Mega Music Talent

In addition to five Grammy awards, James Taylor has earned 40 gold, platinum, and multi-platinum awards over his 32-year career. His lyrics are introspective and heart-felt and combine with smooth harmonies and melodic stylings. Taylor’s timeless hit songs such as “Fire and Rain,” “Carolina in My Mind,” and “”How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You)” are recognized by fans young and old. One has only to hear the mellow sounds of his baritone and signature guitar playing to understand why Taylor has sold 40 million albums during his career and continues to tour and record regularly.

James Taylor was one of the early trailblazers of the solo singer/songwriter format. He was signed to the Beatles’ Apple Records in 1968. His first and only solo effort with this label was entitled James Taylor. This album was released a year after his first working experience with Danny Kortchmar and the band Flying Machine. In 1971, Time Magazine featured Taylor on the cover and stated that he was the harbinger of “the singer/songwriter era.”

Taylor’s first Greatest Hits album earned him a Diamond Award from the Recording Industry Association of America. This prestigious honor is bestowed upon artists with U.S. sales in excess of 10 million units. The 1970s were a great decade for Taylor. Several of his albums sold over a million copies and he had his first Top 10 hit with “Fire and Rain” followed by several more major chart entries. It was in this decade that Taylor won his first Grammy® Award. During this time, Taylor moved from Warner Brothers recording label to Columbia Records where his success continued.

Taylor did not slow down during the 1980s.He released the platinum albums Dad Loves His Work, That’s Why I’m Here, and Never Die Young during this time. In 1998, Taylor won his first Grammy® for Best Pop Album for Hourglass. The platinum-selling October Road, released in 2002, won Taylor another Grammy Award.

The year 2000 was a banner one for Taylor. He was inducted into both the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Songwriter’s Hall of Fame. In September 2008, Taylor’s One Man Band was nominated for an Emmy Award for Outstanding Variety, Musical, or Comedy Special. Within the last two years, his One Man Band CD/DVD and his most recent album Covers were released. Covers, which features Taylor’s full band, is an interpretation of music from the 1950s through 1970s. This album was nominated for two Grammy® Awards.

As evidenced by his lengthy and prestigious career, Taylor’s songwriting is truly timeless. His lyrics are smooth and relatable. Few performers can successfully relay such deeply personal messages through their words. Taylor is able to do this with ease.

Taylor is currently touring with Carole King. It is only natural that these two legends would tour together, as Taylor and King have a long-standing friendship. King wrote Taylor’s #1 single “You’ve Got a Friend” which garnered Taylor a Grammy® Award in 1971 for Best Pop Male Vocal. Their “Troubadour Reunion” tour is scheduled to run through late July 2010 and sixteen new tour dates were recently announced. Tickets for this worldwide tour are already on sale and going quickly, so buy yours soon. Taylor also recently announced that he will be performing an intimate series of four events at Carnegie Hall in spring 2011. Tickets have yet to go on sale for this limited engagement.

Author Bio: By Jake Kohler, sponsored by TicketSeating.com. TicketSeating.com sells James Taylor Tickets, Concert Tickets and more to just about any events in your area.