Eddie "Playboy" Taylor
 1923-1985
Major Works
- 1972 Ready for Eddie Big Bear
- 1972 I Feel So Bad
Hightone
- 1978 Bad Boy a Long Way from Chicago
P-Vine
- 1981 Big Town Playboy
Charly
- 1988 Still Not Ready for Eddie
Antone's
- 1994 Stormy Monday
Blues Beacon
- 1994 My Heart Is Bleeding
Evidence
- 1995 Long Way from Home (re-released)
Blind Pig
Bad Boy (Taylor)
Baby Please Don't Go (Morganfield)
My Sometimes Baby
There'll Be a Day (Taylor)
Crossroads (Johnson)
Hoy Hoy (Jones)
Goin' Down Slow (Oden)
I Don't Know (Mabon/Thomas
You're Gonna Look for Me (And I'll Be Hard
Signals of Love (Abner/Reed)
Blow Wind Blow
- 1995 Eddie "Big Town Playboy" Taylor
I'm a Country Boy
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Eddie Taylor:
A Biography
By Christopher Miles (SHS)
 Mississippi
is known for its many blues musicians, and Eddie Taylor
is one if these artists. Although he often found himself
in Jimmy Reed’s shadow, he was a great guitar player.
Eddie Taylor was born to Joseph Taylor and Mamie Gaston iJanuary
29, 1923. His mother and father separated when he was
young, and Taylor had to stay home from school and work on his
mother's farm in Benoit, Mississippi. In 1936 he
got his first guitar and taught himself how to play it.
His son, Eddie Taylor, Jr, said in a recent interview that his
father was a natural guitar player.
Taylor's playing style became that of the delta tradition (All
Music Guides). Listening to the music of his favorite musicians,
Charley Palton and Robert Pelway, pushed Taylor to try
harder. Little did Eddie Taylor known that he would eventually
grow into a great blues guitarist. In 1949, Eddie Taylor moved
to Chicago where he began working with Jimmy Lee Robinson in
Jake's Tavern. Club Jumboree was another club Taylor played.
According to one source, a blues man named Freddie King
moved north to Chicago in his mid-teens., and in 1950
became influenced by local blues guitarists Eddie 'Playboy'
Taylor and Robert Lockwood. King absorbed elements from
both of these blues men's styles before he added elements of
Magic Sam and Otis Rush. Taylor himself began playing
behind Jimmy Reed in 1953. This fact is interesting because
Eddie Taylor taught Jimmy Reed to play guitar back in Leland,
Mississippi. Eddie Taylor primarily became known for
playing with Jimmy Reed.
 During
the 1970s Big Bear Records steadily built a worldwide reputation
with its now-legendary recordings of important
American blues men like Doctor Ross, Homesick James, Lightnin’
Slim, Big John Wrencher, Snooky Prior, Tommy Tucker, Eddie Playboy
Taylor, Eddie Guitar Burns and others. Even though Eddie
Taylor is known for playing with Jimmy Reed, he did make solo
albums.He got a chance to show his vocal skills through songs
like “Ready for Eddie,” “I Feel So Bad,”
and “Big Town Play Boy” (All Music Guides).His best-known
solo album is I Feel So Bad. Eddie Taylor was
underrated while he was alive, and Chaos Music states, "Eddie
Taylor was never a self-promoter, and he has probably sold more
records since his death in 1985 than while he was alive. His
son Edward released a tribute album in 1998.
Eddie Taylor had eight children. His first child, Brenda Taylor,
was born in 1963. In the interview Eddie Taylor Jr. said about
his sister, "She likes to joke around." Vera's first
son, Larry Taylor, was born in 1955 and was taught to play drums
by Howlin' Wolf's drummer Cassell Burrows. Eddie Taylor's first
son, Timothy Taylor, was born in 1965, and he also plays drums.
Edna Taylor, who was born in 1967, likes to sing. Valicia Taylor
was born in 1969. Edward Taylor, Jr., a guitarist like his father,
was born in 1972. Born in 1975 was Demetria Taylor, who enjoys
playing the drums. Milton Taylor was the last born in 1975.
He plays the drums also.
In conclusion, Eddie Taylor was a great guitarist and
father. Eddie Taylor died on Christmas day, December 25, 1985,
in Chicago.
