Charles "Charlie" TAYLOR

Charlie Taylor

Charlie 2011 Autobiography

Singer-songwriter Charlie Taylor was born in Abilene, TX in 1943, raised in Mayfield, KY then Westport, CT for his high school years. Charlie’s parents bought him a Hallicrafters S-38 short wave radio with headphones when he was 5 years old and he began to seek radio stations on the skip at night, tuning into WWOL in New Orleans, WHBQ in Memphis, WLS in Chicago and WLAC in Nashville getting the Grand Ole Opry live in 1947. Charlie got a strong dose of R&B and blues from Chicago and the Deep South. Charlie’s mother Mary Ann also steeped Charlie in the big band era sounds—especially the Nat King Cole trio, Benny Goodman and Glenn Miller.

In Westport, Charlie met rocker Barry Tashian (The Remains), a young Michael Douglas (yes, that Michael Douglas) and joined the legendary Downshifters Hot Rod Club, and he fell in with the hot-rodding culture of the late 1950’s.

During his college years at Transylvania University in Lexington, KY, Charlie sang with Little Hilton and the Artesians and played varsity baseball, picking up pointers from local Lexington club legends Little Enis and the Table Toppers and other full-on bar bands in the area. The Artesians performed on live radio and played sock hops around Central Kentucky in 1963-65.

After college Charlie did a stint in Greenwich Village in 1966, then moved to Washington DC in 1967 and then to San Angelo, TX in 1968, where he metBuddy Holly’s manager Hi Pockets Duncan. Hi encouraged Charlie to hone his songwriting skills by moving to LA which Charlie did in 1970 marrying Susan Hanley on the beach in Malibu at Bill and Judy Cleary’s Malibu Road home. Bill was John Phillips’ (Mamas and Papas) manager.

Bill Cleary opened doors for Charlie and eventually Charlie wound up hanging out with, working with, writing with or performing with the likes of Gram Parsons, The Flying Burrito Brothers, Kevin Kelly (Byrds), Johnny Weider and Barry Jenkins (the Animals), Billy Preston, future Rock N Roll hall of famers Hilton Valentine (the Animals), Andy Summers (the Police, Animals). He worked at the Troubadour, the Sundance Saloon in Calabasas, CA and other venues learning the craft of songwriting.

After a UCLA course with songwriter Al Kasha (2-time Academy Award winner) Charlie decided to head back East to raise his family which now included daughter Simone Noel, soon to be joined by brother Trevor.

After stops in Tampa and Atlanta, Charlie moved to Nashville, which began a twenty year stint writing with Dan Penn, Spooner Oldham, Kent M. Robbins and George Ducas among others.

Charlie’s first CD, Once Upon a Time released in 2003 on Gullwing Records, and was included on the short list in the 2003 Grammy Awards Guide. Produced by the legendary producer / songwriter Dan Penn (The Box Tops) and Geoff Gillette (Sergio Mendes, the Yellowjackets) the project was enhanced by performances from Bread co-founder James Griffin, bassist Mike Leech (The Memphis Boys), piano and organist Spooner Oldham - 2009 Rock n Roll HOF inductee (Neil Young, Bob Dylan), Rock N Roll hall of famer Scotty Moore (Elvis), Dan Penn, guitarist Mike Durham, drummer Ian Wallace (King Crimson, Jackson Browne, Don Henley), Rick Vito (Fleetwood Mac, Bonnie Raitt), great R&B organist and keyboard man the late Carson Whitsett.

In October 2007, Dan Penn and Geoff Gillette again teamed up to produce Charlie’s second CD For All I Am—this time gathering The Memphis Boys’ Bobby Emmons on organ, strings and piano, arranger Mike Leech on bass. They were joined by drummer Jim Brock (Joe Cocker), Mike Severs and Mike Durham (Dave Matthews) on guitars, as well as Dan Penn and Geoff Gillette on vocals. After 12 songs in Nashville at Penn’s Dandy Studios, the project headed to LA to record one jazz side with the Mid Century Jazz Quartet, featuring drummer Gus Duffy. Jazz tenor sax player extraordinaire Andy Suzuki added the icing to the session.

The mixing and mastering began at Visual Rhythm Studio with Carlos Y Del Rosario at the mix. Geoff and Carlos rendered a great record.

In a parallel career path over past 40 years, Charlie has worked as a fundraising/development officer for the American Cancer Society, the American Heart Assoc., served as President/CEO of the Arthritis Foundation Tennessee Chapter and for past 11 years served as Director, Regional Development at Vanderbilt University. In the non-profit world Charlie has produced special events and telethons as an executive producer featuring acts Brooks and Dunn, Amy Grant, Vince Gill, Bill Cosby, Frankie Avalon, Marion Ross, Jim Brown, Cornell Wilde, Jean Tierney, Lloyd Bridges, James Brown, Gladys Knight, Rick Nelson, Kansas, The Atlanta Rhythm Section, Brenda Lee and many others.

Charlie's Update (2011)

I am a member of a non profit consulting group MyGivingAdvisor.com. I mentor development officers and my attorney partner specializes in estate planning!

A link to Charle's musical tribute to the Downshifters: https://youtu.be/BU4cv7jQ35M

At our 2021 Zoom Get-Together, Charlie sung an acoustic version of his song When We Were Young (Now We Are Wise)" from his album of the same name, available for purchase:

https://music.apple.com/us/album/when-we-were-young-now-we-are-wise/898403398