Toby Lightman
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Toby Lightman | |
|---|---|
 Lightman 2015 | |
| Background information | |
| Born | 1978 (age 45–46)[1] |
| Origin | Cherry Hill, New Jersey, U.S. |
| Genres | Pop, rock, acoustic |
| Occupation(s) | Singer-songwriter |
| Years active | 2002–present |
| Labels | |
| Website | www |
Toby Lightman is an American singer-songwriter best known for her songs "My Sweet Song", "Holding a Heart", and "Devils and Angles". Her first album, Little Things, was released in 2004 on Lava/Atlantic. Her second album, Bird on a Wire was released in 2006. During her career, she has toured and performed with bands such as OAR, Rob Thomas, Jewel, Gavin DeGraw, Train, Prince, Marc Broussard, and Carbon Leaf. Lightman released her first independent record "Let Go" in 2010 and was the first independent artist to perform and sell on the HSN (tv network). Lightman recently released her first self-produced album After All in fall of 2022. This album was inspired by her journey through infertility and pregnancy loss to finally have 2 children.
Biography[edit]
Raised in Cherry Hill, New Jersey, Lightman began playing the violin as a child. She was a member of the orchestra at Cherry Hill High School East and started singing when a friend urged her to join a vocal workshop class. The audience response to a solo performance in which Lightman sang a gospel version of Simon and Garfunkel's Bridge Over Troubled Water led her to pursue her talents as a singer after she graduated from high school in 1996.[2]
Lightman taught herself to play the guitar and while in school at the University of Wisconsin–Madison.[2]
In 2004, Ari Martin of Nettwerk Management became Lightman's manager. After seeing Lightman play a solo showcase for record executives and representatives, Jason Flom signed Lightman to Lava Records, a subsidiary of Atlantic Records. Lightman released her debut Little Things through Lava on March 30, 2004. The Album was produced by Peter Zizzo. A second version of Little Things was released on July 20, 2004, that included a bonus cover track of Mary J. Blige's 1992 hit single Real Love. The song was released as the album's second single and a music video was filmed to promote the track.
In late 2005, Lightman appeared on Lava Records label mates O.A.R.'s Stories of a Stranger. On that album, which peaked at number 40 on the Billboard 200, Lightman sang alongside O.A.R. frontman Marc Roberge on the track "The Stranger". Lightman was then featured as a VH1 You Oughta Know artist and as an MTV You Hear It First artist. She also appeared on such shows as Late Show with David Letterman, Late Night with Conan O'Brien, CBS's Morning show Second Cup, ESPN's Cold Pizza, A&E's Breakfast with the Arts and various others.
Bird on a Wire, Lightman's second record was released on July 25, 2006, on Atlantic Records. "My Sweet Song" from Bird on a Wire was featured near the end of the Boston Legal episode, "Desperately Seeking Shirley" while also featuring in the closing scene of the Bones episode, "The Maggots In The Meathead". It was also featured in the soundtrack to the movie P.S. I Love You. The song "Slippin'" appeared on ABC's Brothers & Sisters. Lightman performed the opening theme to Fox Sports' coverage of the NASCAR racing season with a song titled "NASCAR Love (Let's Go Racing)".[3]
Lightman released her third album, Let Go on her own T Killa Records label on July 15, 2008. The album is sold through digital retailers like iTunes and amazon.com. The album was available for sale through the Home Shopping Network. The song "Let Go" & "One Day" from Let Go will be featured in a series of commercials to air on HSN. The song "Let Go" has also appeared on ABC's Brothers & Sisters and Dirty, Sexy, Money. A new song "Color" is on a new benefit compilation that was released by the Hard Rock Cafe and the folks from World Hunger Year.
On June 5, 2010, Lightman released her fourth album, Know Where I'm From also on her T Killa Records label. This album contains 11 acoustic versions of her previously released songs. Her fans chose the songs on this album. Lightman also crafted a "Know Where I'm From" book that consisted of her story behind each song as well as fans written in stories of connection with those songs.
In 2011, Lightman's new song "Holding a Heart" was featured in the film What's Your Number?, originally credited to "Girl Named Toby", but later brought into Lightman's catalogue. It since has been featured on multiple tv shows. Also, another new song "Addicted" by Lightman was never released as an official single, but was featured as a promo of the twelfth episode from the eighth season of Desperate Housewives and in the television film Mean Girls 2.
On October 27, 2014, she released the album "Every Kind of People," using the PledgeMusic platform to reach out to her fans to support the making of the record and interacting with them through frequent updates, special offers and private performances.
