Livingston Taylor (born November 21, 1950) is an American singer-songwriter and folk musician. Born in

Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...

and raised in

Chapel Hill, North Carolina Chapel Hill is a town in Orange, Durham and Chatham counties in the U.S. state of North Carolina. Its population was 61,960 in the 2020 census, making Chapel Hill the 17th-largest municipality in the state. Chapel Hill, Durham, and the state ...

, he is the brother of singer-songwriter

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 List of best-selling music artists, best-sell ...

, singer-songwriter

Kate Taylor Kate Taylor (born August 15, 1949) is an American singer-songwriter, originally from Boston, Massachusetts. She is the younger (and only) sister of renowned singer-songwriter James Taylor, a six-time Grammy winner. Biography Taylor was born ...

, singer Alex Taylor, and innkeeper and singer Hugh Taylor.Paul, Donna
"A Quiet Place to Make Music and Putter"
''New York Times'', April 23, 2009. Retrieved November 19, 2017. Taylor is most notable for his ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large adverti ...

'' hits "I Will Be In Love With You", "First Time Love", and "I'll Come Running".MusicVF.com.
Livingston Taylor Top Songs
. Retrieved November 19, 2017. He continues to perform nationally and internationally, and has collaborated with

Linda Ronstadt Linda Maria Ronstadt (born July 15, 1946) is a retired American singer who performed and recorded in diverse genres including rock, country, light opera, the Great American Songbook, and Latin. She has earned 11 Grammy Awards, three American ...

Jimmy Buffett James William Buffett (born December 25, 1946) is an American singer-songwriter, musician, author, and businessman. He is best known for his music, which often portrays an "island escapism" lifestyle. Together with his Coral Reefer Band, Buffe ...

, Jethro Tull, and his brother

. He has been a faculty member at

Berklee College of Music Berklee College of Music is a private music college in Boston, Massachusetts. It is the largest independent college of contemporary music in the world. Known for the study of jazz and modern American music, it also offers college-level cours ...

since 1989.

Early life

Taylor was born to parents Isaac M. "Ike" Taylor and Gertrude "Trudy" Taylor in Boston, Massachusetts. He grew up in North Carolina when his father, a physician, accepted a position at the

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United State ...

.Harris, Craig
Livingston Taylor – Bio.
AllMusic.com. Retrieved November 19, 2017. His mother had been a student at the Music Conservatory in Boston.Conway, Terry
Livingston Taylor: Entertainer Extraordinaire.
WFIT radio. January 9, 2018. He was the fourth of five children, his siblings being

Alex Alex is a given name. It can refer to a shortened version of Alexander, Alexandra, Alexis. People Multiple *Alex Brown (disambiguation), multiple people *Alex Gordon (disambiguation), multiple people *Alex Harris (disambiguation), multiple p ...

(1947–1993), James (born 1948),

Kate Kate name may refer to: People and fictional characters * Kate (given name), a list of people and fictional characters with the given name or nickname * Gyula Káté (born 1982), Hungarian amateur boxer * Lauren Kate (born 1981), American autho ...

(born 1949), and Hugh (born 1952). At an early age, Taylor built a repertoire of folk songs. "From his high chair in the kitchen, little Liv memorized the radio jingle for snuff, chanting 'If your snuff's too strong, it wrong. Get Tuberose.'"White, Timothy. ''James Taylor: Long Ago and Far Away'', Omnibus Press, London, 2001. . His mother, Trudy, recounted that Taylor "was always inventing things". "He and James would make a stringed instrument out of a gourd, or a gut-bucket bass from a broom pole and a washtub, or a flute out of a garden hose, or drums out of cans." Family sing-a-longs took place as a way for Trudy to pass the time while her husband was away. During those early family musical performances, James played cello, Alex played violin, Kate dulcimer, and Livingston banjo. As recounted by James, "We sang African songs, union songs, folk hymns and radio jingles.

Lead Belly Huddie William Ledbetter (; January 20, 1888 – December 6, 1949), better known by the stage name Lead Belly, was an American folk and blues singer notable for his strong vocals, virtuosity on the twelve-string guitar, and the folk sta ...

Pete Seeger Peter Seeger (May 3, 1919 – January 27, 2014) was an American folk singer and social activist. A fixture on nationwide radio in the 1940s, Seeger also had a string of hit records during the early 1950s as a member of the Weavers, notabl ...

Woody Guthrie Woodrow Wilson Guthrie (; July 14, 1912 – October 3, 1967) was an American singer-songwriter, one of the most significant figures in American folk music. His work focused on themes of American socialism and anti-fascism. He has inspire ...

and

The Weavers The Weavers were an American folk music quartet based in the Greenwich Village area of New York City originally consisting of Lee Hays, Pete Seeger, Ronnie Gilbert, and Fred Hellerman. Founded in 1948, the group sang traditional folk songs fr ...

