James Vernon Taylor (born March 12, 1948) is an American singer-songwriter. He is best known for the hit songs "Fire and Rain", "Sweet Baby James", and his cover of Carole King's song "You've Got a Friend". He is one of the best-selling musical artists of all-time, having sold more than 100 million records worldwide.
He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2000, and is a five-time Grammy Award winner.
Biography[Edit][]
James Taylor was born as a son of Isaac and Gertrude Taylor. In 1966 he began with Danny Kortchmar and Joel O'Brien the band The Flying Machine. They recorded an album but this would be only four years after the break up of the band come true under the name James Taylor and the Original Flying Machine. In 1971, he played the lead role in the film Two Lane Blacktop by Monte Hellman.
In 1968, a year after the break-up of The Flying Machine, Taylor left to London where he was offered a record deal by Apple Records. Later that year James Taylor theLP came out in England. Because this album appeared to have little success Taylor went back to America. Beginning there was the same album also released 1969 . Also, he signed a recording contract with Warner Music. In 1971 James Taylor scored his biggest hit with it-written by Carole King - you've got a friend number.
He married on 3 november 1972 Carly Simon with whom he has two children but from whom he would later divorce.
After the release of the album Sweet Baby James he got more success. The album reached number 1 and stayed for two years a huge bestseller. Some successful albums followed including his Greatest Hits. In 1976 , he switched to Columbia Records from Warner Music.
In February Taylor won a 1978 Grammy Award for the song Handyman. In the years that followed he did several tours and released albums as Dad Loves His Work andFlag.
In 1982 he divorced Carly Simon and then it became slightly quieter around James Taylor. In October 1985 only appeared his new album that's Why I'm Here. In that year he also married with Kathryn Walker. James Taylor In may 1995 received an honorary doctorate in music from the Berklee College of Music in Boston, Massachusetts. The following year he separated also by Kathryn Walker.
He did a duet with Mark Knopfler on his in september 2000 released album Sailing to Philadelphia.
In the fall of 2007 it appeared live album One Man Band, a recording of his eponymous acoustic concert tour when he played with pianist Larry Golgings only as support.As part of the European part of this tour James Taylor played on 5 april 2008 in the Heineken Music Hall in Amsterdam.
In 2008, he released his new cover cd from, among others, on which he Covers called Suzanne Leonard Cohens , The Temptations' it's Growing and 10 other covers brought out. These were studio-recorded live at the barn of Taylor in January 2008 with musicians such as Steve Gadd Louis Conte, and Lou Marini. In 2009, Taylor an extra cd with the previously unreleased songs that were recorded during the same session. Below are Chuck Berry's Memphis and Tom Waits' Shiver Me Timbers.
In the future, Taylor still several times this way record, perhaps a Covers 2, or a set of his own songs backed up by a Symphony Orchestra. His priority is[citation needed ], however, probably at a new album with new songs in 2009 or 2010, for which he is now in a "write session" is.
Taylor played in the spring of 2011 a small guest appearance in the sixth episode of the sitcom Mr. Sunshine. In this he sang along with Allison Janney the written by Leon Russell song A Song for You .
The first performance that Taylor was in the mid-1980s in Netherlands in Theater Carré in Amsterdam.
James Taylor & Carly Simon's son Ben Taylor has become like his parents a well-known singer-songwriter.
Discography[Edit][]
Albums[Edit][]
| Album (s) with any charts in the
the Dutch Album Top 100 |
Date of
appear |
Date of
entry |
Highest
position |
Number Of
weeks |
Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| James Taylor | 1968 | - | |||
| Sweet baby James | 1970 | - | |||
| James Taylor and the original flying machine | 1971 | - | |||
| Mud slide slim and the blue horizon | 1971 | - | |||
| One man dog | 1972 | - | |||
| Walking man | 1974 | - | |||
| Gorilla | 1975 | - | |||
| In the pocket | 1976 | - | |||
| Greatest hits | 1976 | - | Compilation album | ||
| JT | 1977 | - | |||
| Flag | 1979 | - | |||
| Dad loves his work | 1981 | - | |||
| That's why I'm here | 1985 | - | |||
| Never die young | 1988 | - | |||
| New moon shine | 1991 | - | |||
| Live | 1993 | - | Live Album | ||
| Best live | 1994 | - | Live Album | ||
| Hourglass | 1997 | - | |||
| Greatest hits volume 2 | 2000 | - | Compilation album | ||
| October road | 2002 | 24-08-2002 | 40 | 7 | |
| The best of James Taylor | 2003 | - | Compilation album | ||
| James Taylor: A Christmas album | 2004 | - | |||
| James Taylor at Christmas | 2006 | - | |||
| One man band | 2007 | 19-01-2008 | 90 | 1 | |
| Covers | 26-09-2008 | 04-10-2008 | 85 | 2 | |
| Sings covers | 2009 | 04-07-2009 | 19 | 11 | |
| Live at the Troubadour | 21-05-2010 | 29-05-2010 | 76 | 3 | with Carole King / live album |
Singles[Edit][]
| Single (s) with any charts in the
the Dutch Top 40 |
Date of
appear |
Date of
entry |
Highest
position |
Number Of
weeks |
Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fire and rain | 1970 | 14-11-1970 | 24 | 3 | No. 18 in the Single Top 100 |
| You've got a friend | 1971 | 28-08-1971 | 20 | 5 | No. 14 in the Single Top 100/ Alarm drive |
| (What a) Wonderful world | 1978 | 04-02-1978 | tip19 | - | with Simon & Garfunkel |
| Her town too | 1981 | 14-03-1981 | tip6 | - | with J.D. Souther |
Radio 2 Top 2000[Edit][]
| Number (s) with markings
in the Radio 2 Top 2000 |
' 99 | ' 00 | ' 01 | ' 02 | ' 03 | ' 04 | ' 05 | ' 06 | ' 07 | ' 08 | ' 09 | ' 10 | ' 11 | ' 12 | ' 13 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fire and rain | 1359 | - | 1408 | 1098 | 1152 | 1503 | 1297 | 820 | 987 | 1053 | 682 | 762 | 867 | 765 | 766 |
| You've got a friend | 678 | 1128 | 734 | 583 | 636 | 617 | 647 | 444 | 626 | 564 | 592 | 504 | 718 | 699 | 694 |
| Sailing to Philadelphia
(with Mark Knopfler) |
- | - | - | - | 942 | 427 | 367 | 405 | 515 | 513 | 458 | 393 | 479 | 670 | 582 |