Michael Kolawole 
Oluwatobi Oyero, popularly known as Toby Williams, was born into a family where music wasn’t just a pastime but a way of life. His story is one of faith, family, and an unyielding devotion to sound.
As a child, he watched his father’s fingers dance across the bass guitar, his mother’s voice soar with joyful hymns, and his siblings (two multi-instrumentalist brothers and two honey-voiced sisters) mix their own melodies into the family’s musical history.
With their talent, the family became a cornerstone of their local church, Alagbado Baptist Church, earning respect within their community.
Tobi’s early years were filled with indecision, caught between picking up an instrument or training his voice like his mother and sisters. At 14, he found his heartbeat in percussion, hammering out rhythms on the church drum during Sunday services.
From that moment, the church became both sanctuary and stage, a place to commune with God and a platform where his lifelong relationship with music quietly took root. “Music wasn’t something I chose,” Toby reflects, smiling as he cradles his guitar. “It chose me.”
“Toby’s story felt like tracing a mirror of my own,” Adedoyin Oseni (saxophonist), Toby’s colleague and friend, testifies about Toby’s musical journey. “Like anyone raised in a home where music was sacred, I recognise the deep respect in his sound, one born of both worship and discipline.”
Those early days were about finding the pulse of what would shape his future.
As he matured, Toby’s soul gravitated towards the bass guitar, an instrument heavy with the weight of family history. Guided by his father’s hands, Toby learned to pull out warm, expressive notes from the strings.
But curiosity wouldn’t let him stop there. He soon embraced drumming, music direction, and production, establishing himself as a dependable presence both in the studio and on stage.
Toby’s sound draws strength from gospel’s spiritual, but he’s equally at home playing a jazz groove, slipping into reggae’s relaxed sway, or driving the pulse of hip-hop and blues. His versatility is technical as it’s emotional, allowing every note to carry his story, his faith, and his joy.
Toby’s churchmate, Oluwaseun Ade, notes his seamless transitions across genres, all while preserving the unmistakable spirit of gospel in his music.
“What strikes me most is Toby’s easy movement between genres without ever losing himself,” Oluwaseun says. He further adds that whether on the bass or leading a worship set, Toby leaves room for spiritual precision.
Years after playing in modest Nigerian churches, Toby’s journey has taken him across the UK, performing alongside industry names like Moses Bliss, Tim Godfrey and Bukola Bekes.
As a music director, he’s shaped worship sessions that linger in memory, his basslines anchoring sacred moments. As a producer, he’s created songs that reach across borders, connecting hearts and histories.
But for Toby, it was never about the spotlight. It’s always been about what the music can do: its ability to uplift, to gather, to speak when words fall short. Decades in, he remains a faithful steward of his gift, grounded in the lessons his family and faith taught him.