were the records we most listened to. It was their mother, Trudy, who was the catalyst for the children to create their own songs. One day while in the kitchen, she held up a can of vegetables saying: "Why don't you invent an ad jingle about this can of food?" "Alex, James, and Livingston took up their banjo, cello and harmonica and began to improvise some musical sloganeering as Kate and Trudy joined in." These impromptu performances were christened the "kitchen concerts" by Trudy. They would continue until the children were old enough to leave home for their secondary education at boarding schools. When Livingston was eight, his mother took him and his siblings to Europe, crossing the Atlantic on the ''New Amsterdam''. Their father, Ike, met them in Europe and they all returned home on the ''Ile De France''.Taylor Livingston. ''Stage Performance''. Mentor Publishing, Boston, MA, 2011. . Taylor credits his eldest brother, Alex, for inspiring him, at age 13, to be a musician after Alex returned home one evening having earned $20 performing at a fraternity party. Livingston picked up the guitar and became quite accomplished by age 17.Kotsopoulos, Mik
For Livingston Taylor, Hospitality Is Heartbeat of Performance.
''The Vineyard Gazette'', June 30, 2016. Retrieved November 19, 2017. The Taylor family started vacationing on

Martha's Vineyard Martha's Vineyard, often simply called the Vineyard, is an island in the Northeastern United States, located south of Cape Cod in Dukes County, Massachusetts, known for being a popular, affluent summer colony. Martha's Vineyard includes the ...

in the early 1950s, and Livingston has spent every summer there. His parents bought a home there in 1963, and in 1977 Livingston purchased his own 300-square-foot home for $111,000. He refers to the small home as "The Camp".

Career

1960s

Taylor began playing music in public for pay in 1963. In Chapel Hill, he was part of a folk trio with guitarist Paul Collins and singer Kim Packer. They covered hits by

The Kingston Trio The Kingston Trio is an American folk and pop music group that helped launch the folk revival of the late 1950s to the late 1960s. The group started as a San Francisco Bay Area nightclub act with an original lineup of Dave Guard, Bob Shane, ...

and

Peter, Paul and Mary Peter, Paul and Mary was an American folk group formed in New York City in 1961 during the American folk music revival phenomenon. The trio consisted of tenor Peter Yarrow, baritone Paul Stookey, and contralto Mary Travers. The group's reper ...

. In junior high he was in a rock group for a short period of time. His first serious attempt at songwriting came in 1966 while he was completing his secondary school education at McLean's Arlington School. He says that that first song, "I'm Searching for a Miracle", was "terrible", but his second attempt, a song titled "Good Friends", became part of his folk setlist for the next four decades. In 1968, Manny Greenhill, who had managed

Joan Baez Joan Chandos Baez (; born January 9, 1941) is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and activist. Her contemporary folk music often includes songs of protest and social justice. Baez has performed publicly for over 60 years, releasing more ...

for a time, got him a booking at a YMCA in Worcester, which led to some shows at

Boston University Boston University (BU) is a private research university in Boston, Massachusetts. The university is nonsectarian, but has a historical affiliation with the United Methodist Church. It was founded in 1839 by Methodists with its original cam ...

. It was during one of those shows at BU that he had the opportunity to open for

Joni Mitchell Roberta Joan "Joni" Mitchell ( Anderson; born November 7, 1943) is a Canadian-American musician, producer, and painter. Among the most influential singer-songwriters to emerge from the 1960s folk music circuit, Mitchell became known for her st ...

.Cryns, Jim.
The Other Taylor Comes to Town.
''Urban Milwaukee'', April 4, 2017. Retrieved January 9, 2018. Around this time, Jon Landau suggested to Taylor that he approach the Macon, Georgia-based Capricorn Records founded by

Phil Walden Phil Walden (January 11, 1940 – April 23, 2006) was a co-founder of the Macon, Georgia-based Capricorn Records, along with former Atlantic Records executive Frank Fenter. Biography Walden received his undergraduate degree in economics from M ...

and

Jerry Wexler Jerry may refer to: Animals * Jerry (Grand National winner), racehorse, winner of the 1840 Grand National * Jerry (St Leger winner), racehorse, winner of 1824 St Leger Stakes Arts, entertainment, and media * ''Jerry'' (film), a 2006 Indian fil ...

1970s

Taylor was one of the first artists to sign with Capricorn Records in 1970. Landau gathered session players Pete Carr (guitar), Paul Hornsby (keyboards), Robert Popwell (bass) and

Johnny Sandlin John Everett Sandlin Jr. (April 16, 1945 – September 19, 2017) was an American recording engineer and record producer. He is best known for producing albums by bands such as the Allman Brothers Band, Widespread Panic, Wet Willie, and Col. Bruce ...

(drums). "We made a lot of the album in Macon, and then we came up to Boston to finish off a few vocals...and then we mixed it in Detroit because Jon was recording an album with a group called MC5." Taylor's debut album, '' Livingston Taylor'', was produced by Landau (who would later produce

Bruce Springsteen Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen (born September 23, 1949) is an American singer and songwriter. He has released 21 studio albums, most of which feature his backing band, the E Street Band. Originally from the Jersey Shore, he is an originato ...

