2 months ago
Angelina Jolie’s legendary songwriter uncle has taken his last bow.
Chip Taylor — nan hitmaker down nan 1966 stone classical “Wild Thing” — died successful hospice attraction astatine 86 years aged connected Monday, according to Taylor’s pal and Grammy-winning shaper Billy Vera.
He died conscionable days aft celebrating his birthday.
“RIP: Chip Taylor, my friend and songwriting mentor,” Vera wrote connected Instagram.
The euphony icon, calved James Wesley Voight successful Yonkers, New York, successful 1940, was nan relative of actor Jon Voight and uncle to Hollywood superstar Jolie and her relative James Haven, but he carved retired a towering bequest connected his own.
Taylor’s first large break came pinch “Wild Thing” — a raw, raunchy anthem that changeable to No. 1 connected nan Billboard Hot 100 for The Troggs successful 1966 and helped ignite nan garage-rock explosion.
In 2023, Taylor revealed nan deed came together successful a flash. After getting a telephone from The Troggs’ shaper asking for caller material, he hung up, grabbed his guitar — and struck golden almost instantly.
“I hung up and started banging connected nan guitar and ‘Wild Thing’ conscionable flew retired of me,” he told The Independent.
“Well, ahhh, my model opened connected to nan broadway pinch each those beautiful girls stepping by. So, I was looking astatine them and penning successful that spirit. It was a existent New York moment…”
Beyond “Wild Thing,” Taylor penned a drawstring of unforgettable hits, including “Angel of nan Morning,” famously recorded by Merrilee Rush, and songs performed by legends for illustration Willie Nelson, Janis Joplin, Cliff Richard and The Hollies.
Tributes person poured successful for nan prolific songwriter, pinch musician Allan Jones remembering Taylor arsenic some a maestro storyteller and a hit-making machine.
“He played Twickenham Exchange a fewer years ago, accompanied by John Platiana, for galore years Van Morrison’s guitarist,” Jones recalled.
“It was memorable not only for a batch of awesome songs, but Taylor’s immense repertoire of bonzer and hilarious anecdotes, which took up a generous information of an unforgettable set.
“The man could surely show a communicative arsenic good arsenic he could constitute a song.”
Taylor’s catalog stretched crossed decades, pinch standout tracks for illustration “I Can’t Let Go,” recorded by artists including Evie Sands and Linda Ronstadt, and collaborations specified arsenic “He Sits astatine Your Table” pinch Nelson.
He wasn’t conscionable a behind-the-scenes brilliant either. Taylor released his ain albums successful nan 1970s and later founded his independent label, Train Wreck Records, successful 2007.
His 2009 medium “Yonkers NY”, released done Train Wreck, was an acclaimed Americana-country grounds that doubled arsenic a profoundly individual look backmost astatine his boyhood increasing up successful Yonkers.
Speaking astir his hometown successful 2009, he told The New York Times: “[If] you’re from Yonkers, you person a definite pridefulness successful Yonkers. And you don’t attraction if anybody gets it aliases not.”
In nickname of his decades-long impact, he was inducted into nan Songwriters Hall of Fame successful 2016.
Offstage, Taylor was known for his emotion of blackjack, a crippled friends opportunity he played pinch near-professional skill.
He is survived by his children and grandchildren. His wife, Joan Carole Frey, whom he joined successful 1964, died successful June 2025.
