Larry Taylor facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Larry Taylor
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Taylor performing with John Mayall and Sugarcane Harris, 1971, Hamburg
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Samuel Lawrence Taylor |
| Also known as | The Mole |
| Born | June 26, 1942 New York City, U.S. |
| Died | August 19, 2019 (aged 77) Lake Balboa, California, U.S. |
| Genres | Rock and roll, blues rock, blues, avant-garde |
| Occupation(s) | Bass guitarist, double bassist, guitarist |
| Instruments | Bass guitar, double bass, electric guitar |
| Years active | 1965–2019 |
| Associated acts | Canned Heat, John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers, The Monkees, Jerry Lee Lewis, Tom Waits, Harvey Mandel |
Samuel Lawrence Taylor (born June 26, 1942 – died August 19, 2019) was an American bass guitarist. He was most famous for being a member of the band Canned Heat starting in 1967. Before joining Canned Heat, he worked as a musician for hire, playing bass for groups like The Monkees and Jerry Lee Lewis. Larry was the younger brother of Mel Taylor, who was the drummer for The Ventures for a long time.
Contents
Larry Taylor's Musical Journey
Early Life and First Bands
Larry Taylor was born in New York City. His mother was Jewish, and his father was from Tennessee. Larry started playing bass guitar in a band called The Gamblers. This group was one of the first rock bands to play instrumental surf music. They had a local hit song in Los Angeles called "Moon Dawg," and Larry played on that recording.
Joining Canned Heat and Famous Festivals
Larry Taylor played with Canned Heat from 1967 to 1970. During this time, he performed with the band at some of the biggest music festivals ever. These included the Monterey International Pop Festival and the famous Woodstock. His band nickname was "The Mole." Besides playing bass, he sometimes played lead guitar, like on the song "Down in the Gutter, But Free" from the album Hallelujah.
New Bands and Collaborations
In 1970, Larry and fellow musician Harvey Mandel left Canned Heat to join John Mayall's band, the Bluesbreakers. After touring with the Bluesbreakers, Larry also played briefly with the Sugarcane Harris Band.
Later, in 1974, Larry became part of The Hollywood Fats Band. He also rejoined Canned Heat for some concerts and recorded with them again in 1988 for the album Reheated. He continued to tour and record with Canned Heat off and on until 1999. In 2007, Larry, Harvey Mandel, and Fito de la Parra (who were all part of the Canned Heat lineup at Woodstock) reunited for special shows. They toured together quite a bit from 2009 to 2013.
Larry Taylor became very skilled at playing the acoustic upright bass in the blues music scene. You can see him playing it in the live blues film Lightning in a Bottle. He also appeared in a concert DVD released in 2013, which featured famous piano players like Floyd Dixon, Pinetop Perkins, and Henry Gray.
Larry also played bass on many albums for the unique musician Tom Waits and was part of his touring band.
Awards and Legacy
In 2014, Larry Taylor was nominated for a Blues Music Award in the 'Best Instrumentalist – Bass' category, which shows how respected he was for his bass playing.
Larry Taylor passed away on August 19, 2019, at the age of 77, after battling cancer. He left behind a great musical legacy.