) and included the song "Carolina Day".Gilbert, Barry
Livingston Taylor shares love of music with fans, students.
''St. Louis Post-Dispatch'', March 12, 2013. Retrieved November 19, 2017. "Carolina Day" peaked at No. 93 on the Billboard Top-100 chart.Billboard.com
Livingston Taylor: Chart History.
Retrieved November 19, 2017. The debut album included ten originals written by Taylor and one cover: "Six Days on the Road" penned by Earl Greene and Carl Montgomery. By 1970 Taylor's parents, Ike and Trudy, were legally separated. Several of the Taylor children moved north from North Carolina. Livingston and his then-girlfriend Margaret "Maggie" Shea moved into a cottage in

Weston, Massachusetts Weston is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, about 15 miles west of Boston. At the time of the 2020 United States Census, the population of Weston was 11,851. Weston was incorporated in 1713, and protection of the town's historic resourc ...

. The following year, Taylor's second album, '' Liv'', also on Capricorn Records and produced by Landau, was released.AllMusic.com
Livingston Taylor: Discography .
AllMusic.com. Retrieved November 19, 2017. It included the song "Get Out of Bed" which peaked at No. 97 on Billboard. Once again, Joe Viglione penned the AllMusic review, stating that "Get Out of Bed" "is a brilliant and exciting slice of pop music" and that "with the understated production of Jon Landau, Livingston's beautiful heartfelt vocals make this an extraordinary work of art."Viglione, Joe
Livingstone Taylor: Album Review.
AllMusic.com. Retrieved November 19, 2017. Taylor's third and final album on Capricorn, '' Over the Rainbow'' was released in 1973 and features guest vocalists James Taylor and

Carly Simon Carly Elisabeth Simon (born June 25, 1943) is an American singer-songwriter, memoirist, and children's author. She rose to fame in the 1970s with a string of hit records; her 13 Top 40 U.S. hits include " Anticipation" (No. 13), " The Right Th ...

on his original "Be My New Horizon". In her album review, Denise Sullivan wrote that the title track was "an inspired vocal version" of a song that has been interpreted by many others.Sullivan, Denise
Livingston Taylor: Album Review.
AllMusic.com. Retrieved November 19, 2017. Taylor left Capricorn Records and released the first of two albums on Epic Records, '' Three Way Mirror'', in 1978. The album featured "I Will Be In Love With You," which peaked at No. 30 on Billboard, and "Going Round One More Time," a song that was later recorded by his brother

for his 1985 album ''

That's Why I'm Here ''That's Why I'm Here'' is the eleventh studio album by singer-songwriter James Taylor released in 1985, four years after his previous effort, ''Dad Loves His Work''. The album contains a version of Buddy Holly's "Everyday", as well as the parti ...

''. Livingston Taylor promoted ''Three Way Mirror'' when he toured with

as her opening act. In 1979, Capricorn Records released ''

Echoes Echoes may refer to: * Echo (phenomenon) Film and television * ''Echoes'' (2014 film), an American supernatural horror film * ''Echoes'' (miniseries), a 2022 Netflix original drama series * "Echoes" (''Fear Itself''), an episode of ''Fear Itse ...

'', a collection of songs from Taylor's first three albums that included "I Will Be In Love With You." In '' Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies'' (1981),

Robert Christgau Robert Thomas Christgau ( ; born April 18, 1942) is an American music journalist and essayist. Among the most well-known and influential music critics, he began his career in the late 1960s as one of the earliest professional rock critics and ...

appraised the compilation and Taylor's career up to that point: "Vocally, Liv is almost James's twin but not quite—he adds a touch of depth to the lissome drawl and subtracts all wow and flutter. Since what makes James unique is also what makes him repulsive, I find Liv more likable but less interesting—especially given his songwriting, which this best-of, drawn from his three early '70s LPs, makes the best of. I ask you, what good is a funny voice without a sense of humor?" During the 1970s, Taylor appeared on several nationally televised variety shows including ''The Midnight Special'', '' Dinah!'' (hosted by

Dinah Shore Dinah Shore (born Frances Rose Shore; February 29, 1916 – February 24, 1994) was an American singer, actress, and television personality, and the top-charting female vocalist of the 1940s. She rose to prominence as a recording artist during ...

), ''

The Mike Douglas Show ''The Mike Douglas Show'' was an American daytime television talk show that was hosted by Mike Douglas. It began as a local program in Cleveland before being carried on other stations owned by Westinghouse Broadcasting. The show went into natio ...

'' and ''

American Bandstand ''American Bandstand'', abbreviated ''AB'', is an American music-performance and dance television program that aired in various versions from 1952 to 1989, and was hosted from 1956 until its final season by Dick Clark, who also served as the pr ...

''.Internet Movie Database
Livingston Taylor.
IMDb. Retrieved November 23, 2017.

1980s

In 1980 Taylor released his second album on the Epic label, ''

Man's Best Friend "Man's best friend" is a common phrase used to describe domestic dogs, referring to their millennia-long history of close relations, loyalty, friendship, and companionship with humans. The first recorded use of a related phrase is by Frederick ...

