{{short description|Canadian country music singer (born 1970)}} {{Infobox musical artist | name = Dean Tuftin | image = | caption = | image_size = | birth_name = | alias = | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1970|11|28}} | birth_place = Drayton Valley, Alberta, Canada | origin = | instrument = | genre = Country | occupation = Singer | years_active = 2002–present | label = Royalty | website = }}
'''Dean Tuftin''' (born November 28, 1970) is a Canadian country music singer. Tuftin is also a professional rodeo team roping competitor, having qualified for the National Finals Rodeo NFR once when competing on the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA) circuit. He also competed with multiple world champion team roper, and 2018 ProRodeo Hall of Fame inductee Speed Williams.
== Career == His debut album "Not So Little Anymore" was released in 2002 via Stolen Horse Records and distributed to brick and mortar channels in Canada through two distribution deals, one with Sextant Records/EMI Music Canada and the other through Royalty Records. A chance meeting in Nashville between a songwriter and a music industry veteran led to the Tuftin camp enlisting the expertise of former Warner Music Canada label rep Greg Balec in attempts to make waves at country radio. A lead-off single was rushed to radio stations across Canada, producing a Top 20 hit out of the box. That debut single, "Talk Is Cheap" had music directors across the nation in a state of frenzy, desperately making calls to get their hands on the track. Tuftin followed that instant success with "I'm Not So Little Anymore," which skyrocketed into the Top 10, then charted with singles "You Can't" and "In Her Eyes." In 2005, the lead-off single "Wide Open Highway" from his forthcoming second album, reached the No. 1 spot on the ''Radio & Records'' Canadian country singles chart and was nominated for Independent Song of the Year at the 2005 Canadian Country Music Association awards,<ref>{{cite web |title=2005 Canadian Country Music Awards – Nominees |url=http://countrymusic.about.com/od/awards/a/blccmanom05_2.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304061951/http://countrymusic.about.com/od/awards/a/blccmanom05_2.htm |url-status=dead |archive-date=March 4, 2016 |website=About Entertainment |access-date=July 20, 2019 |date=March 4, 2016}}</ref> however, the finished album featuring several potential chart toppers like the power ballad "It's About Time" and upbeat "Grain of Salt" among others, never saw commercial release. "Wide Open Highway" later appeared on store shelves on the Sony/BMG Canada various artists compilation CD Country Heat 2006 and also garnered a 2006 SOCAN Award for Canadian Country Song of the Year. A second single titled "A Definite Maybe" was released but failed to impact at Canadian radio, mainly due to the track's lack of Cancon content. Tuftin also released two music videos, both of which hit the top ten on Country Music Television in Canada.<ref name="TeamRoping">{{cite web |title=The Inside Scoop with Dean Tuftin |url=https://teamropingjournal.com/roping-tips/inside-scoop-dean-tuftin |website=The Team Roping Journal |date=April 2007 |access-date=September 9, 2018}}</ref>
Tuftin is also an accomplished team roper. He is a two-time winner of the Canadian Team Roping Championship and won the United States Team Roping Championships US Open Tour in 2003.<ref name="cinch">{{cite web |title=Dean Tuftin |url=http://www.cinchjeans.com/world/rodeo/dtuftin.php |website=CINCH World Rodeo |access-date=May 10, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110708154033/http://www.cinchjeans.com/world/rodeo/dtuftin.php |archive-date=July 8, 2011 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
Tuftin joined the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA) in 1996. He competed on the PRCA in 1999, 2003, 2006, 2007, and 2010. In 2003, as mentioned previously he won the United States Team Roping Championships US Open Tour.<ref name="PRCABio">{{cite web |title=Cowboy Biographies – Dean Tuftin|url=http://prorodeo.com/prorodeo/cowboys/cowboy-biographies?id=1112 |website=Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association |publisher=prorodeo.com |access-date=September 6, 2018}}</ref> In 2007, he partnered with 8 time World Champion Speed Williams in the team roping event.<ref name="PRCABio" /><ref>{{cite web |title=Speed Williams |url=https://www.prorodeohalloffame.com/inductees/team-roping/speed-williams/ |website=ProRodeo Hall of Fame |access-date=September 10, 2018}}</ref>
Together, they qualified for the National Finals Rodeo (NFR); he was the first Canadian to qualify in team roping. They attended the NFR at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas, Nevada, in 2007, winning the 8th Round and coming in 11th in the Average. He retired from the PRCA in 2010. His total winnings from the PRCA is $255,276.00.<ref name="PRCABio" />
==Personal== Dean Tuftin was born on November 28, 1970, in Drayton Valley, Alberta, Canada.<ref name="PRCABio" /> Tuftin resides with his family in Scottsdale, Arizona,<ref>{{cite web |last1=Santos |first1=Kendra |title=Rope Horse Revolution |url=https://teamropingjournal.com/news/rope-horse-revolution |website=teamropinggournal.com |date=April 27, 2018 |access-date=April 14, 2020}}</ref> his wife, Leslie and two daughters. Dean hails from a rodeo family in Alberta: a barrel racing mother, a team roping father, and a bullfighting brother. Tuftin attributes his success to his youth, "It is very important for people to understand that horsemanship and fundamentals are key in this business. You have to know how to make a good horse to keep winning." Tuftin can be found golfing or hunting in his sparse free time.<ref name="PRCABio" />
==Discography==
===Studio albums=== {| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;" |- ! style="width:14em;"| Title ! ! style="width:18em;"| Album details ! |- ! scope="row"| ''Not So Little Anymore'' | | * Release date: 2002 * Label: Royalty Records Sextant Records EMI Music Canada Stolen Horse * Formats: CD | |- |}
===Singles=== {| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;" |- ! Year ! style="width:15em;"| Single ! Album |- | rowspan="2"| 2002 ! scope="row"| "Talk Is Cheap" | align="left" rowspan="4"| ''Not So Little Anymore'' |- ! scope="row"| "I'm Not So Little Anymore" |- | rowspan="2"| 2003 ! scope="row"| "You Can't" |- ! scope="row"| "In Her Eyes" |- | 2004 ! scope="row"| "Wide Open Highway" | align="left" rowspan="2"| Non-album songs |- | 2005 ! scope="row"| "A Definite Maybe" |- |}
===Music videos=== {| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" |- ! Year ! style="width:15em;"| Video ! Director |- | 2002 ! scope="row"| "I'm Not So Little Anymore" | Joel Stewart |- | 2003 ! scope="row"| "You Can't" | Stephano Barberis |- |}
==Awards and nominations== {| class="wikitable" |- ! Year ! Association ! Category ! Result |- | rowspan="2"| 2003 | rowspan="3"| Canadian Country Music Association | Chevy Trucks Rising Star Award | {{nom}} |- | Independent Male Artist of the Year | {{nom}} |- | 2005 | Independent Song of the Year – "Wide Open Highway" | {{nom}} |- |}
==References== {{Reflist|2}}
{{Authority control}} {{Use American English|date=September 2021}} {{Use mdy dates|date=September 2021}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Tuftin, Dean}} Category:1970 births Category:Living people Category:People from Brazeau County Category:Canadian country singer-songwriters Category:Canadian male singer-songwriters Category:Singers from Alberta Category:Roping (rodeo) Category:Sportspeople from Bend, Oregon Category:21st-century Canadian male singers Category:21st-century Canadian singer-songwriters