Johnnie Taylor
Johnnie Harrison Taylor (born May 5, 1934, Crawfordsville, Arkansas; died M… Read Full Bio ↴Johnnie Harrison Taylor (born May 5, 1934, Crawfordsville, Arkansas; died May 31, 2000, Dallas, Texas) was an American musician that sang in a wide variety of genres, including blues, disco, gospel, pop, and soul. Often using an energetic, belting delivery, he's perhaps best known for his work for the iconic Stax/Volt label, particularly with southern soul classics such as "Who's Making Love" and "Jody's Got Your Girl and Gone" in which he held his own against friendly rivals such as Otis Redding and Sam & Dave.

Growing up amidst music, Taylor had one release, "Somewhere to Lay My Head", on Chicago's Chance Records in the 50s as part of a doo-wop group called Five Echoes. Taylor was also part of the gospel group, The Highway QC's also, replacing r&b artist Sam Cooke that had left to become the lead singer of the Soul Stirrers in 1951. Then, after Cooke left the Soul Stirrers in 1957, Taylor was hired to take Cooke's place as lead singer.

A few years later, after Cooke had established his independent SAR Records, Taylor signed on and recorded "Rome Wasn't Built In A Day" in 1962. However, SAR Records quickly became defunct after Cooke's tradic early death in 1964.

In 1966, Taylor moved to Stax Records in Memphis, where he was dubbed "The Philosopher of Soul". While there he recorded with the label's house band, Booker T. & the MGs. His hits included "I Had a Dream", "I've Got to Love Somebody's Baby" (both written by the team of Isaac Hayes and David Porter) and most notably "Who's Making Love?", which reached No. 5 on the Billboard Top 40 and No. 1 on the R&B charts in 1968. During his tenure at Stax, he became an R&B star, with over a dozen chart successes, such as "Cheaper to Keep Her" (Mack Rice) and producer Don Davis's "I Believe in You (You Believe in Me)".

After Stax folded in the mid 1970s, Taylor switched to Columbia Records, where he made his best-known hit, "Disco Lady", in 1976. "Disco Lady" was the first certified platinum single. Columbia pigeonholed Taylor as a disco artist, however, and neglected his wide-ranging talent. Not surprisingly, his record sales slipped.

After a brief stint at Beverly Glen Records, Taylor signed with Malaco Records after the label's founder Tommy Couch and producing partner Wolf Stephenson heard him sing at blues singer Z.Z. Hill's funeral in the spring of 1984. Backed by members of The Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section as well as in-house veterans like former Stax keyboardist Carson Whitsett, Malaco gave Taylor the type of recording freedom that Stax had given him in the late 1960s and early 1970s, enabling him to record ten albums for the Malaco label in his sixteen year stint. Taylor's record sales were good but not enough for the singer to receive the measure of stardom he once had.

In 1996, Taylor's eighth album for Malaco, Good Love!, made it to Number One on Billboard's Blues chart (#15 R&B), the biggest record in Malaco's history.
Malaco recorded a live video of Taylor at the Longhorn Ballroom in Dallas, Texas in the summer of 1997.

Johnnie Taylor's 1999 album, "Gotta Get the Groove Back", also reached the # 1 Position on the Billboard Blues Charts. This album which featured veteran songwriter, Lamar Thmas (Woman don't be Afraid) was also a Grammy Nominated album during the same year that Johnnie passed.

Taylor was given a Pioneer Award by the Rhythm and Blues Foundation in 1999. He died in Dallas at the age of 66.