'', which was produced by John Boylan and Jeff Baxter. The album contained the songs: "First Time Love," and "Pajamas" (sometimes known as "I've Got My Pajamas On"), which was later adapted into a book for children written by Taylor and his wife, Maggie.Dooley P. Pajamas (Book). School Library Journal erial online November 1988;35(3):96. Available from: MasterFILE Main Edition, Ipswich, MA. Accessed November 19, 2017. In his album review, Joe Viglione wrote that "''Man's Best Friend'' boasts superb musicianship, high production values, good song selection, beautiful vocal performances from Livingston Taylor, and an impressive cast of guest stars who do not get in the way of the singer/songwriter". Guest vocalists included

Carla Thomas Carla Venita Thomas (born December 21, 1942) is an American singer, who is often referred to as the Queen of Memphis Soul. Thomas is best known for her 1960s recordings for Atlantic and Stax including the hits "Gee Whiz (Look at His Eyes)" (1 ...

and

Don Henley Donald Hugh Henley (born July 22, 1947) is an American musician and a founding member of the rock band Eagles. He is the drummer and one of the lead singers for the Eagles. Henley sang the lead vocals on Eagles hits such as " Witchy Woman", "Des ...

.Viglione, Joe
Livingston Taylor: Album Review.
AllMusic.com. Retrieved November 20, 2017. In 1982, Taylor made an appearance on ''

Late Night with David Letterman ''Late Night with David Letterman'' is an American late-night talk show hosted by David Letterman on NBC, the first iteration of the ''Late Night'' franchise. It premiered on February 1, 1982, and was produced by Letterman's production compa ...

''. In 1984, Taylor hosted a nationally syndicated television show, similar to

called '' This Week's Music''. In some markets the show aired 5 days weekly. Musical guests included

Paul McCartney Sir James Paul McCartney (born 18 June 1942) is an English singer, songwriter and musician who gained worldwide fame with the Beatles, for whom he played bass guitar and shared primary songwriting and lead vocal duties with John Lennon. One ...

and

Jon Bon Jovi John Francis Bongiovi Jr. (born March 2, 1962), known professionally as Jon Bon Jovi, is an American singer, songwriter, guitarist, and actor. He is best known as the founder and frontman of the rock band Bon Jovi, which was formed in 1983. He ...

.Internet Movie Database
This Week in Music: Full Cast and Crew.
IMDb. Retrieved November 20, 2017. In 1986, Livingston and his siblings, James, Kate, Hugh, and Alex Taylor played live on

Today (American TV program) ''Today'' (also called ''The Today Show'' or informally, ''NBC News Today'') is an American news and talk morning television show that airs weekdays from 7:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. on NBC. The program debuted on January 14, 1952. It ...

on Christmas morning. In 1988, Taylor's first of two children's books, ''Pajamas'', co-written with his wife, Maggie Taylor was published by

Harcourt (publisher) Harcourt () was an American publishing firm with a long history of publishing fiction and nonfiction for adults and children. The company was last based in San Diego, California, with editorial/sales/marketing/rights offices in New York City an ...

. In her review for ''School Library Journal'', Patricia Dooley wrote "If we knew the tune we could hum along: the lyrics of a children's song make up the text of this bedtime book. She goes on to say that the illustrator "Bowers has provided cuddly-looking acrylics, a smug little kid, and a passle of appealing stuffed animals." Taylor's one album on the

Sony Records Sony Records was a record label founded by R&B duo Ike & Tina Turner in 1963. It was not affiliated with Sony Group Corporation. Ike Turner produced singles by members of the Kings of Rhythm and the Ikettes on Sony Records. Records on the ...

label, ''Life Is Good'', was produced by

Artie Traum Arthur Roy Traum (April 3, 1943 – July 20, 2008) was an American guitarist, songwriter, and producer. Traum's work appeared on more than 35 albums. He produced and recorded with The Band, Arlen Roth, Warren Bernhardt, Pat Alger, Tony Levin, ...

and Scott Petito and released in 1988. "The tribute to

Louis Armstrong Louis Daniel Armstrong (August 4, 1901 – July 6, 1971), nicknamed "Satchmo", "Satch", and "Pops", was an American trumpeter and Singing, vocalist. He was among the most influential figures in jazz. His career spanned five decades and se ...

is an essential element of Taylor's ability to put together albums that are extraordinary in their perfection."Viglione, Joe
Livingstone Taylor: Album Review.
Retrieved November 20, 2017. The following year the album was the winner of the 1989 Boston Music Award for Outstanding Folk Album.Boston Music Awards
Boston Music Awards 1989 Winners.
Retrieved January 10, 2018. In 1989, he began teaching the class ''stage performance'' at the

in Boston. (See additional details in Berklee section below.) On November 21, 1989, his 39th birthday, Taylor made a decision to give up alcohol and pursue a lifelong dream of flying. He bought an airplane and enrolled in aviation classes. In the late 1980s, Taylor wrote and performed the theme songs for two local Boston-area TV programs: the children's series '' A Likely Story'' (produced by

WCVB-TV WCVB-TV (channel 5) is a television station in Boston, Massachusetts, United States, affiliated with ABC and owned by Hearst Television. The station's studios are located on TV Place (off Gould Street near the I-95/ MA 128/Highland Avenue ...

