LITTLE JOHNNY TAYLOR

Biography

Little Johnny Taylor, born Johnny Lamont Merrett on February 11, 1943, in Gregory, Arkansas (with some sources citing Memphis), moved to Los Angeles in 1950 as a child and began his musical journey singing gospel with groups like the Stars of Bethel and an early edition of the Mighty Clouds of Joy, making his recording debut with the former. Transitioning to secular music by the late 1950s, he performed blues in local clubs under the stage name Little Johnny Taylor, adopting 'Taylor' in admiration of vocalist Ted Taylor (whom he sometimes claimed as a brother) and 'Little' inspired by Little Willie John. His early secular recordings came in 1960 on the Swingin' label, including a brief stint with the Johnny Otis Revue, but major success arrived in 1963 with the Galaxy label, where producer Cliff Goldsmith and arranger Ray Shanklin helped craft his soul-blues style blending urgent gospel spontaneity with modern blues.

Taylor's breakthrough hit 'Part Time Love,' written by Clay Hammond and featuring guitarist Arthur Wright, topped the Billboard R&B chart and reached #19 on the pop chart, followed by 'You'll Need Another Favor,' 'Zig Zag Lightning,' and others that kept him charting from 1963 to 1974 amid a shifting musical landscape. In the early 1970s, he signed with Ronn Records, recording at Fame Studios in Muscle Shoals, Alabama, yielding R&B Top 10 hits like 'Everybody Knows About My Good Thing' (#9 in 1971) and 'Open House at My House' (#16 in 1972), plus duets with Ted Taylor. Known for his raw, gospel-infused vocals in the soul blues genre, Taylor continued performing through the 1980s and 1990s until his death on May 17, 2002, leaving a legacy of revitalizing blues for a soul era audience.

His career bridged gospel roots and soul-blues innovation, with chart success on labels like Galaxy and Ronn, though biographical details remain somewhat contradictory across sources.

Fun Facts

• Adopted the stage name 'Little Johnny Taylor' partly by claiming to be the brother of admired singer Ted Taylor, though they were unrelated.
• His biggest hit 'Part Time Love' was later covered by Johnnie Taylor, contributing to frequent artist name confusion.
• Biographical details like his birth name (Johnny Lamont Merrett or possibly Johnny Young) and exact birthplace (Gregory, Arkansas or Memphis) remain sketchy and contradictory across sources.
• Recorded at the renowned Fame Studios in Muscle Shoals for his 1970s Ronn hits, bridging West Coast and Southern soul scenes.

Musical Connections

Mentors/Influences

• Little Willie John - Stylistic influence and inspiration for adopting 'Little' in stage name (General vocal style influence) [Late 1950s]
• Ted Taylor - Admired vocalist who inspired adoption of 'Taylor' surname and false brother claim (None specified) [Late 1950s]
• Bobby Bland - Stylistic influence emulated in early hits ('You'll Need Another Favor') [1963]

Key Collaborators

• Cliff Goldsmith - Producer at Galaxy Records ('Part Time Love,' 'You'll Need Another Favor') [1963-1968]
• Ray Shanklin - Arranger at Galaxy Records ('You'll Need Another Favor,' 'Part Time Love') [1963]
• Arthur Wright - Guitarist on key recordings ('Part Time Love') [1963]
• Ted Taylor - Duet partner at Ronn Records (unrelated) (Duets album) [Early 1970s]
• Clay Hammond - Songwriter ('Part Time Love') [1963]

Artists Influenced

• Johnnie Taylor - Covered his hit song ('Part Time Love') [Post-1963]

External Links

• Spotify
• Wikipedia
• MusicBrainz

Tags: #soul