James Taylor Essay Research Paper When looking

James Taylor Essay, Research Paper

When looking at the now 53-year-old James Taylor it is difficult to imagine him as a ground-breaking rock and roll musician. The tall, lanky, bald man with the mild demeanor has made an indelible mark on the music industry and is showing no signs of riding off into the sunset. While his songs acted as a pseudo-soundtrack to the ’70’s generation they are an amazing look into his troubled past.

In addition to coping with his personal demons Taylor has become known for being one of music’s strongest political activists and supporters of causes. He was recently featured in the four-hour documentary titled “Stand and Be Counted” about political activism by musicians.

Taylor is also one of the foremost supporters of the annual concert since 1985 “Rock in Rio” a benefit to help save the rain forest. In addition to his many Earth Day concerts Taylor has become a supporter of many environmental causes, most notably the “No Nukes” concerts of 1979 held at New York’s Madison Square Garden. “Nuclear energy has a really bad track record,” said Taylor (1981, www.james-taylor.com/text/NYT4-81.txt).

Before he could use his prominence to educate the masses on political issues, Taylor had to fight through many of his own personal issues. James was raised in the affluent home of Isaac Taylor, dean of the University of North Carolina’s medical school, and Trudy Taylor, a classically trained soprano. The Taylor family had a strong musical influence the family frequently held “kitchen concerts” in which James played the cello, brother Alex played the violin, sister Kate and brother Livingston played the piano and mother Trudy sang (White, 1981, www.james-taylor.com/text/rs6-81.txt).

Isaac fondly recalls James’ first recording, at the age of two James sang along with his father the song “Little Red Wagon Painted Blue” Isaac recorded on an old wire recorder (White, 1981, www.james-taylor.com/text/rs6-81.txt).

James loved the countryside of North Carolina and relished the family’s summers in Martha’s Vineyard. However at the age of 14 James left home for Milton boarding school in Massachusetts, where he was supposed to gain independence and a plan for his future. James did not fit in well with rigid Milton Academy. Taylor called the school “high powered,” and said “It functioned by means of fear-tactic stuff” (White, 1981, www.james-taylor.com/text/rs6-81.txt).

Taylor remained close to music, at 15 Taylor and friend Danny ‘Kootch’ Kortchmar won a local talent contest. A year later James joined brother Alex in a rock band called, the Fabulous Corsairs (http://artists.vh1.com).

After three years at the school Taylor felt he could take no more and returned to Chapel Hill where he was faced with another stark reality. “I’d lost touch with everyone in Carolina,” said Taylor “I thought, ‘What the hell, finish boarding school and aim for college, because the past has nothing more to offer” (White, 1981, www.james-taylor.com/text/rs6-81.txt).

He returned to Milton, but the situation perpetually got worse. Taylor said he felt like he was “ambling across an abyss”. While living alone in a small room in the schoolmaster’s house Taylor fell into a deep depression. “I got more and more depressed,” said Taylor “and I was sleeping 20 hours a day. Finally, at Thanksgiving, I started thinking about suicide” (White, 1981, www.james-taylor.com/text/rs6-81.txt).

He returned to Chapel Hill for the holidays, but was too afraid to speak of his fear. When it was time to return to school Taylor grew panicky, but returned to school afraid he was going to take his life. While at the school Taylor was encouraged to seek psychiatric help. He did seek help and upon seeing the psychiatrist Taylor broke down and the psychiatrist placed Taylor under observation in a psychiatric hospital (White, 1981, www.james-taylor.com/text/rs6-81.txt).

Taylor willingly committed himself to the McLean Mental Institution as a way to escape both Milton Academy and the draft board. After several months Taylor grew tired of the consultations with the conservative psychiatrists and medication and fled McLean in a friend’s pickup truck bound for New York City (White, 1981, www.james-taylor.com/text/rs6-81.txt).

In New York Taylor re-teamed with Kortchmar in a group call the Flying Machine. During this time Taylor wrote bleak ballads like “Don’t Talk Now,” “The Blues is Just a Bad Dream,” and “Rainy Day Man” (White, 1981, www.james-taylor.com/text/rs6-81.txt).

Now 18 and living in his own apartment Taylor experimented and was soon addicted to heroin. “It was a dreadful, stressful situation James got into,” said his father Isaac “He called me and I flew into New York, rented a station wagon, loaded it with his stuff and we went back to Chapel Hill. Six months later, he went to Europe to seek his fortune” (White, 1981, www.james-taylor.com/text/rs6-81.txt).

While living in a flat in London’s Notting Hill, James was still troubled by his heroin habit. His friend Kortchmar once again came to Taylor’s aide by suggesting he give a demo tape to A&R man Peter Asher, who later became his producer and manager. Asher was looking for talent for the Beatles new record label Apple Records. Paul McCartney liked the demo-record and gave him a recording contract.

“It was an amazing transition, after the