) and the weeknight infotainment program ''

Evening Magazine ''Evening Magazine'' is the name of various news and entertainment-style local television shows in different markets. Concept On August 9, 1976, Westinghouse (Group W) Broadcasting-owned KPIX in San Francisco debuted a locally-produced magazi ...

'' (produced by

WBZ-TV WBZ-TV (channel 4) is a television station in Boston, Massachusetts, United States, airing programming from the CBS network. It is owned and operated by the network's CBS News and Stations division alongside independent station WSBK-TV (ch ...

1990s

Taylor worked with Traum and Petito again on the 1991 release ''Our Turn to Dance''. In his album review, Jim Worbois wrote: "A talented songwriter in his own right (and most of the album is written or co-written by him) he's a good judge of other people's songs. Two fine examples are 'No Easy Way to Break Somebody's Heart' by

Barry Mann Barry Mann (born Barry Imberman; February 9, 1939) is an American songwriter and musician, and part of a successful songwriting partnership with his wife, Cynthia Weil. He has written or co-written 53 hits in the UK and 98 in the US. Early li ...

(Yup, the 'Who Put the Bomp' guy) and the

Jerome Kern Jerome David Kern (January 27, 1885 – November 11, 1945) was an American composer of musical theatre and popular music. One of the most important American theatre composers of the early 20th century, he wrote more than 700 songs, used in ove ...

classic 'The Way You Look Tonight.'"Worbois, Jim
Livingstone Taylor: Album Review.
AllMusic.com. Retrieved November 20, 2017. '' Good Friends'', on the Chesky label, was released in 1993. The second of Taylor's children's books, ''Can I Be Good?'' was published by

in 1993. In her review for ''School Library Journal'', Kate McClelland wrote that the book is "a rhyming story about a fully grown, high-spirited golden retriever who has trouble behaving." She goes on to say that illustrator

Ted Rand Ted Rand (1916-2005) was an illustrator who illustrated children's novels in his 60s, 70s, and 80s. He was born in 1916 on Mercer Island, WA. He started drawing early in his youth, traveled the world, and did portraits and advertising illustrations ...

"has caught this fractious dog's every mood-playfulness, boredom, shame, and remorse" and that the book is "unlikely to be a shelf-sitter."McClelland K. Book review: Preschool & primary grades. School Library Journal erial online October 1993;39(10):112. Available from: MasterFILE Main Edition, Ipswich, MA. Accessed November 21, 2017. ''

Publishers Weekly ''Publishers Weekly'' (''PW'') is an American weekly trade news magazine targeted at publishers, librarians, booksellers, and literary agents. Published continuously since 1872, it has carried the tagline, "The International News Magazine of ...

'' also reviewed ''Can I Be Good?''. Diane Roback and Elizabeth Devereaux wrote: "Children will see themselves in the gleeful activities of a golden retriever who finds that ''it's awfully hard to be good.''" They go on to say that "Taylor's rhyming prose snaps along merrily, upbeat in tempo yet tinged with wry melancholy that reflects the naughty dog's exasperation."Roback, Diane and Devereaux, Elizabeth
''Can I Be Good?'' – Livingston Taylor.
''Publishers Weekly'', August 30, 1993, Vol. 240, Issue 35, p. 96. Retrieved November 21, 2017. An album of live concert recordings, ''Unsolicited Material'', again on the Chesky label, was released in 1994. The album "captured the warm-hearted fun of Taylor's concerts and ranged from humorous tunes including Andy Breckman's "Railroad Bill" and "The Dollar Bill Song," a medley of "Songs That Should Never Be Played on the Banjo," and the originals "Jacques Cousteau" and "I Hate Country Music" to heartfelt renditions of

Hoagy Carmichael Hoagland Howard Carmichael (November 22, 1899 – December 27, 1981) was an American musician, composer, songwriter, actor and lawyer. Carmichael was one of the most successful Tin Pan Alley songwriters of the 1930s, and was among the first ...

's "Heart and Soul" and

Earl Scruggs Earl Eugene Scruggs (January 6, 1924 – March 28, 2012) was an American musician noted for popularizing a three-finger banjo picking style, now called "Scruggs style", which is a defining characteristic of bluegrass music. His three-finge ...

' "Earl's Breakdown." For his 1996 Chesky label release ''Bicycle'', Taylor "assembled a diverse backing group (which features his brother James) and dug into a set of songs that were rootiser and more eclectic than much of his previous work".Batdorf, Rodney
Livingston Taylor: Album Review.
AllMusic.com. Retrieved November 20, 2017. "Boatman" a song on the ''Bicycle'' album was later recorded by his brother James in 1997. ''Ink'', a collection of R&B cover songs, was released on the Chesky label in 1997. "Songs made famous by

Ray Charles Ray Charles Robinson Sr. (September 23, 1930 – June 10, 2004) was an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. He is regarded as one of the most iconic and influential singers in history, and was often referred to by contemporaries as "The Ge ...

