R. Dean Taylor
| R. Dean Taylor | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Richard Dean Taylor |
| Born |
11 May 1939 Toronto, Ontario, Canada |
| Genres | Pop, rockabilly, soul |
| Occupation(s) | Singer-songwriter, record producer, musician |
| Instruments | Vocals |
| Years active | 1961–present |
| Labels | Rare Earth/Motown Records |
| Website | http://www.rdeantaylor.com |
R. Dean Taylor (born Richard Dean Taylor, 11 May 1939 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada) is a Canadian singer, most notable as a recording artist, songwriter and record producer for Motown during the 1960s and 1970s. According to Jason Ankeny, Taylor "remains one of the most underrated acts ever to record under the Motown aegis."
As a singer, American audiences know Taylor best for his chart-topping 1970 hit "Indiana Wants Me", which hit #1 in Cash Box in the United States and was also #1 in Canada and #2 in the UK. It peaked at #5 on the Billboard Hot 100. The song was featured in the opening minutes of the 1980 American movie, The Ninth Configuration. He is well known in the United Kingdom for other hits, "Gotta See Jane" and "There's a Ghost in My House".
Taylor began his career in 1961, as a pianist and singer with several music bands in Toronto. He also made his first recordings in 1961, for the Audiomaster record label. The next year, Taylor's "At The High School Dance", a single for Amy-Mala Records, was a minor success. His next single, "I'll Remember", on the Barry label, was a #23 success for Toronto rock and roll radio station CHUM, and the singer decided to relocate to Detroit, Michigan to further his career.
In Detroit, Taylor was hired by Motown Records in 1964 as a songwriter and recording artist for the Motown subsidiary V.I.P. label. Taylor's scheduled first single (March 1964) for V.I.P. was the topical satire "My Ladybug (Stay Away From That Beatle)", but it was deemed too weak for release and was never issued.
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