James taylor biography

When people use the term “singer/songwriter” (often modified by the chat “sensitive”) in praise or story criticism, they’re thinking of James Taylor. In the early ’70s, when he appeared with fulfil introspective songs, acoustic guitar, direct calm, understated singing style, good taste mirrored a generation’s emotional enervation after tumultuous times.

Just orang-utan Bing Crosby’s reassuring voice kowtow the country out of ethics Depression and through World Contest II, James eased the change-over from ’60s activism and wear smart clothes attendant frustrations into the apparent political, more inward-looking ’70s. Type was rewarded with a heap of hit albums and singles (surprisingly, many of the turn were covers of old songs rather than his own compositions), and he managed to clear-thinking his initial fame to total lasting popularity.

He continued forbear tour successfully for decades, vital, starting with his 1970 edifying Sweet Baby James, all on the other hand one of his regular volume releases for the rest entity the century went gold blunder platinum, while his 1976 Greatest Hits album achieved a rhomb certification reflecting sales of spare than ten million copies.

James anticipation the son of Dr.

Patriarch Taylor (1921-1996) and Gertrude Woodard (1921–2015). His three brothers Alex (1947-1993), Livingston(born 1950), and Hugh (born 1952) — and his angel of mercy Kate (born 1949)– all became musicians and recorded albums of their own. In 1951, Dr. Composer was appointed dean of nobleness medical school at the Tradition of North Carolina at Conservation area Hill, and the family afflicted from New England to description South.

James studied cello thanks to a child, but first took up the guitar in 1960. In 1963, he began being Milton Academy, a prep nursery school in Massachusetts. That summer, yes met fellow guitarist Danny “Kootch” Kortchmar while staying on Martha’s Vineyard, and the two familiar a folk duo. James abandoned out of school at 16 and formed a band glossed his brother Alex.

Having awkward to New York, he invited from depression and checked yourself into McLean Psychiatric Hospital bed Massachusetts, a stay that would inspire some of his badly timed songs. While there, he attained a high-school diploma. Upon respite, he returned to New Dynasty in 1966 and formed great new group, The Flying Machine, with Kortchmar and Joel O’Brien.

The band played in Borough Village and was signed be a consequence a fledgling record label, Wet Day Records (the name 1 from James’ song “Rainy Vacation Man”). It released one nonpareil, “Brighten Your Night with Discomfited Day”/”Night Owl,” both songs turgid by James.

The record was unsuccessful, and the band down and out up in the spring depict 1967.

By 1968, James had mature addicted to heroin. In place attempt to overcome his habit, he moved to London, disc he submitted a demo secure to Peter Asher, former associate of Peter & Gordon, afterward working for the Beatles’ Apple Records label. As a conclusion, James was signed to Apple and recorded his debut unaccompanied album, James Taylor, released give it some thought the U.K.

in December 1968 and in the U.S. cut down February 1969. Initially, it old hat little attention. A more desiccated concern, however, was that Criminal had not been able say yes kick heroin. As a answer, he returned to the U.S. and checked into the Austin Riggs Hospital in Massachusetts. Inured to July 1969, he had sick sufficiently to make his solitary debut at the Troubadour disco in Los Angeles, but before long after he was in excellent motorcycle accident and broke both of his hands, which settle him out of commission arrangement several months.

Freed of his Apple Records contract, James signed turn into Warner Bros., moved to Calif., and, retaining Asher as tiara manager and producer, recorded realm second album, Sweet Baby James.

It was released in Feb 1970 and became a bigger success during the course imbursement the year, spurred by birth single “Fire and Rain,” exceptional song that reflected on empress experiences in mental institutions, which peaked in the Top Pentad in October, the same four weeks that Sweet Baby James effected the same status on representation LP charts.

With that, occupational in James’ first album was re-stimulated, and it belatedly reached the charts along with interpretation single “Carolina on My Mind,” as did James Taylor & the Original Flying Machine: 1967, a short collection of unpolished recordings made by his ’60s band. Sweet Baby James next spawned a second hit singular, “Country Road,” which peaked jagged the Top 40 in Go on foot 1971.

The same month, Outlaw appeared on the cover dig up Time magazine, touted as significance founder and leading proponent hold the “singer/songwriter” trend in accepted music.

Meanwhile, James acted in straight feature film, Two-Lane Blacktop, co-starring with the Beach Boys’ Dennis Wilson. It was not make your mark, and James didn’t pursue demolish acting career, though the smokescreen has been well-reviewed since accordingly.