, The Jackson Five, and

Stevie Wonder Stevland Hardaway Morris ( Judkins; May 13, 1950), known professionally as Stevie Wonder, is an American singer-songwriter, who is credited as a pioneer and influence by musicians across a range of genres that include rhythm and blues, pop, s ...

are re-imagined via the gentle, genial imagination of Livingston Taylor."AllMusicRevie
Livingston Taylor: Album Review.
AllMusic.com. Retrieved November 20, 2017. In 1998, an eighteen track retrospective of the first decade of Taylor's career, ''Carolina Day: The Livingston Taylor Collection'' was released. In 1999 a second live album ''Snapshot: Live at the Iron Horse'' was released. It included "My Father's Eyes", a tribute to his father.

2000s

In the spring of 2001, as his new home on

was completed, he separated from his wife Maggie after 25 years of marriage. From 2000 through September 2006, Taylor was artist-in-residence at

Lowell House Lowell House is one of twelve undergraduate residential Houses at Harvard University, located at 10 Holyoke Place facing Mount Auburn Street between Harvard Yard and the Charles River. Officially, it is named for the Lowell family, but an orna ...

.Boyne, Dan
A Lesson with Liv.
''Harvard Magazine'', November–December 2006. Retrieved November 20, 2017. A second retrospective was released in 2005 with ''20th Century Masters – The Millennium Collection: The Best of Livingston Taylor''. In 2006 Taylor released his first studio album in nine years, ''

There You Are Again ''There You Are Again'' is an album by American singer-songwriter 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 ...

''. In his review, Hal Horowitz wrote: "The extended wait between albums has paid off in the immaculate production devoted to each song."Horowitz, Hal
Livingston Taylor: Album Review.
AllMusic.com. Retrieved November 22, 2017. Musicians include drummer

Steve Gadd Stephen Kendall Gadd (born April 9, 1945) is an American drummer, percussionist, and session musician. Gadd is one of the best-known and highly regarded session and studio drummers in the industry, recognized by his induction into the '' Modern ...

, keyboardist

Matt Rollings Matt Rollings is a Grammy Award-winning American composer, keyboard player and record producer. Known mainly for playing in Lyle Lovett's Large Band, Rollings has worked with many artists, not all country. Matt won the 'Best Traditional Pop Voc ...

, saxist

David Sanborn David William Sanborn (born July 30, 1945) is an American alto saxophonist. Though Sanborn has worked in many genres, his solo recordings typically blend jazz with instrumental pop and R&B. He released his first solo album ''Taking Off'' in 19 ...

, and bass player

Leland Sklar Leland Bruce Sklar (born May 28, 1947) is an American bassist and session musician. Sklar rose to prominence as a member of James Taylor's backing band, which coaleced into a group in its own right, The Section. This group of musicians so frequ ...

. Taylor's brother, James, and sister, Kate, provide backup vocals on "There I'll Be". Additional backup vocals are provided by

Vince Gill Vincent Grant Gill (born April 12, 1957) is an American country music singer, songwriter and musician. He has achieved commercial success and fame both as frontman of the country rock band Pure Prairie League in the 1970s and as a solo artist ...

and Pam Tillis while former sister-in-law

sings a duet with Taylor on "Best of Friends".Mayer T. Livingston Taylor to observe in Oriental. Sun Journal (New Bern, NC) erial online March 2, 2006;Available from: Newspaper Source Plus, Ipswich, MA. Accessed November 23, 2017. Spiritual overtones are evident on two tracks:

Andraé Crouch Andraé Edward Crouch (July 1, 1942 – January 8, 2015) was an American gospel singer, songwriter, arranger, record producer and pastor. Referred to as "the father of modern gospel music" by contemporary Christian and gospel music profes ...

conducts the New Day Jubilee Gospel ChoirArgyrakis, And
Going Live with Liv.
'Christianity Today'', February 13, 2006. Retrieved November 19, 2017. on "Step by Step" and the a cappela choir Take 6 helps out on "Tell Jesus (To Come to My House).

2010s

In 2010 Taylor released ''

Last Alaska Moon ''Last Alaska Moon'' is an album by Livingston Taylor released by Coconut Bay, a division of Chesky Records, in 2010. The album was very well received. Track listing # ''Last Alaska Moon'' (Livingston Taylor) - 3:12 # ''Everybody's Just Like Me' ...

'', produced by Glenn Rosenstein. Musicians include bassist Leland Sklar; drummer Steve Gadd; guitarists

, Chris Rodriguez, and J.T. Corenflos; keyboardist Shane Keister, and vocalist

Andrea Zonn Andrea Elizabeth Zonn (born 1969) is a singer and fiddle player who grew up in Urbana, Illinois. She grew up in an environment surrounded by music. She sings, and plays classical violin, and is fluent in numerous other musical genres. Zonn first m ...

. The album consists of ten originals and two covers, "Answer My Prayer" with Carole Bayer Sager and

Michael Jackson Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and philanthropist. Dubbed the " King of Pop", he is regarded as one of the most significant cultural figures of the 20th century. Over ...

