Tommy Taylor is veteran grammy award winning, multi-platinum musician who has stepped to the front of the stage with his own voice, songs, and production. The music draws from the golden age of major label, popular music releases, with organic sounds, and fully realized arrangements, seldom seen in the current arena. Lyrically intense songwriting from the window of a veteran of life’s experiences, compels one to consider deeply their own journey. Augmented by some of the best session musicians and producers in the world, with cumulative successes totaling close to 1/2 a billion hard copy album sales worldwide, (Michael Omartian, Mark Hallman, Roscoe Beck, Mark Andes, Tom Hemby, Lance Keltner, David Holt, Will Galison, Stephen Barber, Tosca Strings) Tommy brings his debut work, Across the Stars to the public.

Where are you based?
Austin, Texas

How long have you been making music?
56 years

What genre would you consider your music to be?
Singer Songwriter AOR.

What inspired you to pursue a career in music?
I think probably seeing The Beatles was what cemented the career idea. Before that I was completely enamored with popular music, but The Beatles were the visual example of it really being done.

What are your biggest musical influences?
I grew up in the late 50s – 70s. So much great music was produced during that period. I draw musically from a mix of lot of early R&B, and British Invasion era, to American top 40, to the Singer-Songwriters of the golden era.

Are you signed to a label or are you an independent artist?
I’m an independent at this point.

What have been the biggest challenges in your music career?
I think lately getting noticed amongst the huge influx of product being released independently now. I come from a long line of successful recordings during the old paradigm. I’m debuting as a solo artist late in life but I’m not exactly wet behind the ears. Finding a place in line appropriate with my past efforts backing other people is daunting.

How many songs or albums have you released to date?
I have released my debut album of 9 songs thus far.

Can you tell us a few things about your latest release?
Across the Stars was a lifetime in the making. I began writing songs late in life after working with some of the best in the business. It seemed at a point, that more than ever, rather inane ideas and poorly written words were becoming the standard in popular music. The entire scope seemed to have been dumbed down even further and further than before. It was at this point that I decided I could write better music than what I was hearing in the mainstream. I started just by documenting the compositions at a friend’s studio with acoustic guitar and lead vocal. At a point I realized if I added full instrumentation I would almost have an album’s worth of material. I lost a very good friend and supporter in September of 2016 to a tragic hit and run accident. Rob Meurer had been the original keyboardist in Christopher Cross and was working with me as a pianist on a few things. Rob’s untimely death kicked me into gear. I was lucky enough to rekindle an old friendship with the great Michael Omartian, legendary pianist with Steely Dan and one of the most prolific and successful music producers in pop music history. Once he heard what I was working on, he came on board with his incredible musicality to help bring the project to its full potential. Augmented by universe class sidemen like Roscoe Beck on bass (Eric Johnson, Jennifer Warnes, Leonard Cohen, Robben Ford), Mark Andes on bass (Spirit, Jo Jo Gunne, Firefall, Heart), Tom Hemby on electric guitars (Chet Atkins, Amy Grant, Pete Cetera, Vince Gill, Glen Campbell, Kenny Loggins, Steve Winwood), David Lee Holt on guitars (Joe Ely, Mavericks, Storyville), Rob Meurer on piano (Christopher Cross, Beth Nielson Chapman, Paul Cotton), Will Gallison on Chromatic Harmonica (Barbara Streisand, Carly Simon, Sting, Donald Fagen, Jimmy Webb, Peggy Lee, Ruth Brown) along with Mark Hallman (Carole King, Ani DiFranco, Dan Fogelberg) as a co producer. I recorded and produced this album of 9 songs. 
I have had very strong support and reviews of the record and I’m continually excited to find a larger and larger audience for it. It’s an “album” in the classic sense, though one publicist noted that the reason they liked it so much was that “there is no filler. Every track is a stand out.”

Any plans for new music or upcoming projects we should know about?
I’m 7 songs in for the next album. I’m working on a cover of a Steve Miller song from his early period with his blessing. Another track is a strong R and B rocker featuring Jimmie Vaughan as well as The Texas Horns.

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