In what would turn out to be a sad foreshadowing, Taylor's final song was "Soul Heaven", in which he dreamed of being at a concert featuring deceased Soul music icons Otis Redding, Jackie Wilson, Marvin Gaye, Sam Cooke, and MGs drummer Al Jackson, among others. In one verse, Taylor sang, "I didn't want to wake up/I was havin' such a good time".
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Johnnie Taylor Lyrics


A Fool Like Me Liars talk and fools like me believe I keep hanging on…
Ain Oh, hey baby, yeah Take that loving baby Yeah yeah You thin…
Ain't That Loving You Oh, hey baby, yeah Take that loving baby Yeah yeah You …
Baby We've Got Love I've got to love somebody's baby Somebody, somebody, somebod…
Best of My Love What about my love ? Seem you have forgotten love. I…
Blues In The Night My mama done tol' me When I was in knee pants My…
Can I Love You But she said there ain't no jive when you apologize Honey…
Cheaper to Keep Her If you're tied up You'd better stay tied up 'Cause it's chea…
Disco 9000 LA - here's to you For being the kind of place…
Disco Lady Shake it up, Shake it down; Move it in move…
Disco Lady - Single Version Shake it up, shake it down Move it in, move it…
Disco Lady 2000 Shake it up, Shake it down; Move it in move…
Disco Lady 2000 Radio Slam Shake it up, shake it down Move it in, move it…



