Tom Bee

The Native American musical tradition has been brought up to contemporary standards by New Mexico-born producer, vocalist, songwriter, and owner of the leading Native American-oriented record label, Sound of America Records (SOAR), Tom Bee. Under Bee's leadership, SOAR has continued to grow. In addition to the parent label, which specializes on contemporary and traditional Native American music, SOAR includes a division for urban rap and rock (Warrior), a division for children's music and spoken word recordings (Dakotah), and a division for new age recordings (Natural Visions). Among the numerous awards that have been bestowed upon Bee are the Eagle award, awarded by the American Indian Film Institute in 1994, and the Will Simpson Award, which he received at the first convention of the Native American Arts Association in 1996 and was named Producer of the Year the following year. In 1993, Bee was nominated for a NAIRD award for his production of the music video "We're the Boyz," based on a song recorded by his on, Robbie Bee.

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