Johnnie Taylor

DuranDuran

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Johnnie Harrison Taylor was born on May 5th, 1937 in Crawfordsville, Arkansas. Taylor was the youngest of three siblings. He was raised in West Memphis Arkansas under the watchful eye of his grandmother and he began singing in the church at the age of six. Taylor decided as a child that singing would become his profession and he moved to Kansas City when he was ten. J.T. began performing with a gospel quartet called the Melody Makers who would occasionally perform with the popular gospel group, the Soul Stirrers. During this time, the Souls Stirrers starred renowned vocalist Sam Cooke. Taylor and Cooke soon became good friends and, eventually, Taylor would replace Cooke as the featured vocalist in the Soul Stirrers. The two legendary singers would maintain a friendship and a business relationship until Cooke’s death in 1964.By 1953, Taylor had moved to Chicago and he began performing with the doo-wop group the 5 Echoes. Taylor simultaneously began performing with another group called the Highway Q.C.’s. Taylor’s stint with the Highway Q.C.’s led to his recruitment into the Soul Stirrers in 1958. Taylor remained with the Soul Stirrers for about two years, but he left the group, and Chicago, to relocate in Los Angeles.

In 1961, Taylor transformed himself from a gospel singer to a secular singer by signing a record deal with SAR Records. There, with the help of Sam Cooke, J.T. began recording his first secular tunes including “Rome (Wasn’t Built in a Day)”. However, SAR folded with the death of Cooke. Taylor then set his sights on the two hottest record labels of the day: Stax and Motown. Taylor was indecisive about which company to approach, so he flipped a coin to decide. Taylor’s fate lay with Stax and he began his successful run there in 1966. While at Stax, J.T. recorded with some of America’s greatest musicians, including keyboardists Isaac Hayes and Booker T. Jones. Stax brought in producer Don Davis, whom Taylor would work with for a number of years.

The Stax years produced four number one Billboard R&B hits for Taylor, including the unforgettable soul song “Who’s Making Love”. In 1975, Taylor and producer Don Davis moved their act to Columbia records where they enjoyed Taylor's biggest hit. “Disco Lady” topped the Billboard pop charts in 1976 and became the first single ever to become officially certified platinum for sales of two million copies.In 1984, Taylor moved on to Malaco Records, a blues label based out of Jackson, Mississippi. He continued to record for Malaco throughout the 1990’s. Taylor’s 1996 album Good Love became Malaco’s greatest selling album in its history on the strength of the single “Last Two Dollars”. Taylor’s final album was 1999’s Gotta Get the Groove Back. That album culminated an unbelievable career held by one of the greatest gospel, soul, and Rhythm and Blues singers of the 20th century.


Discography

1967 - Wanted: One Soul Singer - Atlantic
1968 - Who's Makin' Love? - Stax
1969 - The Johnnie Taylor Philosophy Continues - Stax
1969 - Raw Blues - Stax
1970 - Rare Stamps - Stax
1971 - One Step Beyond - Stax
1973 - Taylored in Silk - Stax
1974 - Super Taylor - Stax
1976 - Eargasm - Columbia
1977 - Rated Extraordinaire - Columbia
1977 - Reflections - RCA
1977 - Disco 9000 - Columbia
1978 - Ever Ready - Columbia
1979 - She's Killing Me - Columbia
1980 - New Day - Columbia
1982 - Just Ain't Good Enough - Beverly Glen
1984 - This Is Your Night - Malaco
1986 - Wall to Wall - Malaco
1986 - Lover Boy - Malaco
1988 - In Control - Malaco
1989 - Crazy 'Bout You - Malaco
1990 - Little Bluebird - Stax
1991 - (I Know It's Wrong But I) Just Can't Do Right - Malaco
1994 - Real Love - Malaco
1995 - Take This Heart of Mine - Fania
1996 - Brand New - Malaco
1996 - Good Love! - Malaco
1998 - Taylored to Please - Malaco
1999 - Gotta Get the Groove Back - Malaco
 
Disco Lady (featuring Bootsy Collins on bass)
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Here's a couple of JT's children, Tasha & Floyd:

Stay

You Still Got It

 
Never heard of him before, but I'll be sure to check his music out.
He never really crossed over to the pop charts or a mainstream audience, but to a certain generational group, JT is just as popular as MJ or James Brown, maybe moreso.
 
