Gloria Ann Taylor facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Gloria Ann Taylor
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| Background information | |
| Also known as | Gloria Taylor |
| Born | September 13, 1944 Dehue, West Virginia, U.S. |
| Died | December 8, 2017 (aged 73) Toledo, Ohio, U.S. |
| Genres | Soul, funk |
| Occupation(s) | Singer |
| Years active | c.1966–1977 |
| Labels | King Soul, Silver Fox, Columbia, Mercury, Selector Sound, Ubiquity |
Gloria Ann Taylor (born September 13, 1944 – died December 8, 2017) was an American singer. She was known for her R&B (Rhythm and Blues) and soul music. Her most famous song was "You Got to Pay the Price" in 1969. Her songs from the early 1970s became very popular with music collectors years later. These songs were re-released in the 2010s.
About Gloria Ann Taylor
Gloria Ann Taylor was born in Dehue, West Virginia. When she was two years old, she moved to Toledo, Ohio, with her family. As a child, she had a serious illness called rheumatic fever. Doctors were not sure if she would live to be an adult. She went to special schools in Toledo because of her health.
When Gloria was a teenager, her mother passed away. To help support her young children, Gloria started singing in clubs in Toledo in the early 1960s. One night, while singing at a club, she was discovered by Walter Whisenhunt. He was a music producer who had worked with famous artists like James Brown.
Her Music Career
Walter Whisenhunt became Gloria's manager and producer. They soon got married. Gloria's brother, Leonard, was also a musician. He helped with the music for her songs.
Gloria's first songs were released under the name Gloria Taylor. Her biggest hit was "You Got to Pay the Price." It came out in 1969. This song reached number 9 on the R&B music chart. It also reached number 49 on the pop music chart. The song was even nominated for a Grammy Award! The next year, her song "Grounded" also did well, reaching number 43 on the R&B chart.
Gloria and Walter moved to California. There, Gloria recorded music for Columbia Records. In 1974, her song "Deep Inside You" became her third song to appear on the R&B chart. Later, Walter decided to end her contract with Columbia Records. Gloria later said she wished he hadn't done that.
She then signed with Mercury Records. After that, Walter started his own music label called Selector Sound. Gloria's songs were released on this label. On these records, she was called Gloria Ann Taylor. Some of her songs from this time included "Love Is A Hurtin' Thing." She also made a unique funk version of Dolly Parton's famous song "Jolene."
Later Years
Gloria Ann Taylor's music was special. It mixed soul music with interesting sounds like unique drums and fuzzy guitars. Her producer, Walter, was very creative. He added many layers of sounds to her songs. He used different instruments and voices to create a big, full sound.
Even though her music was unique, it wasn't very popular at the time. By 1977, Gloria's music career slowed down. She and Walter also separated.
Gloria returned to Toledo, Ohio, to raise her children. She found other work and only sang in her church. She never recorded or performed professionally again.
However, over the years, many of her old songs became very popular with music collectors. These collectors searched for her rare soul and funk music. In 2015, a record company called Ubiquity Records re-released many of her songs. They put them out on CD and vinyl as an album called Love Is A Hurtin' Thing. After this, Gloria said she wanted to start performing again.
Sadly, Gloria Ann Taylor passed away on December 8, 2017. She was 73 years old.
