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With his sensitive and gentle acoustic styling, James Taylor became one of the leaders of the singer/songwriter revolution of the early 1970s, taking his rightful place next to other greats like Jackson Browne, Joni Mitchell and Carly Simon, whom he would later marry. Taylor was born March 12, 1948 in Belmont, Massachusetts, but soon moved near Chapel Hill, North Carolina with his affluent family. He learned to play the cello as a youngster, but switched to the guitar in 1960. Taylor moved to London in 1968 and was quickly signed to the Beatles’ label, Apple, but h Continued...

e didn’t become a breakout success until he moved to California and recorded his second album, Sweet Baby James on Warner records. The album contained the runaway hit “Fire and Rain,” about a friend of his who had committed suicide. 1976’s Greatest Hits album, which included some re-recordings of James Taylor songs from the Apple era, became the artists best-selling work, was certified diamond and went onto sell more than 11 million copies.
Switching to Columbia Records, James Taylor's 1977 debut for the label, JT, reunited him with producer Peter Asher and furnished a smash hit with a remake of Jimmy Jones's "Handy Man," a major hit with "Your Smiling Face," and a minor country hit with "Bartender's Blues," a smash country hit for George Jones in 1978. Early that year Taylor had a major pop and top easy-listening hit with Sam Cooke's "Wonderful World," recorded with Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel for Garfunkel's album Watermark. After scoring a major hit with Carole King and Gerry Goffin's "Up on the Roof" from Flag, Taylor scored his last major pop hit in 1981 with "Her Town Too," recorded with J. D. Souther. He continued to record and perform in the 1980s and 90s, ultimately recording 15 solo studio albums and garnering five Grammy Awards. PBS recently broadcast A Tribute to James Taylor, which featured a host of artists playing James Taylor songs, as well as their own material. Taylor has braved battles with drug addiction and depression and has come out on top in the end as a baby boomer favorite and a respected member of music’s elite.