| Tommy Taylor | |
| Landscape: | yes |
| Background: | solo_singer |
| Birth Name: | Tommy Taylor |
| Birth Date: | 8 May 1957 |
| Birth Place: | Denton, Texas, U.S. |
| Genre: | Rock, blues, pop |
| Occupation: | Musician, singer, songwriter |
| Instrument: | Drums, guitar, percussion, vocals |
| Years Active: | 1968–present |
| Label: | Capitol Records, Warner Bros. Records |
| Associated Acts: | Christopher Cross, Eric Johnson |
Tommy Taylor (born May 8, 1957) is an American musician, vocalist and songwriter, who is best known for being a touring and recording member with Christopher Cross and Eric Johnson.
Developing an infatuation with many types of music at a very early age, he quickly expanded his interests, exploring the playing of various musical instruments and singing. He acquired his first guitar at the age of eight in December 1965, discovering by chance, that he was also potentially quite adept at playing the drums, drumming became his primary objective.
By age eleven he was working professionally as a drummer, and by age thirteen, he was headlining the most prominent night spots in Austin, TX.
In 1977, Taylor landed the drummer/vocalist slot with the burgeoning original music group, Christopher Cross.[1] [2] [3] His performances on Cross's classic debut LP, "Christopher Cross," helped garner 5 Grammy Awards in 1981, Including Album of The Year, along with a 5× Platinum Certification.[4] [5] Taylor also featured on two tracks on Cross' second album, Another Page. When touring the world, Christopher Cross opened for Bonnie Raitt, Fleetwood Mac, The Eagles, Foreigner, Cheap Trick, and America, as well as headlining their own concert dates.
In 1984, Taylor began what would become a lifetime partnership with fellow Austin musician Eric Johnson. In 1988, Taylor played with Eric Johnson on the TV show, Austin City Limits, it has since become the most requested episode in 40-year history of the show, and subsequently became a CD/DVD release, along with Gold Certification.[4] Taylor has been featured on almost every single album of Johnson's as either a drummer, percussionist, vocalist, writer, or arranger.[6] Taylor is featured on the Grammy Award-winning[7] smash hit, "Cliffs of Dover" from the Platinum album Ah Via Musicom[4] among many of the studio performances over the years.
In 2018–2019, Taylor played a sold-out tour with Eric Johnson and Kyle Brock, re-playing the Ah Via Musicom album from cover to cover, along with new cuts from Johnson's record Collage. The tour featured a headline spot at 2019's Crossroads Guitar Festival, returning to the festival after 15 years.[8]
In 2020, Taylor was due to release a debut solo LP titled, Across The Stars. It is co-produced by Mark Hallman, and features Michael Omartian, Roscoe Beck, David Lee Holt, and Mark Andes among others. On October 15, 2022, Taylor released his debut single, "Summit", from his upcoming solo album. A follow up single "Across The Stars" was also released.
In 2023, Taylor released his third single, "Everybody's Gonna Let You Down". The Across The Stars album was released on September 22, 2023.