The Dealer (real name Tim Deal) is a songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and artist. He has written for the likes of Alesha Dixon, The Wanted, Kylie Minogue and The Saturdays (for whom he scored a UK top 3 with ‘All Fired Up’ and an up-coming Arena tour named after the song).
He has also played on, and co-produced songs for Judie Tzuke, appearing on BBC Radio 2 as her keyboard player. He has written for her daughter Bailey, scoring a number one on the Gaydar Radio Your Choice Chart with ‘Strong’.
In between his hectic writing schedule, which sees him traveling all over the world, his passion for the dance floor takes The Dealer’s love of music to the masses in his DJ sets.
Tim has recently put his full support behind the Music Saving Lives Campaign. Tim said, “Saving Lives is a fantastic initiative and one that I am proud to be part of. HIV is still a problem but it’s one that we understand and can do something about.
“Through working with Saving Lives I learned that the number of people living with HIV in the UK is still growing. Practicing safe sex is the best way to protect yourself from HIV and getting yourself tested and treated is the best way to protect those that you care about from the virus.”
Dr Steve Taylor, lead HIV consultant at Birmingham’s Heartlands Hospital, helped launch Saving Lives as a way of encouraging the public to access HIV testing. “The benefit of having the support of popular musicians like Tim to help get the messages out there cannot be underestimated,” he explained. Dr Taylor said: “The cooperation of artists such as The Dealer is crucial in reaching people who might not usually be exposed to these vital messages. Early treatment means HIV can be well controlled and a person can lead a near normal life expectancy. If left too late, however, the consequences of HIV can still be fatal.”
Tim made a good point when he said, “The club scene can get pretty crazy at times, but sometimes you need to play it safe and protecting yourself from HIV is definitely one of those times.”
Tim’s debut single, Can’t Take My Blood, can be viewed below.
Tim recently wrote The Saturdays’ number three single, All Fired Up, which you can watch below.