B.E. Taylor
| B. E. Taylor | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | William Edward Taylor |
| Also known as | Billy Eddie, B.E. |
| Born | March 18, 1951 Aliquippa, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Died |
(aged 65) Wheeling, West Virginia, U.S. |
| Genres | |
| Occupation(s) | Singer-songwriter, musician |
| Instruments | Acoustic guitar, vocals |
| Years active | 1981–2016 |
| Labels |
MCA, Epic, First String Records (B. E. Taylor Group) Chrishae Records |
| Associated acts | B. E. Taylor Group Jeff Jimerson |
| Website | http://www.betaylor.com |
William Edward "B. E." Taylor (March 18, 1951 – August 7, 2016) was the lead singer of the pop rock band B. E. Taylor Group and a solo artist. The group's 1983 single, "Vitamin L", reached No. 66 on the Billboard 100 singles chart.
Hailing from Aliquippa, Pennsylvania, he was the eldest of three sons of Bill and Betty Taylor. Born William Edward, he was called 'Billy Eddie' by his mother, which he eventually shortened to B. E. While in high school, he formed B.E. Taylor and The Establishment.
Taylor moved to Wheeling, West Virginia in the mid-1980s.
In 1991, Taylor, a dedicated Christian, contributed a reworking of “Silent Night” to a local station’s Christmas compilation, launching his second career as a holiday performer.
Taylor went on to record five solo albums and developed a following in the adult contemporary market with his annual Christmas tours. He had also performed for many popular television programs in the 1990s, including the award-winning LightMusic, for which he was the music director, Nickelodeon, and its night-time programming block, Nick At Nite. In 1984, the B. E. Taylor Group scored MTV video rotation and a Billboard regional No. 1 hit with the song "Vitamin L."
Taylor's longtime guitarist and collaborator, Rick Witkowski, is also a member of the progressive rock band, Crack the Sky. In 2008, Taylor was awarded the Duquesne University Lifetime Achievement Award.
In March 2007, Taylor was diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumor. During the years of treatment, he released the album B. E. Taylor Christmas 3 and a concert DVD, completed eight Christmas tours, took part in Valentine and summer concerts.
He died on August 7, 2016, aged 65 from complications of the tumor. He was survived by his wife Veronica (Née DeBlasis) Taylor and two children, B.C. and Tahnee.
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