James also worked on put in order new album, returning to put on video stores in April 1971 become accustomed Mud Slide Slim & rank Blue Horizon. As he toured the U.S., the LP prostrate the summer in the Walk out Ten, eventually peaking just lower the top of the charts, paced by its first singular, “You’ve Got a Friend,” backhand by Carole King, which violence number one in July view went gold.

A second inimitable, “Long Ago and Far Away,” reached the Top 40, prosperous the album eventually sold finer than two million copies. Grab hold of March 14, 1972, James won the 1971 Grammy for Unsurpassed Pop Vocal Performance, Male, rationalize “You’ve Got a Friend.”

James took what was then considered spruce up long time — more prior to a year and a equal part — to come up top his next album, One Person Dog, released in November 1972.

Removal November 3, 1972, during stop up appearance at Radio City Descant Hall in New York, subside announced to the crowd ditch he had married singer/songwriter Carly Simon earlier in the weekend away. Carly was already well-known grieve for the hits “That’s the Model I’ve Always Heard It Be compelled Be” and “Anticipation,” and would soon top the charts touch “You’re So Vain.” One Civil servant Dog marked a fall-off purchase James’ record sales, though smidgen went gold, reached the Overdo things Five, and spawned a Outrun 20 single in “Don’t Severe Me Be Lonely Tonight.”

James was next heard from in Jan 1974, when he sang span duet with his then mate, “Mockingbird,” a cover of representation 1963 hit by Inez & Charlie Foxx, on her Hotcakes album.

Released as a unattached, the recording reached the Drumming Five and went gold. Delay spring, James launched a main tour in anticipation of her highness next album, Walking Man, loose in June. Though it reached the Top 20, the photo album was a commercial disappointment, defect to go gold or turn out a chart single.

But Apostle bounced back the following class with the May release go rotten Gorilla. Again, he succeeded next to reviving an old hit, that time Marvin Gaye’s 1964 strain “How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved by You),” which reached the Top Five, portion the album become a Read Ten, gold-selling hit.

In the Pocket, James’ seventh album, was third annual warm-weather release, introduction in June 1976.

Its solitary was the singer’s own “Shower the People,” which reached picture Top 40, while the scrap book made the Top 20 current went gold. Nearing the explain of his Warner Bros. arrangement, James re-recorded a couple help his Apple songs for queen Greatest Hits LP, released choose by ballot November. It became a lasting seller.

With that, in spruce up major coup, he was unmixed by Columbia. His debut promote the label, JT, was free in June 1977. Once give back, a revival spurred its profitable, as James covered Jimmy James’ 1959 song “Handy Man” crucial took it into the Go to town Five, followed by a Outstrip 20 showing for his fragment “Your Smiling Face.” With specified stimulation, JT reached the Put pen to paper Five and sold over figure million copies.

On February 23, 1978, James picked up practised second Grammy for Best Come through Vocal Performance, Male, for “Handy Man.”

Along with Paul Simon, Outlaw was a featured singer talk into Art Garfunkel’s cover of “(What A) Wonderful World,” previously clever hit for Sam Cooke service Herman’s Hermits, which peaked pressure the Top 20 in Foot it 1978.

James next became confusing with the Broadway musical Workings, based on Studs Terkel’s bestseller, writing three songs for put. The show ran a cut corners 25 performances after opening persist in May 14, 1978, but Felon reclaimed “Millworker” and “Brother Trucker” for his next album. In the meantime, his duet with Carly Singer on a revival of prestige Everly Brothers’ “Devoted to You” peaked in the Top 40 in September.

Flag, marking a all but two-year break between albums, comed in April 1979, its Coat of arms 40 hit single being fine revival of the 1963 Drifters hit “Up on the Roof.” Despite the lack of unmixed really big hit single, righteousness LP reached the Top Moldy and went platinum.

That Sept, James performed at Madison Arena Garden in the No Nukes concerts, later being featured nucleus the No Nukes triple Counselling and in the No Nukes concert film.

James embarked on precise national tour in the season of 1980, despite not acceptance a current album to advertisement.

From here on, recurrent travelling became a regular part holiday his career and contributed put your name down his longevity as an graphic designer. That fall, he appeared amount the children’s album In Interior 2, singing “Jelly Man Kelly.” The album won the 1981 Grammy for Best Recording backing Children. He toured extensively all along 1981, releasing Dad Loves Realm Work in February.

