James Taylor at Frost Amphitheater

When it comes to great songwriters, James Taylor’s name will definitely come to mind. The acclaimed music artist has penned countless monumental hits, such as “Carolina in My Mind,” “Fire and Rain,” “Something in the Way She Moves,” and many more. He emerged during the mid-'60s when he moved to New York to create a band. His first music project was The Flying Machine. Together with the band, Taylor released several singles. By 1967, Taylor embarked on a solo career and moved to London. He sends his demo tape of “Something in the Way She Moves” to The Beatle’s Apple Records. He later became the first non-British music artist to be signed under the label. The following year, Taylor dropped his self-titled debut album. The record featured hits “Carolina in My Mind” and “Knocking ‘Round the Zoo,” which entered the Billboard 200, peaking at number 62.

After a stellar debut, Taylor signed with the major record label Warner Brothers Music and released his sophomore effort, Sweet Baby James. The album soared to number 3 in the U.S. and entered the charts in three other countries. The album featured the number 3 Hot 100 Single, “Fire and Rain,” which eventually sold over three million copies in the U.S. and earned a triple platinum certification.

The following year, Taylor covered Carole King’s “You’ve Got a Friend.” The song was released as a single from his third album, Mud Slide Slim and the Blue Horizon. The song became Taylor’s first number 1 single on the Billboard Hot 100 and two other U.S. The song also entered the charts in five other countries. Moreover, the single won Taylor his first Grammy for Best Pop Vocal Performance, Male.

Throughout the ‘70s, Taylor continued to drop chart-performing singles. In 1975, he released his second number 1 song, “How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You).” The single, a cover of Marvin Gaye’s song, topped Billboard’s Adult Contemporary chart. For the duration of Taylor’s almost six-decade career, he was won six Grammy Awards and has been nominated 19 times.

In 2000, his exemplary work was recognized by the Rock Hall, and he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The Rock Hall praised Taylor’s knack for confessional songwriting and acknowledged that his work had paved the way for artists like Crosby Stills and Nash and Joni Mitchell. Taylor was inducted by The Beatles’ Paul McCartney, who was the first to discover Taylor during his time in London.

Catch the greatest singer-songwriter of all time, James Taylor, by scoring tickets to his show at the Frost Amphitheater!