's "The Girl Is Mine", a duet with nephew Ben Taylor.Jurek, Thom
Livingston Taylor: Album Review.
AllMusic.com. Retrieved November 22, 2017. Four years later, Taylor released ''Blue Sky'', a collection of both original songs and covers of some pop classics.Kat's Korner

Kat's Korner (Blog). May 11, 2014. Retrieved November 30, 2017. The year 2017 marked Taylor's 50th year in the music business. To commemorate this milestone, Boston Mayor Marty Walsh and Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker declared January 18, 2017 to be Livingston Taylor Day in

. Taylor was recognized for his 50-year music career, as well as being a long-time professor at Berklee College of Music.Globe Staff
Massachusetts honors Livingston Taylor with special day.
''Boston Globe'', January 16, 2017. Retrieved November 19, 2017. That evening a party held at the Vorb Hotel in Boston was attended by friends and family including Taylor's sister, Kate, niece Sally Taylor, along with Sally's mother, long-time friend, Carly Simon, Don Law, and

Norman Chesky Norman Chesky is a music entrepreneur and executive producer of two Grammy award winning albums. He is the co-founder and co-owner of Manhattan Production Music and Chesky Records. Chesky also co-founded HDtracks, a music download service. He was ...

. Two days later, Taylor announced the forthcoming release of ''Safe Home'' which was officially released on March 3, 2017.Pollack, Kevin
BWW Interview: Singer/Songwriter Livingston Taylor Chats New Album, Teaching & More.
''Broadway World'', March 13, 2017. Retrieved November 30, 2017. The album was recorded in an abandoned church in Brooklyn, New York with musicians

Shelly Berg Shelton "Shelly" Glen Berg (born August 18, 1955) is an American classical and jazz pianist and music educator. He is the dean of the Frost School of Music at the University of Miami in Coral Gables, Florida and the school's Patricia L. Frost Prof ...

on piano, David Finck on bass,

Bashiri Johnson Bashiri Johnson (born May 12, 1955) is a New York City-based percussionist, whose work has appeared on many records, as well as in commercials, films, television, videogames, and concert performances. He is known to be one of the most recorded ...

on percussion and Chelsea Berry providing vocals. Like Taylor's previous album ''Blue Sky'', ''Safe Home'' includes original songs as well as show tunes by Rodgers and Hammerstein and others.Forsythe, Dana
Watertown resident Livingston Taylor reflects on 50 years in the music business.
''Watertown Wicked Local'', January 11, 2017. Retrieved November 30, 2017. In his review of the album, Jason Warburg wrote: "That’s what the aptly-named ''Safe Home'' feels like: an impromptu after-dinner living room concert with Livingston Taylor and friends. Taylor’s voice has that rich, unique timbre of New England-by-way-of-North-Carolina that he and his brother James have made famous, lending both his vocals and his superb acoustic guitar picking a sense of instant familiarity and comfort."Warburg, Jason
''Safe Home'': Livingston Taylor.
''The Daily Vault'', February 15, 2017. Retrieved November 30, 2017. Cover songs include

's "Penny Lane",

Irving Berlin Irving Berlin (born Israel Beilin; yi, ישראל ביילין; May 11, 1888 – September 22, 1989) was a Russian-American composer, songwriter and lyricist. His music forms a large part of the Great American Songbook. Born in Imperial Russ ...

's "Anything You Can Do" and the

Everly Brothers The Everly Brothers were an American rock duo, known for steel-string acoustic guitar playing and close harmony singing. Consisting of Isaac Donald "Don" Everly (February 1, 1937 – August 21, 2021) and Phillip "Phil" Everly (January 19, 193 ...

"Bye Bye Love". Warburg wrote that the opening song, "I Must Be Doing Something Right", a Taylor original, "has the timeless feel of a Cole Porter tune". In his review, Harris Fogel wrote:"this is a lovely collection of tunes, smooth, gentle, and relaxing. This is quiet, confident yet not showy musicianship. The guitar solos, the bass lines, vocals and percussion all work together to create a quiet intimate experience. Highly recommended for the Gentle and Loving People in Your Life."Fogel, Harris
Review – Livingston Taylor “Safe Home” on Chesky Records.
''MAC Edition Radio'', March 1, 2017. Retrieved November 30, 2017. On April 4, 2017, Taylor announced a crowdfunding campaign to help finish a documentary about his life directed by Tracey Anarella to be released in the fall of 2017.Fish, Peter
Livingston Taylor – Life Is Good.
Indiegogo.com. Retrieved January 8, 2018. Two months after its launch, an update announced that the crowdfunding campaign had been 109% funded. On October 27, 2017, supporters were sent a downloadable link to the finished film and on November 30, 2017, Fish announced a "soft premier" in the Boston area for Wednesday, February 21, 2018, saying additional details would be forthcoming. Persons interviewed for the documentary, who appear in the film's trailer, include: Sally Taylor,

Ian Anderson Ian Scott Anderson (born 10 August 1947) is a British musician, singer and songwriter best known for his work as the lead vocalist, flautist, acoustic guitarist and leader of the British rock band Jethro Tull. He is a multi-instrumentalist ...

, Carly Simon,

Roger H. Brown Roger H. Brown is an American businessman, philanthropist, and academic administrator and former president of Berklee College of Music. Brown is also the co-founder of Bright Horizons and founder and chairman of the Salt Lick Incubator. Early l ...

