Eddie Taylor Jr.

b. Edward Taylor, c. 1971, Chicago, Illinois, USA. His father, Eddie Taylor, played blues guitar and sang mainly in Chicago and was for some years a valued sideman in Jimmy Reed’s band. Taylor Jnr. also took up guitar, teaching himself to play on an old instrument discarded by his father. Playing and singing contemporary Chicago blues, Taylor gradually developed his own name and reputation, building a repertoire that owes much to the traditions of the place and genre. These older songs include Robert Johnson’s ‘Stop Breakin’ Down’, Muddy Waters’ ‘Clouds In My Heart’, Syl Johnson’s ‘Sock It To Me’, Ricky Allen’s ‘Cut You Loose’, Magic Sam’s ‘Easy Baby’ and Taylor Snr.’s ‘I Feel So Bad’. He also writes original material, with notable tracks including ‘Red Hot Mama’, ‘Groovin’ With Eddie’, ‘Worried About My Baby’, ‘Can’t Take It No More’ and ‘Trying To Play A Mind Game’. Taylor’s older brothers, Tim and Larry, both play drums and three sisters, Edna, Brenda and Demetria, all sing as did their late mother, Vera Taylor. All five siblings appear with Taylor on his 2006 release Mind Game. In 2002, his youngest brother, Milton, was supportive in a markedly different way, donating a kidney when Taylor suffered serious illness.


Among other musicians who have worked in Taylor’s band are blues harpist Martin Lane and guitarist Johnny B. Moore. In addition to leading his own band, Taylor has also played in support of artists such as Moore, Little Arthur Duncan, Easy Baby, Willie Kent and Hubert Sumlin. Following his kidney transplant, Taylor resumed his very busy live schedule.