dead R Dean Taylor

[TheKeysOfMarinus 390]

Quite dispiriting that this hasn't yet been authenticated and reported on. 

His three UK top 20 hits are all excellent records and it'll be such a shame if he doesn't get obits. 

[JQW 283]

There's nothing on either of a couple of US based message boards I occasionally visit - I'd expect his death to appear on at least one of them by now.

[MadMac 98]

I’m in the US, where this would certainly be reported, and nothing on it anywhere at the moment.

[Ulitzer95 12,654]

Both Chuck and Joe Brocato have reported his death on FB. If the above users think they know better, feel free to go tell them that their friend isn’t dead.

 

[Toast 16,146]

11 hours ago, Ulitzer95 said:

The original source of the news of his death is Facebook, a post from Chuck Brucato, his close friend and one of his colleagues at Rare Earth Records (a subsidiary of Motown).

 

There's a loony woman who keeps commenting on that post, insisting that RDT is still alive and giving screenshots of his Wikipedia page as proof

She also keeps posting an obit of a Raymond Dean Taylor who died several years ago.  Not sure what she thinks that proves.

 

 

Here's something that backs up his credentials.  His son Joe has also commented on the above FB thread.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rustix

[Ulitzer95 12,654]

8 minutes ago, Toast said:

 

There's a loony woman who keeps commenting on that post, insisting that RDT is still alive and giving screenshots of his Wikipedia page as proof

She also keeps posting an obit of a Raymond Dean Taylor who died several years ago.  Not sure what she thinks that proves.

 

I saw that yes. She seems like a right nutter.

 

Amusing that some random wifey from Keighley thinks she knows better than his own friend and former colleague. 

[harrymcnallysblueandwhitearmy 1,689]

This foreign gent (bot?) has an idiosyncratic take on things.

 

In short, he was born in 1039, his career 'hit the bricks' , he may 'no longer be among his close ones,' though his family have not 'unleashed a report' on his possible death.

 

"since the news surrounded the entire social media from all four corners, the shocking and immense reaction of his admirers spotted, as no one been thought that they will go to hit by such saddening news, hence everyone is paying tribute to him as well, so below you could get everything you need to know"

[TheKeysOfMarinus 390]

8 hours ago, Ulitzer95 said:

Both Chuck and Joe Brocato have reported his death on FB. If the above users think they know better, feel free to go tell them that their friend isn’t dead.

Appreciate the melodrama but that’s not what I was saying, was it?

 

I’m saying what a shame it hasn’t yet been reported on in the media. I don’t doubt this post but a FB post alone is not going to satisfy any news outlets standards. 

[Toast 16,146]

Sometimes a friend jumps the gun before the family are ready to make a death public.  We saw this recently with Janice Long.

[Ulitzer95 12,654]

2 hours ago, TheKeysOfMarinus said:

Appreciate the melodrama but that’s not what I was saying, was it?

 

I’m saying what a shame it hasn’t yet been reported on in the media. I don’t doubt this post but a FB post alone is not going to satisfy any news outlets standards. 

Wasn’t referring to you.

[YoungWillz 21,059]

R Dead Taylor: https://www.soultracks.com/story-r-dean-taylor-dies

[Ulitzer95 12,654]

His Wiki page has been reverted again.

 

SoulTracks not a reliable source to some editors it seems  I mean, it’s never not been reliable in all other cases on there in the past.
 

Though I suppose SoulTracks do nothing to help themselves with the old fashioned blog type layout and their lack of details (eg they never include the date of death, even when it’s available elsewhere). I’m not sure if much else will come. The interest seems to have waned already.

[Toast 16,146]

1 minute ago, Ulitzer95 said:

His Wiki page has been reverted again.

 

SoulTracks not a reliable source to some editors it seems  I mean, it’s never not been reliable in all other cases on there in the past.
 

Though I suppose SoulTracks do nothing to help themselves with the old fashioned blog type layout and their lack of details (eg they never include the date of death, even when it’s available elsewhere). I’m not sure if much else will come. The interest seems to have waned already.

 

I did wonder if their source was only the Facebook post.  There seems to be little on record about his private life, so perhaps there's no close family to announce his death.

Arguably RDT was better known in the UK as he had three Top 20 hits here, whereas in the US he's seen as a one-hit wonder.  He deserves a proper UK obit.

