Singer: James Taylor
He'll always be Sweet Baby James. Photo uploaded by unctv.org.
I’m not sure James Taylor would approve of this description, but the word that comes to mind when I think about him is “mellow.” Even when his music rocks a bit, it’s a mellow rock. And when he’s reminiscing about his life, he’s in full mettle mellow.
He knew, and everyone who heard him agreed, that he had a unique musical talent. In fact, he was the first non-British act ever signed to the Beatles’ Apple Records. But it took him a number of years to find the right combination of producer and material, and for the public to be ready to appreciate him. That all came together in 1970 when his album Sweet Baby James
I bet he doesn't even remember having this much hair. Uploaded to Flickr by looing for a cause.
The song that took off, and took James with it, was “Fire and Rain.” It featured his mellow vocals (yeah, I said it again) and distinctive guitar style interpreting some very poignant lyrics. The song and the album both made it to number three on the Billboard charts.
As I mention some of James’s great songs
As for honors, he’s won five Grammys, and is in both the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Songwriters Hall of Fame. And he’s ranked number 84 in Rolling Stone’s list of “The Immortals: 100 Greatest Artists of All Time.”
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DjKnHAKtYFA&hl=en&fs=1&]