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 Singing The Blues FEW COULD SING the blues like local fixture on the music scene, Bobby Taylor. The young, versatile jazz vocalist and guitarist reportedly died of a heart attack last Monday, July 14, while shooting basketball with a friend. He was 39 (though it bears noting the strong-willed performer, notorious for lying about his age, would probably demand a retraction of that last statement. We'll call it 35, in Bobby years.)
Brooklyn-born and raised, the son of local jazz icon Sam Taylor, Bobby established himself early on in the family business. (His sister is also a jazz musician.) Though not formally trained, he went on to be named the 1988 Amateur of the Year at the Apollo Theater. He moved out to Tucson nearly a decade ago, and you'd be hard pressed to find a serious local musician who's never shared a stage with him--or been the recipient of one of his trademark "looks." "He was a cool one," said a former Real Deal band member. "You could take Bobby off the street, but you couldn't take the street out of Bobby." A seven-minute video played in the background while friends--mostly musicians--sat down to share their impressions. The recording, a duet of Sam and Bobby singing, played continuously. "Baby please come back. I really love you so. Why did you go? I want to know," they belt out as the tape of father and son, both in good health, fades to blue. In spite of the circumstances, the mood there in the back room was far from somber, though. For whatever anybody was about to say about Taylor--personal, professional, or otherwise--the first thing that came to their lips was inevitably a smile. One friend and fellow musician seemed to say it best: "Nobody's perfect, and he may have been less perfect than some, but I loved him. He was a great singer. I've always been a friend and a fan." He was a strong man, energetic and ornery even in his death. (The story goes that he turned to his hoop partner and said, "I'll die before I let you beat me!") He loved his father, his family, his music, and those who wanted to share it with him. In the absence of reason or explanation for his unexpected parting, our hearts go out to those who knew him well. The family is still raising money for funeral and transportation expenses. For information or to make a donation, call the Tucson Blues Society at 293-0737. |
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At a benefit show at the Boondocks Lounge last Friday night,
friends and family gathered to trade stories and remember his
unique spirit. For any who ever met him, even in passing, he's
not a man easily forgotten. He's long been an outspoken advocate
for local musicians, a sort of undiplomatic diplomat for the blues
scene in particular. You had to admire that about him--he believed
in his music, and the talent he saw around him, and he was committed
to having that talent recognized on stage: Whether it meant butting
heads with club management, taking the local press to task for
not covering their musical beat, or literally twisting the arm
of a Real Deal Band recruit until he said "uncle" and
dutifully picked up his bass guitar, Taylor unapologetically charged
ahead to get things done...and get them done right.