Let’s leave the acid rock and heavy metal of the 1970s behind, and visit the lyrical genius of a true storytelling musician.
James Vernon Taylor was born in Boston, Massachusetts on March 12, 1948, and raised in the picturesque countryside of Carboro, North Carolina. He learned to play the cello as a child and began playing the guitar at age 12. Taylor came from a very musical family, her mother was an opera singer and several of her siblings sang and played various instruments.
Taylor developed his own musical style by incorporating those of musical mentors such as Woody Guthrie. While spending summers with his family on Martha’s Vineyard, Taylor met aspiring teenage guitarist Danny Krotchmar. The two started playing coffee shops around the Vineyard and called themselves “James and Kooch.” Taylor wrote her first song at age 14.
Young Taylor suffered from depression in his teens and bounced from school to school in his late high school years. He began to withdraw and slept more than twelve hours a day. He finally checked into McLean Hospital in Belmont, Massachusetts in 1965, which Taylor has attributed to being a life-saving experience. Admitting that depression has always been a part of her life, it has apparently served as a reflective aspect of her poignant lyrics.
In the summer of 1966, Taylor, Krotchmar and two other childhood friends moved to New York, formed the band “The Flying Machine” and were playing at the Night Owl club in Greenwich Village. Playing songs Taylor wrote about his experiences at McLean Hospital, the group was well received. Unfortunately, the talented artist began experimenting with drugs and soon became addicted to heroin. This addiction eventually led to the band’s breakup.
Building on some past connections he made through Krotchmar, James moved to London. He was introduced to Apple Records executive Peter Asher, who in turn gave him Paul McCartney to listen to. McCartney loved the sound of Taylor. Taylor became the first non-British act to sign with Apple Records. His first album, James Taylor, was released in December 1968.
The artist made a breakthrough in July 1969 when he performed at the famous Troubadour Club in Los Angeles. In October of that year, Taylor signed with Warner Bros. Records and moved to Los Angeles. Sweet Baby James, Taylor’s second album, was released in February 1970. The album featured the voice of Carole King and ended up selling more than 3 million copies in the United States. The mega hit Fire and Rain came from that album. Fire and Rain was written about Taylor’s experience in mental institutions and the suicide of her friend, Suzanne Schnerr. The album was nominated for several Grammy Awards and would be listed as one of the 500 greatest albums of all time by Rolling Stone magazine. In 1971, Taylor’s most successful single, You’ve Got a Friend, was released. The song, previously recorded by Carole King, featured backing vocals by Joni Mitchell.
Taylor married singer-songwriter Carly Simon in 1972. He experienced some ups and downs in his career over the next two years. In 1975 he released Gorilla, which produced another mega hit for Taylor, in which his wife accompanied him on vocals. How Sweet It Is, topped the billboard charts at No. 5.
Exemplifying his melodic folk-rock style, Taylor once again found success with his release of JT in June 1977 after signing with Columbia Records. From that album came a number one hit on the Adult Contemporary charts with Handyman.
In 1983, his divorce from his wife Carly Simon was final. He was once again visited by his life-long demons of depression and drug abuse. During the following years, Taylor would release successful albums, but it was not until he finally gave up his drug addiction in late 1983 that he achieved such purity in his music. James Taylor has won five Grammy Awards and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2000.
Taylor, an activist to save the planet, has added his musical support to causes such as Greenpeace, No Nukes and Vote for Change. He is currently married to his third wife and they have two twin children. He also has two children with his first wife, Carly Simon. Taylor continues to tour and showcase his unique American folk-rock talents to an existing and new generation of song lovers.