Toby is currently writing, producing and mixing new songs for a new album due later this year. "Spaces" released on February 1, 2018, was the first song of this series. "Breathe In" is to be released April 24, 2018. These songs mark the journey she took to motherhood.
Discography[edit]
Albums[edit]
Studio albums[edit]
| Year | Album | Peak chart positions[4] | |
|---|---|---|---|
| U.S. 200 | U.S. Heatseekers | ||
| 2004 | Little Things | 200 | 14 |
| 2006 | Bird on a Wire | — | 30 |
| 2008 | Let Go | — | — |
| 2010 | Know Where I'm From | — | — |
| 2014 | Every Kind of People | — | — |
| 2022 | After All | — | — |
Extended plays[edit]
| Year | Album |
|---|---|
| 2013 | Holding a Heart |
| 2015 | Holiday Lights |
| 2016 | Long Hard Day |
Singles[edit]
| Year | Song | Peak chart positions[4] | Album |
|---|---|---|---|
| US Adult | |||
| 2003 | "Devils and Angels" | 17 | Little Things |
| 2004 | "Everyday" | — | |
| "Real Love" | 35 | ||
| "Operator" | — | Non-album single | |
| 2006 | "Holding Me Down" | — | Bird on a Wire |
| "Sleigh Ride" | — | Non-album single | |
| 2008 | "Waiting" | — | Non-album single |
| 2010 | "Snow Day" | — | Non-album single |
| 2018 | "Spaces" | — | Non-album single |
| 2018 | "Breathe In" | — | Non-album single |
| 2022 | "Help Me Get Over This"[5] | — | Non-album single |
| YEAR | TOBY LIGHTMAN'S FILM & TV SONG PLACEMENTS |
|---|---|
| 2017 | Beautiful Day – Hillary's Blinds Renewal |
| Bumps in the Road – "Hello Goodbye" Canada | |
| What a Feeling (COVER) – Weight Watchers Campaign | |
| Original Composition – ULTA Beauty Campaign | |
| 2016 | Beautiful Day – Hillary's Blinds UK Commercial |
| Set Me Free – A&E's Born This Way | |
| Holding A Heart – Degrassi Campaign | |
| 2015 | Jingle Bells (COVER) – Sony Pictures Feature Film "Other People" |
| Snow Day—CBS Show "NCIS" | |
| Free To Be Me—ABC Family Show "Switched at Birth" | |
| Head Underwater—CW Show "Reign" | |
| 2014 | Never End – E! Network Show "Total Divas” |
| You're My Best Friend – NBC Show "About A Boy” | |
| Up Up And Away – Feature Film "American Girl” | |
| You're my Best Friend – Petsmart campaign | |
| Slowly (EVERY KIND OF PEOPLE) – NBC promo for "Believe" off EVERY KIND OF PEOPLE Album | |
| Holding a Heart (HOLDING A HEART EP) – MTV Show | |
| 2013 | You Got My Love, All in the Attitude, I'm Good, Me Myself & I, H-E-L-L-O, Ready To Go, So Natural, & Long Hard Day: ABC Family Show “The Fosters” |
| We Are (HOLDING A HEART EP) – Featured song/artist in new Microsoft BING software program launching 10/13 | |
| Holding a Heart (HOLDING A HEART EP) – CW Show "90210” | |
References[edit]
- ^ Loftus, Johnny. "Toby Lightman – Biography – AllMusic". AllMusic. All Media Network. Retrieved July 24, 2014.
- ^ a b Strauss, Robert. "In Person; More Than Getting By With Help of Friends", The New York Times, December 26, 2004. Accessed October 27, 2018. "The 26-year-old singer-songwriter from Cherry Hill is home for a visit... And her big coup was singing a gospel chorus of Bridge Over Troubled Water at Cherry Hill High School East, where she graduated from in 1996."
- ^ "NASCAR Love (Let's Go Racing) – Single". iTunes. Retrieved May 11, 2013.
- ^ a b "Toby Lightman – Awards – AllMusic". AllMusic. All Media Network. Retrieved November 11, 2014.
- ^ "Future Releases on Triple A (AAA) Radio Stations". AllAccess. Archived from the original on June 6, 2022.
External links[edit]
- Official website
- Toby Lightman at AllMusic
- Toby Lightman discography at Discogs
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Artists | |
- 1978 births
- Living people
- American women singer-songwriters
- Atlantic Records artists
- Lava Records artists
- Singer-songwriters from New Jersey
- Cherry Hill High School East alumni
- Writers from Cherry Hill, New Jersey
- University of Wisconsin–Madison alumni
- 21st-century American women singers
- 21st-century American singer-songwriters