and achievements include two Grammy nominations, three RIAA Gold Record awards, a NAACP Image Award, a National Endowment For the Arts Fellowship and he is an honorary member of the Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity.
Beyond his own music, Kevin has performed with an impressive survey of major artists that includes Aretha Franklin, Stevie Wonder, Kenny Burrell, Whitney Houston, Pink, Nancy Wilson, Shania Twain, Carl Anderson, Shirley Caesar, Norman Brown, and more. He has scored two films: the period drama “Kings of the Evening” and the documentary “The Kinsey Collection”. Kevin's books include The Kevin Toney Collection Volume I, Heart Of Gratitude, New American Suite, and The Virtuous Man: Breaking The Men's Code.
Kevin's book titled, “The Virtuous Man - Breaking The Men's Code” addresses the misconceptions (“Men’s Code”) that men have learned from an early age regarding marriage and family, the baggage that men often bring into their marriages and their struggle in letting go of them. He shares how God saved his marriage and in the process helped him to break the "Code". Included is a study section, which will richly serve both men and women, married and unmarried. Book is also available as an Ebook.
The companion CD Heart of Gratitude takes the listener on the book's spiritual journey through music.
Mirroring the message of that music and book, Kevin is a mentor for the ‘Manformation Project,’ a Los Angeles-based rites of passage setting that brings boys of 10-18 years of age into contact with Godly minded men to cultivate positive growth. He spoken at Centerpoint Church Men’s Group (Murrieta, CA), The Journey Church (Sonora, CA), and have given several “Breaking The Men’s Code” workshops for Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity regional conferences in the United States. Kevin have also appeared as guest artist on TBN's "Praise The Lord", Seattle Center For Spiritual Living, Las Vegas Center For Spiritual Living and Saddleback Church.