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Interview
with Edward Taylor, Jr.
by Christopher Miles (SHS), April,
2002
Where did Eddie Taylor attend school?
“He didn’t go to school. He stayed home
and worked on the farm.”
What year did your mother and father get married?
“They got married in 1972.”
How many children does Eddie Taylor have?
“Eight”
What are there names and some of the things they like to do?
“Larry Taylor was born in 1955. He plays drums and
sings.
Brenda Taylor was born in 1963. She likes to joke around.
Timothy Taylor was born in 1965. He plays the drums.
Edna Taylor was born in 1967. She likes to sing.
Valicia Taylor was born in 1969. She didn’t play
or sing. I (Edward Taylor Jr.) was born in 1972. I play
guitar. Demetria Taylor was born in 1973. She plays the drums.
Milton Taylor was born 1975. He plays drums.
Does Eddie Taylor have any brothers and sister?
“Yes, but he did not know any of them.”
Is there anything else I need to know?
“He helped invent post war blues.”
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Timeline
1923- Eddie Taylor was born in Benoit, Mississippi.
1936- Eddie Taylor got his first guitar.
1949- Eddie Taylor moved to Chicago, Illinois
1953 -Began playing behind Jimmy Reed
1954- Eddie Taylor signed with VeeJay Records.
1955- Eddie Taylor toured with Jimmy Reed. Vera's son, Larry
Taylor, was born.
1957- Eddie Taylor started working at Pepper's Lounge. Met Vera,
later his wife
1963- Eddie Taylor's daughter, Brenda Taylor, was born.
1964- Eddie Taylor begins working with Paul Butterfield.
1966- Eddie Taylor's son, Timothy Taylor, was born.
1966- Eddie Taylor made a song with Jimmy Reed on Blues Day
Label.
1967- Eddie Taylor's second daughter, Edna Taylor,was born.
1969- Valicia Taylor, Eddy Taylor's daughter, was born.
1972- Ready for Eddie released by Big Bear, Edward
Taylor Jr. was born, Eddie Taylor married Vera
I Feel So Bad released by Hightone
1973- Eddie Taylor's daughter, Demetria Taylor, was born.
1974 --I'm A Country Boy recorded by
Eddie "Playboy" Taylor & The Blueshounds and included these
songs:
1975- Milton Taylor was born.
1978--Bad Boy a Long Way from Chicago
P-Vine.
1981--Big Town Playboy Charly
1985- Eddie Taylor died on December 25, Christmas D ay.
1988- Still Not Ready for Eddie by
Antone's
1994--Stormy Monday released by Blues Beacon
--My Heart
Is Bleeding Evidence
1995 Long Way from Home [live]
Blind Pig
Eddie "Big Town Playboy" Taylor
1998--Edward Taylor: A Tribute To Eddie Taylor: Lookin'
For Trouble (Wolf 1998).
1999--You Better Be Careful recorded by
Eddie's wife Vera Taylor, her sons back her. She died
before she could really enjoy her success as a singer.
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Related
Websites
his
site speaks of Vera Taylor.
Read
a biography of Eddie Taylor.
Additional
information about Taylor and audio clips at All Music Guides.
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Bibliography
“Eddie Taylor.” All Music Guides. 3 pages. March
15, 2002.
http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=Bhxkvikl6bbo9
“Eddie Taylor.” Big Hollow Twang. Geocities. March
19, 2002. <http://www.geocites.com/bighollowtwang/EddieTaylor.html>.
“Eddie Taylor.” Blind Pig Artists. March 19, 2002
<http://www.blindpigrecords.com/artists/Taylor,+Eddie.html>.
“Eddie Taylor.” Center Stage. March 19, 2002 <http://centerstage.net/musicwhoswho/EddieTaylor.Html>.
Eddie Taylor. Telephone interview by Chris Miles.
April, 2002.
Harris, Shelden. “Eddie ‘Playboy’ Taylor.”
Blues Who’s Who: A Biographical Dictionary of Blues
Singers. ADA Capo Paper Book, 1979. 493-494.
Santelli, Rodert. “Eddie Taylor.” Big Book
of Blues. New York: Penguin Book USA, 1993. 388-389.
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