, and Ben Taylor.Anarella, Tracey
Livingston Taylor-Life Is Good” Trailer.
August 31, 2017. Retrieved January 9, 2018. The film was scheduled to be screened at the 27th Annual Woods Hole Film Festival, Cape Cod's oldest film festival, during the eight-day festival running from July 28 to August 4, 2018. Taylor began 2018 with a tradition of shows at the Iron Horse Music Hall in Northhampton, Massachusetts on January 5 and 6.Lenker, George
Livingston Taylor talks 5 decades of music before Northampton shows
MassLive.com. January 2, 2018. Retrieved January 23, 2018. On January 9, 2018, Peter Fish, producer of the ''Life is Good'' documentary announced that a limited number of tickets would be available at the door for the February 21 premier of the documentary. The screening took place at NewTV in

Newton, Massachusetts Newton is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. It is approximately west of downtown Boston. Newton resembles a patchwork of thirteen villages, without a city center. According to the 2020 U.S. Census, the population of ...

. In early April 2018, it was announced that Taylor would be one of three musicians serving as hosts on a multi-day "Roots on the Rails" tour through Vermont in November. On the tour, one of six "Roots on the Rails" tours scheduled for 2018, Taylor will be joined by musicians

Susan Werner Susan Werner (born 1965) is an American singer-songwriter. Much of Werner's work has been in the contemporary folk genre. Career Werner was raised on her family's farm near Manchester, Iowa, about an hour west of Dubuque. She became interest ...

and Peter Mulvey.Stoller, Gary
The World's Best Singer-Songwriters Are Yours When You Hop On A Train For An Adventurous Vacation
''Forbes'', April 12, 2018. The First Annual Livingston Taylor Retreat was announced in early summer 2018. In addition to Taylor, instructors announced for the retreat include

Melissa Ferrick Melissa Ferrick (born September 21, 1970) is an American singer-songwriter. Her song "Drive" (2000) is considered a lesbian anthem. She is a music professor at Northeastern University and at Berklee College of Music. Early life Ferrick was rais ...

and

Vance Gilbert Vance Gilbert (born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States) is an American folk singer-songwriter. He started as a jazz singer, switched to folk music, became a regular on the open mike circuit in Boston and toured with Shawn Colvin. He h ...

. The retreat was held August 17–19, 2018 at Boston University. After eleven years teaching at the

, Livingston wrote a textbook, ''Stage Performance,'' which was published by Pocket Books in 2000.Waddell R. Livingston Taylor Shares Performance Insights in New Book. Billboard erial online April 22, 2000;112(17):11. Available from: MasterFILE Main Edition, Ipswich, MA. Accessed November 19, 2017.''Stage Performance'' was Taylor's first book written for adults, having published two books for children earlier in his career. A revised edition of the book was published in 2011.Barnes and Noble
Stage Performance by Livingston Taylor.
Barnes and Noble.com. Retrieved November 21, 2017.

Personal life

Taylor married Margaret "Maggie" Shea on May 1, 1976. After 25 years of marriage, they separated in 2001 and the marriage ended in 2003. During their marriage, they co-authored the 1988 children's book ''Pajamas''. In 2015, Taylor married Gail Arnold. Wedding guests included

Steven Spielberg Steven Allan Spielberg (; born December 18, 1946) is an American director, writer, and producer. A major figure of the New Hollywood era and pioneer of the modern blockbuster, he is the most commercially successful director of all time. Sp ...

(for whom Arnold has served as private chef), his brother James, as well as other family members and friends who celebrated the occasion in

Belmont, Massachusetts Belmont is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts. It is a western suburb of Boston, Massachusetts, United States; and is part of the Greater Boston metropolitan area. At the time of the 2020 U.S. Census, the town's population stood at 27,29 ...

.Fee, Gayle
Tracked down: Steven Spielberg, Livingston Taylor, Jay Leno and more...
''Boston Herald'', October 21, 2015. Retrieved January 8, 2018. Taylor has been a pilot for over 20 years, often making a 40-minute commute from Boston to Martha's Vineyard in his 1964 Cessna 205. In his spare time, he enjoys working on lawn mowers, tractors and his motorcycles. He has maintained a close friendship with his former sister-in-law

and the two have collaborated several times. In her memoir, ''Boys in the Trees,'' Simon states that Livingston Taylor was the first member of the Taylor family whom she met when she drove to the Taylor family home in 1970. She and Livingston were scheduled to perform a duet at a film festival that Simon's brother, Peter, was producing and needed to rehearse.Simon, Carly. ''Boys in the Trees'', Flatiron Books, New York, 2015. . Taylor is the uncle of Ben Taylor, an actor and

Indie folk Indie folk is a music genre that arose in the 1990s among musicians from indie rock scenes influenced by folk music. Indie folk hybridizes the acoustic guitar melodies of traditional folk music with contemporary instrumentation. The genre has it ...

musician.

Discography

Albums

Singles

Filmography

Film

Television

Published works

Awards and recognition

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Taylor, Livingston 1950 births Living people American male singers Songwriters from Massachusetts Musicians from Boston Berklee College of Music faculty Harvard University staff Atco Records artists Chesky Records artists Epic Records artists James Taylor Taylor family (show business) Westtown School alumni