James "J.T." Taylor, born August 16, 1953, fronted Kool & the Gang as lead singer from 1979 to 1988 and steered the ensemble toward its strongest commercial period in the early to middle 1980s before launching a solo path. He came aboard precisely when the trailblazing funk outfit was losing momentum amid disco’s ascent. Five years after its previous hit, the band brought in producer Eumir Deodato along with Taylor, returning to the Top Ten in 1979 via the disco-tinged “Ladies Night,” which climbed to the summit of the R&B charts. Kool & the Gang followed with its initial pop number-one single the next year, “Celebration.” Although further Top Ten entries arrived regularly between 1982 and 1987, Taylor departed in 1988 to pursue solo work, buoyed by that run of success. The scale of his contribution is reflected in the band’s decision to hire three vocalists—Skip Martin, Gary Brown, and Odeen Mays—to fill the vacancy.
Taylor joined Epic Records in 1988 and notched an immediate hit with the Regina Belle duet “All I Want Is Forever.” Written as the theme for Gregory Hines’s film Tap, the track peaked at number two on the R&B side yet failed to reach the pop charts. He issued three albums on MCA in the early 1990s, none of which matched the earlier duet’s impact, although “Long Hot Summer Night” reached the R&B Top 20 in 1991. Following an extended break, Taylor returned in mid-2000 with Brand New Me.