 

[Ulitzer95 12,654]

Finally, an obituary with original research, from Best Classic Bands. This settles it beyond any doubt:

"R. Dean Taylor, a Canadian singer and songwriter who earned his biggest hit for his 1970 recording, “Indiana Wants Me,” for Motown’s Rare Earth label, died on Friday, January 7, 2022. In the days following, there had been numerous social media posts referring to his death, but no confirmation. Today (Jan. 13), Best Classic Bands received word from veteran music journalist Larry LeBlanc that Taylor’s wife of 52 years, Janee, confirmed his passing. The report indicated that Taylor had been briefly hospitalized a year ago with Covid-19, but had been living at home ever since, under hospice care. Taylor was 82."

[Toast 16,146]

43 minutes ago, Ulitzer95 said:

Finally, an obituary with original research, from Best Classic Bands. This settles it beyond any doubt:

"R. Dean Taylor, a Canadian singer and songwriter who earned his biggest hit for his 1970 recording, “Indiana Wants Me,” for Motown’s Rare Earth label, died on Friday, January 7, 2022. In the days following, there had been numerous social media posts referring to his death, but no confirmation. Today (Jan. 13), Best Classic Bands received word from veteran music journalist Larry LeBlanc that Taylor’s wife of 52 years, Janee, confirmed his passing. The report indicated that Taylor had been briefly hospitalized a year ago with Covid-19, but had been living at home ever since, under hospice care. Taylor was 82."

 

Good.  So he was married!  He did a great job of keeping his private life private. 

Surely a decent UK obit will follow.

[The Old Crem 3,608]

20 minutes ago, Toast said:

 

Good.  So he was married!  He did a great job of keeping his private life private. 

Surely a decent UK obit will follow.

Depends if any of the newspapers get wind of the confirmation. They should do.

[Toast 16,146]

4 hours ago, The Old Crem said:

Depends if any of the newspapers get wind of the confirmation. They should do.

 

I'd expect there to be a prepared obit as there's the extra interest factor of his being an early white Motown artist.

And all his hits were absolute bangers.

[maryportfuncity 10,653]

4 minutes ago, Toast said:

 

I'd expect there to be a prepared obit as there's the extra interest factor of his being an early white Motown artist.

 

Yeah, oddly the first white artist they signed was - I think - Neil Young. Not that they signed him exactly, but they did snag him as one of Rick James' backing band. 

[Lord Fellatio Nelson 6,219]

1 hour ago, maryportfuncity said:

 

Yeah, oddly the first white artist they signed was - I think - Neil Young. Not that they signed him exactly, but they did snag him as one of Rick James' backing band. 

Yeah, I dunno why but I have this sneaky suspicion that you are having a private game of 'Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon Neil Young' there.

Go on, admit it!!

[maryportfuncity 10,653]

1 hour ago, Lord Fellatio Nelson said:

Yeah, I dunno why but I have this sneaky suspicion that you are having a private game of 'Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon Neil Young' there.

Go on, admit it!!

 

 

Aye, summat like that - more the case that I've followed his career for so long and read the various attempts to write a biography of a man who is - basically - summat of an enigma, that I just know this shit backwards. 

[Sir Creep 7,070]

On 14/01/2022 at 07:41, maryportfuncity said:

 

Yeah, oddly the first white artist they signed was - I think - Neil Young. Not that they signed him exactly, but they did snag him as one of Rick James' backing band. 

Interesting, and I’ll presume that to be true.  Must have happened after they moved Motown Records from The D to Los Angeles.  New expanded spectrum needed in their new expanded digs.

SC

[Death Impends 7,979]

Finally, would have still gotten a QO without the Yahoo loophole:

 

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/obituaries/2022/03/09/r-dean-taylor-musician-whose-song-ghost-house-loved-northern/

[Toast 16,146]

56 minutes ago, Death Impends said:

Finally, would have still gotten a QO without the Yahoo loophole:

 

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/obituaries/2022/03/09/r-dean-taylor-musician-whose-song-ghost-house-loved-northern/

 

Winstanley booked Taylor for a gig at (Wigan) Casino. He was not there on the night, but received a call at home from the club’s manager Gerry Marshall:

“Russ, R Dean Taylor’s arrived. But there must be some mistake – he’s not black...”

 

“Most of my work was bigger in England,” he said in 2019. “Thank God for the English people who embraced me.”

The pleasure was ours, Richard.  Thanks for those banging tunes.