James Taylor
James Taylor | |
|---|---|
Taylor in 1977 | |
| Born | James Vernon Taylor March 12, 1948 Boston, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Occupations |
|
| Years active | 1966–present |
| Spouses | Kathryn Walker
(m. 1985; div. 1995)Caroline Smedvig (m. 2001) |
| Children | 4, including Sally Taylor |
| Father | Isaac M. Taylor |
| Relatives |
|
| Musical career | |
| Origin | Chapel Hill, North Carolina, U.S. |
| Genres | |
| Instruments |
|
| Works | James Taylor discography |
| Labels |
|
| Website | jamestaylor |
| Signature | |
James Vernon Taylor (born March 12, 1948) is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. As a six-time Grammy Award winner, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2000.[4]
Taylor achieved his breakthrough in 1970 with the No. 3 single "Fire and Rain" and had his first No. 1 hit in 1971 with his recording of "You've Got a Friend", written by Carole King in the same year. His 1976 Greatest Hits album was certified Diamond and has sold 11 million copies in the US alone, making it one of the best-selling albums in US history. Following his 1977 album JT, he has retained a large audience over the decades. Every album that he released from 1977 to 2007 sold over 1 million copies; his combined album and single sales in the US is certified at 33 million.[5] He enjoyed a resurgence in chart performance during the late 1990s and 2000s, when he recorded some of his most-awarded work (including Hourglass, October Road, and Covers). He achieved his first number-one album in the US in 2015 with Before This World.[6]
Taylor is also known for his covers, such as "How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved by You)" and "Handy Man", as well as originals such as "Sweet Baby James".[6] He played the leading role in Monte Hellman's 1971 film Two-Lane Blacktop.
- ^ "TULSAWORLD.COM — Soft rock legend James Taylor brings chill factor to BOK Center". JamesTaylor.com. Archived from the original on June 15, 2021. Retrieved March 11, 2022.
- ^ "James Taylor & Soft Rock of the 70's & 80's – Branson Travel Group". Branson Travel Group. May 4, 2021. Archived from the original on March 14, 2022. Retrieved March 11, 2022.
- ^ Donaldson, Gary (2012). The Making of Modern America - The Nation from 1945 to the Present. Rowman & Littlefield. p. 160. ISBN 9781442209572. Retrieved October 11, 2022.
- ^ "James Taylor: inducted in 2000 | The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum". Rockhall.com. Archived from the original on June 24, 2014. Retrieved May 23, 2014.
- ^ "Top Selling Artists". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved September 10, 2025.
- ^ a b "James Taylor Earns His First No. 1 Album on Billboard 200 Chart After 45-Year Wait". Billboard. Archived from the original on August 22, 2015. Retrieved August 25, 2015.