Alexander Robert Taylor (February 28, 1947 – March 12, 1993) was an American singer. Alexander Taylor was the eldest child of Gertrude and Isaac M. Taylor. He was a member of a family which produced a number of musicians, the most famous of whom is

James Taylor James Vernon Taylor (born March 12, 1948) is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. A six-time Grammy Award winner, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2000. He is one of the best-selling music artists of all time, havi ...

, as well as Livingston, Hugh, and Kate Taylor. Alex Taylor had two sons, Edward and James. The elder son, Edward was adopted, and lives in North Carolina; his second son James, who resides on Martha's Vineyard, is the namesake of Alex's brother James, and inspired his uncle's 1970 hit "

Sweet Baby James ''Sweet Baby James'' is the second studio album by American singer-songwriter James Taylor, released on February 1, 1970, by Warner Bros. Records. The album includes two of Taylor's earliest successful singles: " Fire and Rain", and " Country ...

." Alex Taylor traveled around Florida gigging and recording his finest work at a little studio in Tampa called Progressive Music. Taylor suffered a

heart attack A myocardial infarction (MI), commonly known as a heart attack, occurs when blood flow decreases or stops to the coronary artery of the heart, causing damage to the heart muscle. The most common symptom is chest pain or discomfort which ma ...

on March 7, 1993, in Sanford, Florida, while recording a third album at King Snake Records Studio. He died on March 12, 1993 (James's birthday), at age 46. He was survived by his wife Brent B. Taylor, then age 46, of West Tisbury; his two sons; and granddaughters Caroline, Anna Kate, Paige, and Claudia. According to the official ''

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first known for its ...

'' biography of

, Alex Taylor's death has been attributed to

alcoholism Alcoholism is, broadly, any drinking of alcohol that results in significant mental or physical health problems. Because there is disagreement on the definition of the word ''alcoholism'', it is not a recognized diagnostic entity. Predomi ...

Livingston Taylor Livingston Taylor (born November 21, 1950) is an American singer-songwriter and folk musician. Born in Boston and raised in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, he is the brother of singer-songwriter James Taylor, singer-songwriter Kate Taylor, singer ...

has said in an interview that Taylor suddenly stopped breathing while sleeping in a Kingsnake Records studio and that this occurred shortly after Taylor downed almost an entire bottle of

vodka Vodka ( pl, wódka , russian: водка , sv, vodka ) is a clear distilled alcoholic beverage. Different varieties originated in Poland, Russia, and Sweden. Vodka is composed mainly of water and ethanol but sometimes with traces of impuriti ...

("what was for him... not an exceptional amount of booze"). James Taylor wrote his song "Enough To Be On Your Way" with Alex's funeral in mind then changed some of the details to commemorate a fictional "Alice". Livingston Taylor called him "generous to the very fiber of his soul" and "the greatest older brother ever." Livingston also said that Alex supported and protected him during his troubled childhood.

Discography

* '' With Friends and Neighbors'' (1971) * '' Dinnertime'' (1972) * ''Third for Music'' (1974) * ''Live at the Horseshoe Tavern'' (1984) with Dan Aykroyd & the East Coast Funkbusters starring Barbara Holliday, Buck Taylor, Bird Taylor, Paul Shafer and the entire Blues Brothers Band. * ''Voodoo in Me'' (1989) * ''Dancing with the Devil'' (1991)

References

External links

Noel Coppage's review of ''Dinnertime''
2009-10-25) Singers from Massachusetts 1947 births 1993 deaths James Taylor 20th-century American singers Taylor family (show business) Alcohol-related deaths in Florida 20th-century American male singers {{US-musician-stub