R&B, Gospel Singer. Born in Crawfordsville, Arkansas, but grew up in nearby West Memphis. He was the son of Ida Mae Jackson. He later moved to Kansas City, Missouri and began performing with the gospel group, The Melody Kings; through this gospel group, he met Sam Cooke. In 1957, he replaced Sam Cooke and became the lead vocalist for the gospel group the Soul Stirrers. After four years with the Soul Stirrers he began singing secular music. In 1961, he became the first artist to sign with Cooke's SAR Records label. In 1964, Sam Cooke was shot and killed, leaving Johnnie with just a few singles on the SAR label and without a record deal. He returned to Memphis, Tennessee in 1965 and signed with Stax Records. His Stax recordings include: "Who's Making Love?" (1968), "Jody's Got Your Girl and Gone" (1970), "I Believe in You (You Believe in Me)" (1972). In 1976, he released "Disco Lady" for Columbia Records (CBS) which spent four weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 & became the first RIAA platinum-certified single (2 million copies of the single sold). He recorded his last album in 1999 "Gotta Give the Groove Back" which featured the song, "Soul Heaven." In 1999, he was awarded the Pioneer Award by the Rhythm and Blues Foundation. In 2022, Taylor was posthumously inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame.
R&B, Gospel Singer. Born in Crawfordsville, Arkansas, but grew up in nearby West Memphis. He was the son of Ida Mae Jackson. He later moved to Kansas City, Missouri and began performing with the gospel group, The Melody Kings; through this gospel group, he met Sam Cooke. In 1957, he replaced Sam Cooke and became the lead vocalist for the gospel group the Soul Stirrers. After four years with the Soul Stirrers he began singing secular music. In 1961, he became the first artist to sign with Cooke's SAR Records label. In 1964, Sam Cooke was shot and killed, leaving Johnnie with just a few singles on the SAR label and without a record deal. He returned to Memphis, Tennessee in 1965 and signed with Stax Records. His Stax recordings include: "Who's Making Love?" (1968), "Jody's Got Your Girl and Gone" (1970), "I Believe in You (You Believe in Me)" (1972). In 1976, he released "Disco Lady" for Columbia Records (CBS) which spent four weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 & became the first RIAA platinum-certified single (2 million copies of the single sold). He recorded his last album in 1999 "Gotta Give the Groove Back" which featured the song, "Soul Heaven." In 1999, he was awarded the Pioneer Award by the Rhythm and Blues Foundation. In 2022, Taylor was posthumously inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame.
Bio by: Babe
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Son of Ida Mae Jackson
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