Who is John Kim Faye?

JOHN KIM FAYE IS A MUSIC "LIFER"

whose career spans four decades and counting.

As a recording artist,  producer, mentor, open mic host, and recently retired songwriting professor at Drexel University in Philadelphia, Faye has seen the music industry from every conceivable angle - from the heights of major label excess to the trenches of DIY guerrilla warfare. His various musical iterations - the Caulfields, IKE, John Faye Power Trip, John & Brittany, and his solo work - have yielded over 150 recorded songs (8+ hours of music), song placements in film and television, substantial commercial and satellite radio airplay, and a storage unit in Elkins Park filled with boxes of CD’s that he’s still trying to get rid of.. BUT WE DIGRESS.

TIMELINE / MUSICAL HISTORY

IN 1966 - THE YEAR OF THE HORSE

not to mention "Revolver" and "Pet Sounds" -

John Kim Faye was born out of wedlock to a 40-year-old Korean mother and a 62-year-old Irish father. Faye grew up in the state of Delaware, where laws forbidding interracial marriage were still on the books until 1967.

As the lead singer and primary songwriter of the Caulfields, Faye was one of the only mixed-race Asian American frontmen to sign a major record contract in the alternative rock heyday of the 1990’s. In an era that preceded K-Pop - and even the rise of the internet - Faye’s personal journey did not lead to superstardom. But he's seen and done it all, having shared stages with over 60 national acts.

Guilt by association

INSTEAD.. THE YIN AND THE YANG OF IT ALL

is a memoir about the discovery of a voice

It's also about the discovery of a Voice, a tribe, and a musical ethnicity that runs far deeper than Faye's Korean / Irish roots.

Bookended by the loss of his father against the backdrop of his tumultuous childhood in the post-Vietnam 70’s and his mother’s tragic passing in 2012, Faye’s story weaves a tapestry of revealing moments as told from his unique perspective on the cusps of identity, race, and fame.

What People are Saying

A LONG AND WINDING ROAD

TO SAY THE LEAST!

Photo credit: Döerthe Externest, 2022

SEE JOHN'S FULL MUSIC BIO

THE YIN AND THE YANG OF IT ALL

SONGS AND STORIES PRESENTATION

The long and winding road I've taken to follow my rock 'n' roll dreams has made me realize in no uncertain terms that
"15 Records > 15 Minutes".. Fame is a fleeting flame. What matters more to me is doing what it takes to find your unique Voice in the world and finding the courage to EXERCISE IT LIKE AN INALIENABLE RIGHT. My Songs and Stories presentation, based on my memoir The Yin and the Yang of it All, is for aspiring musicians, entrepreneurs, and anyone on a quest to create a space for themselves and be the representation they want to see!