Johnnie Taylor
A versatile vocalist and three-time Grammy nominee, Johnnie Taylor left his mark
upon the intersecting worlds of soul, gospel, disco, blues, and R&B during his
four-decade career. Born in Crawfordsville, Arkansas, on May 5, 1934, he met Sam
Cooke as a teenager and took the singer's place as frontman of the Soul Stirrers
in 1957. Taylor sang with the gospel group for four years before launching a
solo career in 1961. He released his initial singles with Cooke's label, SAR
Records, before signing with the legendary Stax Records in 1966. Nicknamed "The
Philosopher of Soul," he becam...
