Rest In Peace, Eddie Taylor Jr.
March 27th 1972 – March 8th 2019
Very sad news: Westside Blues guitar player & singer, and son of the legendary Eddie Taylor & Vera Taylor died in the morning of March 8th 2019 in Chicago.
I met Eddie Taylor Jr. in April 1995 at Acme Recording Studio in Chicago. The great Willie Kent, great musician and friend of mine, told me that Eddie & Vera Taylor have a son, who play and sing in the tradition of his father. I could not believe that, but here he was… very young with his father´s Red Gibson! He played his father´s hit “Ride’em on down’” with his brother Tim on drums, willie Kent on bass, John Primer on guitar & Billie Branch on harp. This was the start of a 24-year-connection between Eddie & Wolf Records.
We had never any troubles, if we decided to do a new CD… he went in a studio by himself and done everything… all arrangements and songwriting – I just need to send him the money!
His first CD was a tribute CD for his father with all his great songs: “Bad Boy”, “Big Town Playboy”,…
On his first Wolf Records-CD´s there are always family members part of the record sessions. His mother Vera, his sisters Edna, Demetria & Brenda, his half-brother Larry on vocals or drums and also Tim Taylor on drums. His greatest success was a Real Blues Award from the Canadian Magazine Real Blues, for the best “Chicago Blues CD of 1998”. And Eddie was inducted in the Chicago Blues Hall of Fame as a Master-Blues-Artist.
Also he played on a tour in Europe as part of a Chicago Blues Festival with Lurrie Bell. In the studio, Eddie was his own producer, he knew what arrangements he wants for each song. In autumn 2019, we decided to do another CD, but should never happen…
I was happy, I met Eddie in August 2018 in the Club Space and at Buddy Guy´s Legends.
I also have to say that his sisters helped him very much to get famous in the Chicago Blues Club Scene.
The guitar sound of his father was still there. Also he was one of the last, who played Chicago traditional Blues style, like Lurrie Bell, Little Ed & John Primer.
One of his favorite songs in the Chicago Blues tradition were “Easy Baby”, “Stop breaking down”, “Cut you loose” and songs of his father like “Looking for Trouble” and “Greyhound Bus”. Also Songs by himself: “Worried about my Baby”, “Can´t take it no more”, “Trying to play a Mind Game” and “I got to make this money, Baby”,…
Thank you for your great mind and for your great music,
RIP, Eddie Taylor Jr.
Wolf Records International
Recordings:
120807 – Chicago´s best West- & Southside Bluessingers Vol. 2 – “Ride’em on down” Recording date 4/1995
120890 – “A tribute to Eddie Taylor” – recorded 1997
120811 – “Worried about my Baby” – 18th May 2000
120813 – “Mind Game” – 11 + 12 June 2006
120817 – “I got to make this Money, Baby” – 28.09.2007
120819 – “From the Country to the City” with Tre and Harmonica Hinds – 12.01.2008
120826 – “So called Friends” (his best 15 songs) 27.02. 2011
120834 – “Stop breaking down” – 7. 7. 2014