Johnnie was virtually a legend in the R&B community. The only songs the mainstream pop world knew from him was "Who's Making Love" and "Disco Lady".
 
Johnnie was virtually a legend in the R&B community. The only songs the mainstream pop world knew from him was "Who's Making Love" and "Disco Lady".
It's too bad he's not more widely known. He doesn't get the recognition like other performers like Al Green or Aretha Franklin. But Johnnie had a loyal fanbase, even though he was on Malaco in his later years, which isn't a widely distributed label.
 
That's how I first knew about him. I heard some stuff of his from Malaco before I knew about "Who's Making Love" and "Disco Lady" and all of that. :lol: I first knew Clarence Carter from "Strokin'" and the Dr. C.C. album before I knew he did "Patches" and "Slip Away". I had an interesting childhood, I grew up listening to old school soul artists that my parents had cassette tapes of. :yes:
 
I heard of him before Malaco. I've always heard his music. Stuff like "It's September", "Cheaper To Keep Her", "I've Been Born Again", and so on.
 
Man oh Man!!!! You can not go to a BBQ or Fish Fry at most black people's house without some Johnnie Taylor being played (real loud). Don't get offended, I am black and we jam his stuff from back in the day all the time when we get together as a family.

His Music is still played alot in neighborhood Tavern's in the hood.

His music is such a part of the "black" experience, you may not find a brotha 50 and over who do not have some ol' skool JT.


PLEASE DON'T BE OFFENDED BY MY POST. MR. TAYLOR IS/WAS ONE OF THE BIGGEST STARS IN THE BLACK COMMUNITY. Many people were very upset at his death.
 
^ I doubt anyone would be, you're telling the truth. He was like one of the heroes in the black community in a MUSICAL sense. They didn't call him the "Philosopher of Soul" for nothing. Plus he was one of the forerunners of Southern Soul.

"Cheaper to Keep Her"
"Jody's Got Your Girl and Gone"
"Stop Doggin' Me Around"
"I Had a Dream"
"Take Care of Your Homework"
The aforementioned two, lol.
"Last Two Dollars"
"Soul Heaven"...

I'm sure there's more but you get the gist, lol.
 
There's a couple of radio stations where I live that play his stuff a lot.
 
Thanks Troubleman, I was really worried I had or would offend someone by the "wording" used. But how elese can one explain Johnnie Taylor? , lol.
 
I remember when the song "Good Love" came out. People went crazy over that one, lol. The adult R&B radio station would play it twice in a row!
 
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Man oh Man!!!! You can not go to a BBQ or Fish Fry at most black people's house without some Johnnie Taylor being played (real loud). Don't get offended, I am black and we jam his stuff from back in the day all the time when we get together as a family.

His Music is still played alot in neighborhood Tavern's in the hood.

His music is such a part of the "black" experience, you may not find a brotha 50 and over who do not have some ol' skool JT.


PLEASE DON'T BE OFFENDED BY MY POST. MR. TAYLOR IS/WAS ONE OF THE BIGGEST STARS IN THE BLACK COMMUNITY. Many people were very upset at his death.


You said nothing but the truth
hell you put on some Johnnie Taylor, bobby womack, or tyrone Davis
you shuttin the place down!
these are the artists/music I remember growing up

Johnnie Taylor from gospel to disco to blues........doesn't get the recognition he deserves but so many don't
 
You said nothing but the truth
hell you put on some Johnnie Taylor, bobby womack, or tyrone Davis
you shuttin the place down!
these are the artists/music I remember growing up

Johnnie Taylor from gospel to disco to blues........doesn't get the recognition he deserves but so many don't

I'm not really into Bobby, but I like some of Tyrone's stuff. My mom used to have this Joe Simon poster on the wall, lol, so he was another that was played a lot.
 
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