James Taylor is an American folk musician. The hits "Fire and Rain", "You've Got a Friend" brought him fame. His Greatest Hits CD has become a diamond. Musician, five-time Grammy winner. Since 2005, Taylor has been inducted into the American Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
James Vernon Taylor was born in Boston, in 1948, on March 12. The father of the future celebrity was a fairly well-known doctor, the mother at one time was considered a promising opera singer. However, after the wedding, she completely immersed herself in family life.
Finding a destination
Of the five children of Gertrude, Woodard James was the second. With a three-year-old future famous musician, the whole family moved to North Carolina. The reason for the change of place of residence was the rise of the father.
Isaac Taylor became an assistant professor at the State University School of Medicine. The family settled in Morgan Creek. Later, the musician admitted that he owes much of his formation to the calmness and silence radiated by the local hills.
James went to a regular school. His first instrument was the cello. However, after getting to know the guitar in 1960, the young man fell forever under its charm. The unique playing style was created based on the music of Woody Gantry.
The musician created the technique on the basis of his preparation for playing the cello. In the fall of 1961, Taylor began his visit to the Milton Academy. It hosted preparatory courses.
James was already convinced of his dedication to folk music and his musical tastes were fully formed. Music group Taylor met the talented and ambitious guitarist Danny Kortchmar. A common language was found quickly, young people began to play together. Taylor was constantly improving his technique. Since 1963 the buddies have performed as a duo "Jamie and Kutch".
Last year at Milton hasn't been an easy one. The whole situation had a depressing effect on the musician. He returned home to complete his high school studies. The good news was the invitation to join the music group of his older brother.
Initially the band was called "The Corsayers", then changed the name to "The Fabulous Corsairs". The guy had to return to Milton already in 1965. The young man quickly fell into depression due to unhappy prospects. As a result, he ended up in the hospital for nine whole months.
New team
James was discharged from the clinic at the insistence of his friend Danny Kortchmar. Both moved to New York. The young musicians decided to found their own band. It consisted of a drummer and bassist.
The guys named the group "Flying Machine". They began to sing compositions written by James. By the summer of 1966, performances at the prestigious Greenwich Village Night Owl Cafe were regular.
New singles came out one after another. However, the group did not last long. Soon the Flying Machine fell apart. James realized that he was on the brink again. He turned to his father. He immediately took his son home.
He remained in the rehabilitation center for about six months. He had to undergo surgery on his vocal cords, which the musician damaged during one of the performances. In 1967 James moved to London. He began performing solo.
The musician managed to get in touch with Peter Escher, who collaborated with Apple Records. As a result, a contract was signed. At the end of 1968, Taylor's first disc was released. The premiere did not cause a stir.
In 1969, the musician performed at the Newport Festival. The audience sang along to the performer in the pouring rain. James was seriously injured in an accident soon after. He could not perform, but he created new works.
Success and awards
By the end of 1969, a contract was signed with Warner Bros. Records . Released in 1970, the album Sweet Baby James was a success. At the same time, success came to the first disc. The compositions were at the top of the charts. James also tried his hand at movies.
He starred in the movie Two-Lane Blacktop, but didn't like the experience. In 1971, the musician was awarded the Grammy for Best Male Vocal Show. In late 1972, they released a new album, One Man Dog.
At the very beginning of 1973, work began on a new disc with Paul and Linda McCartney and David Spinoza. The project turned out to be a failure. A year later, Taylor's Gorilla disc turned out to be a success.
The song from it "Loved You You" climbed to the top lines of the national charts. In November 1976, a disc with the best works of the famous musician of 1970-1976 was released. It went platinum six times.
The second Grammy was awarded to James in February 1978 for his work, the hit "Handy Man". Touring activities began in the early 1980s. After the last "Dad Loves His Work", James did not start new projects.
In 1985, he thought about retirement. Family and Music In memory of his performance in Brazil in 1985, the musician created the song "Only a Dream in Rio", included in the album "That’s Why I’m Here".
Music and family
It was followed in 1988 and 1991 by Never Die Young and New Moon Shine. For six years James hasn't released anything new. Then the world heard "Hourglass".
Many compositions have become true confessions of James. In the 2000s, Taylor released three albums. The last of them, "Before This World" for the first time in a long career as a musician, climbed to the top of the Billboard-200 chart.
James is happy in his personal life. The first marriage took place in 1972 with Carly Simon, a singer. They had two children. Ben and Sally have chosen musical careers.
The reason for the couple's divorce in 1983 was a difference in views. James married again two years later. He became the husband of actress Catherine Walker. In 1996, the couple broke up.
His third wife is Caroline Smedving. The family has two twins. Immediately after the birth of the kids, the musician and his wife moved to Lenox.
