All In The Family

Livingston Taylor Performs at Hayes Center April 25

Story by David Brewer

On Saturday, April 25, famed folk and pop singer-songwriter Livingston Taylor will perform at the Hayes Center in Blowing Rock. Tickets are $26 for adults and $14 for students.

Yes, singer-songwriter and teacher Livingston Taylor is the brother of renowned folk and pop singer James Taylor. Yes, the siblings look alike and yes, their voices bear a striking resemblance. But make no mistake about it; the Taylor family’s talent doesn’t all belong to big brother James.

On Saturday, April 25, Livingston Taylor will bring his own distinctive brand of melody-rich folk and pop to the Hayes Performing Arts Center in Blowing Rock. The show will start at 7:30 p.m.

Taylor said that he and his family have a long history with the mountains of North Carolina. As a boy, he spent time in nearby Celo at the family’s retreat.

“I’ve been coming to that part of the great state of North Carolina since I was a little boy,” said Taylor. “I’ve played a number of times in Boone and the surrounding areas.”

Raised outside of Chapel Hill, Taylor’s musical career began during the early 1960s when at age 13, he began performing with a local folk group as part of area’s fertile music scene.

“I’ve been on stage a long time and have had just a really wonderful life being on stage,” said Taylor.

In his 30-plus years as a professional musician, Taylor has toured with such major artists as Linda Ronstadt, Jimmy Buffett, Fleetwood Mac and Jethro Tull. He has recorded 13 albums and currently maintains a performing schedule of more than 100 shows a year, including club, theater, college and full symphony repertoires.

The poetic Taylor, who plays both guitar and piano, has written most of his own songs, including such Top Forty hits as “I Will Be in Love with You” and “I’ll Come Running”; as well as those recorded by his brother James, such as “I Can Dream of You,” “Going Round One More Time,” and “Boatman” (a track featured on the double Grammy-winning album Hourglass). Taylor also received the 1998 Boston Music Award for outstanding folk artist.

With a baker’s dozen worth of albums under his belt, Taylor still relishes his role as a storyteller and brings immense musical knowledge to the recording studio and stage each time he steps up to the microphone. In June, the Boston-based artist will be joined by some of the finest player in Nashville to put the finishing touches on his latest batch of original material.

“It’s financial suicide playing with the heavy hitters, but I really don’t care. It’s such a wonderful experience,” said Taylor.

In 1989, Taylor took his stage expertise into the classroom at the prestigious Berkeley College of Music, where he has taught performance for nearly 20 years.

“In the ‘80s, I lectured a few times at the Berkeley College of Music in Boston. Eventually somebody asked me if I’d like to teach a course on performance,” said Taylor. “I was immediately on that idea. I love teaching. I love my students. I really had the feeling that this was something that would really be a part of my life, which is why I took the job instantly when it was offered.

“There is no question that having taught now close to 3,000 students that it’s had a profound influence on my knowledge of what I’m doing on stage,” said Taylor. “With a very few simple steps, I can improve the quality of people’s performance a great deal.”

Tickets for Livingston Taylor are $26 for adults and $14 for students and can be purchased by calling the Box Office at 828-295-9627. Purchase tickets online by clicking to www.HayesCenter.org or in person at the Hayes Center box office.

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