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James taylor12/6/2023 Obviously, we in the audience all got a friend up there on the stage. Taylor’s July 4 show was a benefit for Tanglewood, as has been customary for many years - the $500,000 donation will be added to nearly $7 million in contributions to the BSO. “Knock on Wood,” a Taylor cover of Eddie Floyd’s 1979 hit, was a fitting second encore, a reminder of our good fortune that some of the pop artists of our youth are still active on stage. Both had been scheduled to join in for at least half a dozen tunes. Son Henry was quarantined by a sudden-onset case, and wife Caroline “Kim” Taylor was home with him. On a sad note, demonstrating that COVID-19 remains a lurking menace, as much as we all wish it to fade away, the two other members of the Taylor Family Singers were missing. Regrettably, the high-intensity strobe light effects were visually jarring and the mix that favored the powerful band at times obscured the lyrics, which for this listener are as vital as the music. There were also hard-rocking favorites, including “Copperline,” “Mexico,” “Steamroller,” and “Smiling Face,” that showcased his All-Star Band (no exaggeration, they are among the best in the business) and vocalists McCuller, Kate Markowitz, Dorian Holley and Andrea Zonn. Many tunes performed during a powerhouse greatest-hits collection were healing and redemptive, such as “Shower the People” (with backup vocalist Arnold McCuller’s always-stunning, soaring descant), “Secret of Life,” “Carolina,” “You’ve Got a Friend,” “Sweet Baby James” (also known as “Stockbridge to Boston”), “Fire and Rain” and the final encore, “Close Your Eyes.” Offering several rarities such as the title track from the 1985 album “That’s Why I’m Here” - written as a tribute to the comedian John Belushi, who was 33 when he died of heroin and cocaine intoxication - Taylor noted “it’s a wakeup call and pinpoints my own recovery from addiction.” He also assured the crowd that he has plenty of other songs for facing personal problems. James Taylor with wife Caroline and sons Rufus and Henry aged 14.At 74, doffing his signature cap from time to time as a gesture of appreciation to the audience that included multiple celebrities, JT’s energy level remains remarkable, a testament - at least in part - to clean living since he kicked drugs some 40 years ago. Their son Henry also tours as a backing vocalist with his father. James became a father for the third and fourth time following the birth of their twin sons Rufus and Henry in April 2001. In 1995, James began dating Caroline 'Kim' Smedvig, the director of public relations and marketing for the Boston Symphony Orchestra. Walker helped him fight his heroin addiction, but they ultimately divorced in 1996. James Taylor and second wife Kathryn Walker in 1988.Īfter Carly Simon, James Taylor married actress Kathryn Walker in late 1985.
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