Do I Love You But she said there ain't no jive when you apologize Honey…
Don You know it seem like to me that Nowadays everybody's going…
Don't Cry No More Don't cry no more, wipe away your tears Don't cry no…
Don't Make Me Late Bring me my shoes Give me my hat I′ve got to look…
Don't Take My Sunshine You know it seem like to me that Nowadays everybody's going…
Don't Touch Her Body Some like to do it when it's hot Some like to…
Everything's Out In the Open Once upon a time we were a unit, we were…
Fool Like Me Liars talk and fools like me believe I keep hanging on…
Free Honey, stop your lies You ain't got to lie no more Sugar,…
Friday Night Alright, I got to tell you I got to tell you…
Girl Of My Dreams I've got sunshine on a cloudy day When it's cold outside…
Give Me My Baby All of the money Bright lights and fame Could never come ove…
Good Love Where you been all of my life Tell me where you've…
Hello Sundown Hello sundown I'm so glad you're here Why I've been waiting …
Hijackin Oh, oh, yeah I got to tell you something Hey, girl, let…
Hijackin' Love Oh, oh, yeah I got to tell you something Hey, girl, let…
i I've been searching for a long time To find someone to…
I Ain Oh, hey baby, yeah Take that loving baby Yeah yeah You thin…
I Am Somebody I am somebody, yeah You are somebody, yeah A lawyer is some…
I Believe In You I feel sorry, I feel sorry I feel sorry, I feel…
I Believe in You (You Believe in Me) (Don Davis) I feel sorry, I feel sorry I feel sorry, I…
I Could Never Be President If I became President I know I won't last a day I…
I Don Listen, listen to my heartbeat Listen, listen to my heartbea…
I FOUND A LOVE Yeah, yeah yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah I found a love, I…
I Got A Feeling I've got to love somebody's baby Somebody, somebody, somebod…
I Had A Dream If I became President, I know I won't last a…
I Love You Lady But she said there ain't no jive when you apologize Honey…
I Turn To You Oh, hey baby, yeah Take that loving baby Yeah yeah You thin…
I Wanna Know Let me tell you something about myself I`m not ashamed to…
I Want You Love But she said there ain't no jive when you apologize Honey…
I'd Rather Drink Muddy Water Babe, we got to have little talk I ought to pack…
I'm Changing oh, yea oh my my my, i' m changing, rearrangin my life i' m …
I'm Gonna Keep On Loving You There are times You make me feel so bad There are times You…
I'm Just A Shoulder To Cry On I'm just somebody Who you can tell your troubles to? Ea…
I'm Trying If I don't love you like you want me to…
I've Been Born Again I've been born again I'm a brand new man (kind of…
If It's Love And if you really love me won't you tell me And…
Jody Every guy I know Trying to get ahead Working two jobs Til yo…
Jodys Got Your Girl And Gone Every guy I know Trying to get ahead Working two jobs Til…
Jody’s Got Your Girl And Gone Every guy I know Trying to get ahead Working two jobs Til yo…
Just Because Just because I raise a little sand I might be tired Lady,…
Just One Moment I've been searching for a long time To find someone to…
Just the One (I've Been Looking For) I've been looking for a long time To find someone to…
Just The One I've Been Lookin' For I've been searching for a long time To find someone to…
Keep On Loving You There are times You make me feel so bad There are times You…
Last Two Dollars A lady at the casino She lost all of her money She…
Little Bluebird I know a little bluebird As always she would sing for…
Love Bone Been working all day Like I'm doing time The foreman say you…
Love Depression Put a thousand souls together love′s lack A new bunch of…
My Love Is Your Love Your love is rated X That means you're extra special, girl A…
Never My Love What about my love ? Seem you have forgotten love. I…
Never Never If I became President I know I won't last a day I…
Next Time Next time I'll be kinder If I could only find her I'll…
Nothing as Beautiful as You I′ve watched the sunrise in the morning I've seen the grass…
One In A Million I feel sorry, I feel sorry I feel sorry, I feel…
Part Time Love I'm gonna find me, lord I've got to find me…
Pick Up The Pieces Hey, girl we′re drifting apart We keep breaking each other's…
Right Now Don't want to wait 'til tomorrow Why put it off another…
Rome Don't, honey don't, go away, no no Don't you hear, don't…
Rome (Wasn't Built In a Day) What I say, what I say Give me time, give me…
Rome wasn Don't, honey don't, go away, no no Don't you hear, don't…
Rumors Saturday, steppin' into the club Somebody wanna tell DJ to t…
Running Out Of Lies I'm tired of lying, peeping and hiding And low class…
Sending You a Kiss I know that it's hard on you Trying to face it…
She's Killing Me Well, well, well, well Baby can′t you see what's been done…
Sixteen Tons Some people say a man is made outta mud A poor…
Somebody's Sleeping In My Bed Somebody, been sleeping in my bed (That's a bad thing to…
Soul Heaven Last night I dreamed I was at a concert So many…
Standing In For Jody I don't need nobody Shaking my tree Save all your love Save …
Starting All Over Again Starting all over again is gonna be rough, so rough But…
Steal Away Don't you wanna steal it (steal it) I wanna steal it…
Still Called the Blues People got money Still got problems Go to the psychiatrist T…
Stop Doggin Me I'm as londsome as can be my baby is rtying to…
Take Care Of Your Homework Got to tell you true I got to tell you true Oh…
Take My Hand You know it seem like to me that Nowadays everybody's going…
Talk To Me When I see you, girl you turn my head, you…
Testify Let me tell you something about myself I`m not ashamed to…
That Oh, hey baby, yeah Take that loving baby Yeah yeah You thin…
That's Not Love Monday's so good Tuesday's so cruel One day you're so happy …
The Night Alright, I got to tell you I got to tell you…
There's Nothing I Wouldn't Do Merrily we fall out of line Out of line I′d fall anywhere…
This Bitter Earth This bitter earth What fruit it bears What good is love That…
Time After Time Time after time I tell myself that I'm So lucky to be…
Toe Hold All my life I been a po' boy, It's been hard…
Toe-Hold All my life I been a po' boy, It's been hard…
Too Wise to Be Your Fool Girl i know about your where abouts Even the guy that's…
Try Me Tonight Hey, I can feel it It's the real thing baby Well, I…
We're Getting Careless With Our Love Wake up, little darling It's time to go home If sunrise catc…
What About My Love What about my love ? Seem you have forgotten love. I…
When She Stops Askin' Honey, stop your lies You ain't got to lie no more Sugar,…
When She Stops Asking I wonder what you feelin', my man Why you stayin' out…
Where There Why do people whisper when they see me passing by? It…
Where There's Smoke There's Fire Why do people whisper when they see me passing by? It…
Who All you fellows, gather 'round me And let me give…
You& There are times You make me feel so bad There are times You…
You're The Best In The World You don′t give me money Honey that's just not your style Oth…
Your Love Is Rated X Your love is rated X That means you′re extra special, girl A…


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