Chip Taylor

Hit Man

(Gadfly 220)

Born James Voight (brother of actor Jon Voight), Taylor's songwriting career took off quickly when he began writing hits in the '60s. He also had some success as a producer, working with many artists, including James Taylor and Neil Diamond. In the '70s he released six albums of his own -- including the critically-acclaimed "Last Chance" -- but his inability to break through commerically lead him to retreat somewhat from the business in the 1980s. In the '90s, he placed a cut on Bonnie Raitt's "Luck of the Draw" smash CD, then toured "in the round" with Midge Ure, Rosie Flores, Don Henry, and Darden Smith. The tour sparked his creative juices, and he has been writing at a feverish clip ever since.