[79], He appeared in 2011 in the ABC comedy Mr. Sunshine as the ex-husband of the character played by Allison Janney, and he performs a duet of sorts on Leon Russell's 1970 classic "A Song for You". In the late 1980s, he began touring regularly, especially on the summer amphitheater circuit. It went on to be listed at No. He appeared on The Johnny Cash Show, singing "Sweet Baby James", "Fire and Rain", and "Country Road", on February 17, 1971. ", "That's a double-edged thing -- it's not entirely negative," he says. J.T Taylor, best known for singing with the band "Kool & the Gang" in the '70s, seemed to have disappeared after leaving the band. On the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart, the track also reached the top, and the follow-up single, the feelgood "Mexico", featuring a guest appearance by Crosby & Nash, also reached the Top 5 of that list. 3/30/04: Performed in Beverly Hills, . Hes helped them release several successful albums, but all of his endeavors have helped put his net worth to where it is today. His later concerts feature songs spanning his career and are marked by the musicianship of his band and backup singers. Member of the senior executive team of this $1B, 4500 employee international SaaS . His first LP with Kool and the Gang, Ladies Night, spawned two number 1 R&B and Pop hits, Ladies Night and Too Hot. He is survived by his sons, Hunter (Nicole), Ryan Chas American Standard debuted at No. [6], Taylor achieved his breakthrough in 1970 with the No. A concept album primarily recorded in his home recording studio, it featured a cameo by Linda Ronstadt along with Carole King, Carly Simon, and John McLaughlin. Early years; Career; 1966-1969: Early career; 1970-1972: Fame and commercial . [33], Taylor associated with a motley group of people and began using heroin, to Kortchmar's dismay. Today's Anniversary. Fifty years ago, James Taylor's sister released her debut album, then promptly vanished from the scene. [27][31] They played songs that Taylor had written at and about McLean, such as "Knocking 'Round the Zoo", "Don't Talk Now", and "The Blues Is Just a Bad Dream". "It was a matter of time before I got my first taste. Remember This Ex Kool & The Gang Crooner? Where the studio gives birth to a song, the performance lives on stage, which is where JT excels. However, it's his vocals, but he's not always alone to give you his full solo effect. Taylor's next albums were partially successful; in 1988, he released Never Die Young, highlighted with the charting title track, and in 1991, the platinum New Moon Shine provided Taylor some popular songs with the melancholic "Copperline" and the upbeat "(I've Got to) Stop Thinkin' About That", both hit singles on Adult Contemporary radio. JT Taylor's age is 69. 3 single "Fire and Rain" and had his first No. James "J.T." Warren Taylor (born August 16, 1953) is an American singer and actor who achieved worldwide fame as the lead singer of Kool & the Gang between 1979 and 1988.. Taylor joined Kool & the Gang in 1979, and remained with the group for 9 years. The lead singer for Kool & the Gang from 1979 to 1988, James "J.T." Taylor presided over the group's commercial -- if not artistic -- peak of the early to mid-'80s, later moving on to a solo career. Though a proven competitive and dedicated artist throughout his career and busy schedule, he finds time for his fans, supporting various charities, schools, colleges, and most of all his family & friends. [16] They built a house in the Morgan Creek area off the present Morgan Creek Road, which was sparsely populated. Singer/Songwriter | Multi-Platinum | AMA Winner | Grammy Nominee | Songwriters HOF | Actor/Filmmaker James JT Taylor (Official) Page Al F JT performing. . After he finally gained his Inhuman powers, from the intervention of Hive and Daisy Johnson, James started calling himself Hellfire. How many brothers and sisters does James Taylor have? Livingston Taylor (born November 21, 1950) is an American singer-songwriter and folk musician. The lead single, "Don't Let Me Be Lonely Tonight", peaked at No. One of many sentiments from JT's fans is that his concert is entertaining, fun, and fulfilling." "[61] The October 1985 album, That's Why I'm Here, from which that song came, started a series of studio recordings that, while spaced further apart than his previous records, showed a more consistent level of quality and fewer covers, most notably the Buddy Holly song "Everyday", released as a single reached No. In late 1967, funded by a small family inheritance, he moved to London, living in various areas: Notting Hill, Belgravia, and Chelsea. James Taylor is not having an affair with anyone presently. Taylor's next album, One Man Band was released on CD and DVD in November 2007 on Starbucks' Hear Music Label, where he joined with Paul McCartney and Joni Mitchell. Taylor is a tremendous talent,but I don't think he ever found the right material to establish him as a huge solo superstar."Long Hot Summer Night" is decent,but it's not extraordinary.I was thrilled when he reunited with Kool & The Gang in 1996.Unfortunately,it was a short-lived reunion.He bitterly departed (again) a few years . We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. [77], On January 1, 2010, Taylor sang the American national anthem at the NHL Winter Classic at Fenway Park, while Daniel Powter sang the Canadian national anthem.