Ted Taylor - Ever Wonderful; Okeh Uptown Soul 1962-1966 & Complete Ronn/Jewel Singles

"Austin Taylor, better known as Ted Taylor (February 16, 1934 – October 2, 1987) was an American soul musician.

Born in Okmulgee, Oklahoma, United States, Taylor sang with The Cadets/The Jacks in the 1950s. He sang lead vocals on The Cadets' "Do You Wanna Dance (Hey Little Girl)" and "I Cry" and also on The Jacks' "Away" and "My Darling." He did not appear on The Cadets' biggest hit "Stranded In The Jungle" in 1955. For that session, he was replaced by singer Prentice Moreland. Taylor left The Cadets/The Jacks to begin a solo career which began with two singles on Melatone Records in 1957. He would later release singles on Ebb Records and Duke Records from 1957 to 1959; in the 1960s he recorded for Ronn Records and Okeh Records in blues and soul styles. In the 1970s he recorded disco for TK Records."

"Once heard, the exciting tenor voice of Ted Taylor can never be forgotten or mistaken for any other. With his elaborate pompadour hairstyle and pencil-line moustache, he looked a lot like Little Richard, his label-mate at Okeh Records for a spell (although Ted was far from little). Onstage he wore flamboyant pink suits, his manicured fingers heavy with ornate rings. This and his androgynous singing voice led many to conclude that Ted was gay, but appearances can be misleading: when out of the spotlight, he was a quietly-spoken family man.

He started out as a member of the Glory Bound Travelers gospel group. By 1955 he was singing with the Santa Monica Soul Seekers, soon to morph into dual identity secular combo the Cadets/Jacks. Turning solo in 1957, he notched up releases on the Ebb, Dena, Duke, Top Rank, Laurie, Top Rank, Warwick, Apt, Gold Eagle, United Artists and Soncraft labels. He then landed contract with Okeh, where he remained from 1962 to 1965, before joining Atlantic Record’s Atco subsidiary for a few singles. That brings us to the fantastic music on this CD, which stems from Ted’s lengthy tenure at Stan Lewis’ Ronn imprint out of Shreveport, Louisiana."