James Taylor Concerts Setlist

James Taylor is an American singer, songwriter, and guitarist. He was born on March 12, 1948 in Boston, Massachusetts. Taylor’s mother was a formally trained aspiring opera singer, but she gave up her career after marrying Taylor’s father, a doctor from a prestigious family. The family moved from Massachusetts down South to North Carolina. There, Taylor learnt to play the cello, then the guitar. During one of his summers spent back in Massachusetts, he met a new friend in Danny Kortchmar, also a guitar player. Kortchmar recognized Taylor’s talent and encouraged him to write songs, which he did, starting at age 14.

While in high school in North Carolina, he joined a band with his brother called “The Corsayers”. He played the electric guitar for them. As graduation was nearing, Taylor developed severe mental issues and was treated in a psychiatric hospital for a long time. After getting his high school diploma and getting released from the mental hospital, he formed a band and moved to New York City with them. It seemed to be working out rather well for him, as the band “Flying Machine” got gigs in high-profile clubs regularly, and released a single through the label Jay Gee Records. However, the band broke up soon thereafter and Taylor developed a heroin addiction.

Funded by some inheritance, Taylor moved to London, UK to try to build up a career as a solo artist. This really did work out, as he was soon discovered by none other than The Beatles, who were just starting up their own label, Apple. His self-titled debut album, “James Taylor”, was released by Apple Records in December 1968. However, other than charting in Australia, it failed to gain any significant commercial traction. The first James Taylor record to hit it big was his second one, “Sweet Baby James” from February 1970. It peaked at the #6 spot on the OCC chart in the UK, while reaching the #3 spot on Billboard’s Top LP’s & Tapes chart in the US. The breakout single on the record was “Fire and Rain”. Known for his activism, he used his newly found fame to give a James Taylor concert at a Greenpeace protest in Vancouver, Canada against nuclear testing in 1970.

Taylor has put out 20 studio albums in total during his long career. The best selling one among them has remained his second one, “Sweet Baby James” from 1970, which sold around 3.5 million copies worldwide. Meanwhile, the latest new James Taylor album came out in February 2020, with the title “American Standard”. His biggest hits to date are the aforementioned “Fire and Rain” (1970), “You’ve Got a Friend” (1971), “Handy Man” (1977), and “Copperline” (1991). Check where the next James Taylor concert is playing near you on our page above.