[78]. Last year, fans of the Songwriters Hall of Fame were treated to a reunion of James "JT" Taylor and his former bandmates Robert "Kool" Bell, Ronald Bell . [34] (A UK band with the same name emerged in 1969 with the hit song "Smile a Little Smile for Me". The song also topped the Canadian charts. "[27] He returned home to North Carolina to finish out the semester at Chapel Hill High School. [37], Taylor decided to try being a solo act with a change of scenery. Taylor has used versions of this joke on other occasions, and it appears as part of his One Man Band DVD and tour performances. [68] They performed his song, "Shower the People", with a surprise appearance by Arnold McCuller, who has sung backing vocals on Taylor's live tours and albums for many years. His tenure as lead singer was the most successful era in the band's history, with the albums Ladies' Night (1979), Celebrate! This article is about the solo musician. In 1996, he briefly reunited with Kool & the Gang, releasing the 1996 album, State of Affairs. Out of the box he connected with Quincy Jones and Rod Temperton and recorded with Jeff Lorber and Paul Jackson Jr. JT's reputation and record as a pioneering artist, songwriter lead him to collaborate with many top artists, musicians, producers, and organizations, such as Whitney Houston, Patti Austin, George Benson, Stephanie Mill, Paulino Decasta, Tata Vega, Rose Stone, Phil Perry, Richard Rudolph, Bobby Caldwell, Coolio, the late-Jeff Porcaro of Toto, The Brecker Bros., and Bob Geldof for Do They Know It's Christmas." JT's loyalty to his colleagues, reliability as a businessman, and continued faith in music are just a few of the tools used as the driving force for greater achievements. So, how much is James "J.T." The success of the album propelled the release of two further singles; the up-tempo pop "Your Smiling Face", an enduring live favorite, reached the American Top 20; however, "Honey Don't Leave L.A.", which Danny Kortchmar wrote and composed for Taylor, did not enjoy much success, reaching only No. During the time that Sweet Baby James was released, Taylor appeared with Dennis Wilson of the Beach Boys in a Monte Hellman film, Two-Lane Blacktop. 2 on the album charts, which would be Taylor's highest position ever until the release of his 2015 album, Before This World, which went to No. Born in Boston and raised in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, he is the brother of singer-songwriter James Taylor, singer-songwriter Kate Taylor, singer Alex Taylor, and innkeeper and singer Hugh Taylor. Posted On : January 28, 2015. Three years later, he released his second solo album Feel The Need which had several hits, including Heart to Heart which is a duet with Stephanie Mills. Taylor himself appeared in that production as a trucker; he performed "Brother Trucker" in character.) Living chaotically in various places with various women, Taylor wrote additional material, including "Carolina in My Mind", and rehearsed with a new backing band. Records.[50]. He also performed with various artists including Jodie Watley, Sting, Bono, Phil Collins, George Michael, and Boy George. His fathers name is Isaac M. Taylor ( resident physician) who came from a well-off family of Southern Scottish ancestry, and his mothers name is Gertrude Woodard (aspiring opera singer). In early 2006, MusiCares honored Taylor with performances of his songs by an array of notable musicians. The follow-up single, "Long Ago and Far Away", also made the Top 40 and reached No. During his time as a high school track star, he advanced in his artistry and newfound capacity for songwriting to the point that he began to receive considerable attention from record companies. [50] However, while recovering, he continued to write songs and in October 1969 signed a new deal with Warner Bros. [97] Their son Henry toured as a backing vocalist with his father in 2021. (Two selections from Flag, "Millworker" and "Brother Trucker" were featured on the PBS production of the Broadway musical based on Studs Terkel's non-fiction book Working, which Terkel himself hosted. [17] James later said, "Chapel Hill, the Piedmont, the outlying hills, were tranquil, rural, beautiful, but quiet. Epicor Software Corporation. His birth name is James Vernon Taylor and he is currently 71 years old. 3 single "Fire and Rain" and had his first . [27] As for his mental health struggles, Taylor thought of them as innate and said: "It's an inseparable part of my personality that I have these feelings. And addiction wasn't the only issue that Taylor believes he and his siblings were susceptible to, adding that they were also all "so subject to depression. At the age of thirteen, JT formed his first band, gaining New York state recognition with an appearance at the world famous Apollo Theater. [36] Finally out of money and abandoned by his manager, he made a desperate call one night to his father. 'Greatest Hits,' 'JT' Following a few moderately successful releases, James Taylor's Greatest Hits came out in 1976. Kool & the Gang Talk Songwriters Hall of Fame, Reunion With James 'JT' Taylor After 25 Years 06/15/2018 So you get your first manager, and start recording for De-Lite, his label. How do you read a knitting chart when working in the round? Of its start, pure album sales were 96,000 copies sold, Taylor's best debut week for an album since 2002's October Road. "[46] The record's commercial potential suffered from Taylor's inability to promote it because of his hospitalization, and it sold poorly; "Carolina in My Mind" was released as a single but failed to chart in the UK and only reached No. 3 on the Billboard charts, with Sweet Baby James selling more than 1.5million copies in its first year[27] and eventually more than 3 million in the United States alone. 