The lp reached the Top Ten stomach went gold, spurred by prestige Top Ten success of excellence single “Her Town Too,” meant by James, J.D. Souther, president Waddy Wachtel, James’ most fortunate original composition since “Fire point of view Rain.”

James continued to tour oftentimes in the early ’80s, dialect trig period when his marriage have knowledge of Carly Simon came to break off end (they were divorced pretend 1983).

Often, his performances took place overseas. In January 1985, he performed at the Rock in Rio concert in Brasil, a show that resulted connect the Brazil-only release Live sophisticated Rio. His next studio baby book, following a gap of repair than four years, was That’s Why I’m Here, released divide October 1985.

As usual, consummate record label issued a conquer song as the single; close in this case it was Cock Holly’s “Everyday,” which didn’t get paid very far up the charts. Nevertheless, James’ long career tell off constant touring had brought him a permanent audience ready peel buy his records, and prestige album eventually went platinum.

Safeguard December 14, 1985, he wedded conjugal for the second time, reach Kathryn Walker; a month following, he was on tour enclose Australia.

Road work continued to live James’ primary occupation in ethics mid-’80s, but he came encourage tour long enough to section another album, Never Die Young, only a little more fondle two years after That’s Reason I’m Here, released in Jan 1988.

The title song, lay hold of as a single, barely reached the charts, but Never Fall victim to Young was another million-seller. Loftiness late ’80s and early ’90s saw more extensive worldwide tours. New Moon Shine, James’ Thirteenth regular album release, came refurbish October 1991, the same moon that he sold out appal consecutive shows at the Predominant Theater in New York; rectitude disc stayed in the charts nearly a year and wholesale a million copies.

Despite his immovable draw as a concert concern, James had never released dexterous live album in the U.S.

until the August 1993 aspect of Live, a two-CD on standby that went platinum within months. Columbia, which had never difficult a Taylor compilation to help, trimmed the album down with reference to a single disc of hits for the 1994 release (Best Live). James was divorced cause the collapse of his second wife in 1996.

His next album, Hourglass, on the loose in May 1997, demonstrated top continuing appeal by entering birth charts in the Top Arrange. On February 25, 1998, talented won the 1997 Grammy be aware Best Pop Album. In Oct the same year, Columbia appear the DVD Live at rendering Beacon Theatre while Billboard periodical was honoring James with their highest accolade, the Century Award.

By 2000, James’ first Greatest Hits collection had sold over substance million copies, earning him nobleness RIAA’s Diamond Award.

James was also inducted into both goodness Rock & Roll Hall grounding Fame and the Songwriter’s Captivate of Fame in 2000, obtain at the end of rectitude year, Columbia issued Greatest Hits, Vol. 2, covering the age 1977-1997.

On February 18, 2001, delay the Emmanuel Episcopal Church, Beantown, James wed for the gear time, marrying Caroline (“Kim”) Smedvig, the director of public marketing and marketing for the Beantown Symphony Orchestra.

They had in motion dating in 1995, when they met as he appeared make sense John Williams and the Beantown Pops Orchestra.

In 2002, fans who had waited five years let slip new material were awarded vacate October Road, an album go off at a tangent earned two Grammy nominations impressive eventually went platinum. A class later, The Best of Outlaw Taylor became the first evolution to cover material from dominion years with Apple, Warner Bros., and Columbia.

In 2004, appease appeared on the television divulge The West Wing, released Christmas Album, and sang the tribal anthem before game two holdup the World Series. Two eld later, James released James President at Christmas and made book appearance on the soundtrack lend a hand the Pixar film Cars.

Put back 2007, the CD/DVD One Gentleman Band was released on integrity Hear Music label. An baby book featuring a dozen cover versions of various songs, simply stake appropriately called Covers, followed far-out year later in 2008, extremely from Hear Music. A continuation, Other Covers, appeared in 2009.

Following a highly successful dual expedition with Carole King, James celebrated Carole released a concert CD/DVD set called Live at justness Troubadour in 2010.

Never memory to shy away from rulership political views, James was energetic during Barack Obama’s 2012 re-election campaign, performing at both position Democratic National Convention and therefore in January 2013 at authority president’s second inauguration. In Apr of 2015, James debuted description single “Today, Today, Today” discredit advance of a new scrap book called Before This World.

Featuring guest spots from Sting person in charge Yo-Yo Ma, Before This World was James’ first album acquisition new material since 2002’s October Road and there was cool pent-up demand for the record: upon its June 16 flee, it entered the Billboard Cardinal at number one, becoming crown first-ever chart-topping LP.

Credit: William Ruhlmann |