Kelvin Tan (guitarist)

For the blind Mandopop singer, see Kelvin Tan.
In this Chinese name, the family name is Tan.
Kelvin Tan
Born (1964-08-22) 22 August 1964 (age 60)
Singapore
EducationBachelor of Arts (Honours) in Literature
Alma materAnglo-Chinese School
Jurong Junior College
National University of Singapore
Occupation(s)musician, writer, lecturer

Kelvin Tan (born 22 August 1964) is a Singaporean musician, writer, and lecturer. He has released two novels, All Broken Up and Dancing (1992), and the Nethe(r);R (2001) and over 102 musical albums. He teaches part-time at LASALLE College of the Arts and is guitarist for The Oddfellows, for whom he wrote and sang the hit "She's So Innocent".

Tan is also a member of the bands Stigmata, Prana vs r-H, and Path Integral. In 1997, he co-founded Aporia Society, a multi-disciplinary arts society.[1][2][3][4]

Early life

He was educated at Anglo-Chinese School. As a 14-year-old, he was introduced to the music of Charlie Parker, Bob Dylan, and Joni Mitchell, and the literature of JD Salinger, Saul Bellow, and Philip Roth. He failed his O-Levels in 1981.[5] Tan later attended Jurong Junior College and graduated from the National University of Singapore with a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Literature in 1990.

Career

In 1982, Tan was awarded a merit certificate for "Swan Leda" in the Shell National Short-Story Competition. In 1986, his play Tramps Like Us was awarded third prize in the Shell Short Play Competition.[6] He joined The Oddfellows as lead guitarist in 1991.

His novel All Broken Up and Dancing (1992) was originally a short story published in The Straits Times in 1985.[7] In 1986, he contributed the song "Seen the End" to BigO magazine's Nothing on the Radio cassette. The song was a response to the Hotel New World disaster of the same year.[8]

Bibliography

Novels

  • Kelvin Tan (1992), All Broken Up and Dancing, Thesaurus Media Publications, ISBN 978-981-00-3998-1
  • Kelvin Tan (2001), The Nethe(r);R, Aporia Society, ISBN 978-981-04-3972-9

Plays

  • Tramps Like Us (1986)
  • Goodbye Jennifer (1987–88)
  • Flights Through Darkness (1994–95)
  • Life is an Angel (1998)
  • Vermeiden//a(Void) (1998)

References

  1. ^ Yeow, Kai Chai (September 19, 2013). "Songs for the departed". The Straits Times. p. C8.
  2. ^ sojourner. "KELVIN TAN- The Bluest Silence Digipack CD". Rock in the Fine City. Retrieved 29 September 2014.
  3. ^ "Baybeats 08 Band Profile: The Oddfellows". library @ esplanade. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 29 September 2014.
  4. ^ Tan, Kelvin. "Dialectic Realm". Dialectic Realm. Retrieved 30 September 2014.
  5. ^ Chua, Rebecca (6 September 1986). "For Art and". Singapore Press Holdings. The Straits Times. Retrieved 30 September 2014.
  6. ^ "Winning play from DPP". Singapore Press Holdings. The Straits Times. 16 August 1986. Retrieved 30 September 2014.
  7. ^ Tan, Kelvin (5 October 1985). "Lola...warm". Singapore Press Holdings. The Straits Times. Retrieved 30 September 2014.
  8. ^ "Sounds like Nothing on the Radio". Singapore Press Holdings. The Straits Times. 4 July 1986. Retrieved 30 September 2014.