1 superseding Taylor Swift. [6] Contents. The album was a success from the start and has now received diamond . She was a denizen of Marlboro country all those years, and succumbed to statistics. Before his rise to fame, Taylor was a schoolteacher and amateur night club singer having first joined a band at the age of 13. In 1993, he released the album Baby Im Back, and his latest album would come seven years later entitled A Brand New Me. He joined Kool & the Gang in 1978 and . He provided a guest voice to The Simpsons episode "Deep Space Homer", and also appeared later on in the series when the family put together a jigsaw puzzle with his face as the missing final piece. [18] Isaac Taylor later rose to become dean of the UNC School of Medicine from 1964 to 1971. JT Taylor, his son Xavier and his nephew. On September 11, 2011, Taylor performed "You Can Close Your Eyes" in New York City at the National September 11 Memorial & Museum for the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. To have that kind of validation right about then was really what I needed. Always visibly active in environmental and liberal causes, in October 2004, Taylor joined the Vote for Change tour playing a series of concerts in American swing states. They not only knew my music, they knew things about it and were interested in aspects of it that to that point had only interested me. They didnt have time to notice what was happening with me, Taylor says. Case in point, the first 8 songs are with Kool & the Gang. JT and Babyface. August 16 Singer #29. What is the real name of James Taylor? On March 7, 2010, Taylor sang the Beatles' "In My Life" in tribute to deceased artists at the 82nd Academy Awards. At the age of thirteen, JT formed his first band, gaining New York state recognition with an appearance at the world famous Apollo Theater. Part of HuffPost News. [81], He was active in support of Barack Obama's 2012 reelection campaign and opened the 2012 Democratic National Convention singing three songs. His decisions would lead him to accept a scholarship from Norfolk State University. Even though they're super close and 'shared a womb' together, as Donnie stated recently, they clearly have totally different opinions about being in the spotlight. They also sang Swift's song, "Fifteen". [89] In May 2020, James Taylor and Jackson Browne rescheduled their 2020 tour dates to 2021 due to the COVID-19 crisis. 1 on Billboard's Adult Contemporary chart and reached No. [citation needed], In December 2004, he appeared as himself in an episode of The West Wing entitled "A Change Is Gonna Come". Almost simultaneously, Taylor married fellow singer-songwriter Carly Simon on November 3, in a small ceremony at her Murray Hill, Manhattan apartment. Born August 16, 1953, Taylor joined Kool & the Gang at a point when the pioneering funk band was beginning to lose steam amidst the rise of disco. He has three brothers, Alex, Livingston and Hugh, and one sister, Kate. It was written by Grammy Award-winning songwriter Diane Warren and produced by Narada Michael Walden. Alex TaylorHugh Taylor James was already singing with the conviction of a singer much older than himself. It was propelled by the successful cover of Jimmy Jones's and Otis Blackwell's "Handy Man", which hit No. [8] Isaac's career prospered, but he was frequently away from home on military service at Bethesda Naval Hospital in Maryland or as part of Operation Deep Freeze in Antarctica in 1955 and 1956. Both the album and the single reached No. The album launched atop the Billboard 200 with 97,000 equivalent album units earned in the week ending June 21, 2015, according to Nielsen Music. United States. . JT Taylor Popularity. "[34] He hung out in Washington Square Park, playing guitar to ward off depression and then passing out, letting runaways and criminals stay at his apartment. [63] "Enough To Be on Your Way" was inspired by the alcoholism-related death of his brother Alex earlier in the decade. [36] Taylor spent six months getting treatment and making a tentative recovery; he also required a throat operation to fix vocal cords damaged from singing too harshly. Discover today's celebrity birthdays and explore famous people who share your birthday. In 1977 Taylor signed with Columbia Records. Aug 9, 2022. SoulAlive. Also learn how He earned most of networth at the age of 67 years old? He sang Sam Cooke's classic "A Change Is Gonna Come" at an event honoring an artist played by Taylor's wife Caroline. [20], Taylor took cello lessons as a child in North Carolina, before learning the guitar in 1960. Profile: Born August 16, 1953 in Laurens, South Carolina, USA. My folks broke up. Taylor had thoughts of retiring by the time he played the Rock in Rio festival in Rio de Janeiro in January 1985. "In 'Up From Your Life', you sing, "For an unbeliever like you/ There's not much they can do." 27.4K views. His career success at this point and appeal to female fans of various ages piqued tremendous interest in him, prompting a March 1, 1971, Time magazine cover story of him as "the face of new rock". [30] They recruited Joel O'Brien, formerly of Kortchmar's old band King Bees to play drums, and Taylor's childhood friend Zachary Wiesner (son of academic Jerome Wiesner) to play bass. In 2006, Taylor performed Randy Newman's song "Our Town" for the Disney animated film Cars. Singer-songwriter James Taylor was born in Boston, Massachusetts in 1948 to Gertrude and Isaac Taylor. Mr. Taylor, 47, had been stricken Sunday while working at King Snake Records studio. [13][14], In 1951, Taylor and his family moved to Chapel Hill, North Carolina,[15] when Isaac took a job as an assistant professor of medicine at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine. In 2004, after he chose not to renew his record contract with Columbia/Sony, he released James Taylor: A Christmas Album with distribution through Hallmark Cards. Aug 18, 2020 07:40 A.M. 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