James Taylor’s Musical Family Tree: Meet His 4 Talented Siblings, Including Livingston Taylor
What the 'Fire and Rain' singer has said about his younger brother’s career may surprise you!
James Taylor has long been considered one of the finest singer-songwriters around, and while you likely know many of his greatest hits, you might not have realized that his four siblings were also all talented musicians in their own right.
James, along with his sister and three brothers, cultivated his musical interests from his earliest days, and his sister, Kate, and brothers, Alex and Livingston, released their debut albums right around the time he broke out and frequently shared the stage with him, leading Rolling Stone to dub the Taylors “The First Family of the New Rock” in 1971.
James’ siblings may not have become household names like him, but they’ve always been a key part of his story as an artist, and he’s spoken admiringly of their abilities and contributed to their albums. Read on to meet the Taylor family and learn all about their careers—and which of James’ songs his brothers and sisters have covered.
Alex Taylor: The bluesy brother behind ‘Sweet Baby James’
James’s oldest sibling, Alex Taylor, named his son after him, and James was inspired to write what would become one of his most beloved songs, “Sweet Baby James” (1970) as a tribute to his newborn nephew.
Alex released his debut album, With Friends and Neighbors, in 1971. James played guitar on the record, which featured Alex’s renditions of his songs “Highway Song” and “Night Owl.” Alex released his next album, Dinnertime, in 1972, but suffered a setback when his 1974 album, Third for Music, which was co-produced by James, was unceremoniously dropped by his record label and never officially released.
Alex’s music had more of a blues influence than his famous brother’s, and in 1984, he recorded a live album with Dan Aykroyd and the Blues Brothers Band. His next record, Voodoo in Me (1989), featured “He Will Break Your Heart,” a duet with James. Alex’s final album came out in 1991.
Addiction ran in the Taylor family, and Alex tragically died from an alcoholism-induced heart attack at age 46 in 1993. His death occurred on James’s birthday, and James wrote the 1997 song “Enough to Be on Your Way” in tribute to his older brother.
Kate Taylor: A bohemian spirit with a soulful voice
James’s only sister, Kate, was signed by his manager, Peter Asher, and released her debut album, Sister Kate, in 1971. The album featured James on guitar, and she covered his ballad “You Can Close Your Eyes,” as well as “Be That Way,” a song written by their brother Livingston Taylor. Linda Ronstadt and Carole King contributed backing vocals, making the album a who’s who of early ’70s folk-rock.
Kate’s next record, released in 1978, included two songs written for her by James and a cover of Livingston’s song “Rodeo.” James and his then-wife, Carly Simon, provided backing vocals, along with Alex. While James wasn’t on Kate’s third album, It’s in There … and It’s Got to Come Out! (1978), Alex, Livingston and their youngest brother, Hugh, were all credited as backing vocalists.
It’s in There … and It’s Got to Come Out! failed to find an audience, so Kate took a long break from the music industry and spent time living in a teepee and making beaded jewelry while starting her family.
After her years of living a low-profile, bohemian existence, Kate made a comeback with her 2003 album Beautiful Road, which featured a duet with James. A live album and another studio album followed. Kate’s most recent album, an independent release titled Why Wait, came out in 2021. In addition to being a musician, Kate is also a painter, and she still sells her beadwork.
Reflecting on Kate’s return to music in Rolling Stone, James recalled, “I really wanted to see what she would eventually come up with after she settled into it and caught her groove. And she never really got the chance to do that,” and said that her second act was, “really a moving thing,” adding, “I think it’s so great that Kate will have this next iteration, you know, this next chance for people to hear her and pick up on her.”
Livingston Taylor: A beloved performer, professor and author
After James, Livingston Taylor is the best-known and most prolific of the musical siblings. His debut album came out in 1970, and his 1973 album Over the Rainbow featured vocals from James and Carly Simon. While James and Carly divorced in 1983, Livingston has remained good friends with his former sister-in-law, and they’ve collaborated a number of times.
James has recorded songs written by Livingston, including “I Can Dream of You” (1976) and “Boatman” (1997), and told The New York Times, “I got the early attention, but there is no real reason that it couldn’t have been Liv. We could easily have swapped. Our sense of the world is informed by each other.”
Livingston’s singles “Carolina Day” (1970), “Get Out of Bed” (1971), “I Will Be in Love With You” (1978) and “I’ll Come Running” (1978) all made it onto the Billboard charts. He’s continued to steadily release music since the ’70s, and his discography boasts over 20 albums. His most recent album, Symphonic Steps, featuring the BBC Concert Orchestra, came out earlier this year.
In addition to being a singer-songwriter, Livingston has also written children’s books, flown planes and hosted artists’ retreats. In 1989, he became a professor at Berklee College of Music, a post he held for over 30 years. He’s also served as an artist-in-residence at Harvard and taught at Frost School of Music at the University of Miami, NASA’s Goddard Space Center, and Tulane Law School. He drew on his experience as a musician and professor to write Stage Performance, a guidebook for performers, in 2000, and created an online performance course in 2022. A documentary about his life and work was released in 2018.
Livingston and James have always supported one another, and in an interview, Livingston said, “Let there be no confusion. James Taylor is the greatest. He’s not only a wonderful musician, but he’s a wonderful and supportive brother. People always want to know if it’s difficult being in his shadow. Are you crazy? I’m his brother, and I get to revel in the remarkable music that he makes. I get to be his friend and his confidant. But he’s got his life and I’ve got mine. We spend time together—we love it when we find each other in the same place—but not a great deal of time together. He admires my career, but he doesn’t want my career. I admire him and I don’t want his career.”
Hugh Taylor: The quietest Taylor with a Martha’s Vineyard retreat
Hugh Taylor is the youngest of the Taylor siblings, and he keeps the lowest profile. He provided backing vocals for Carly Simon and Jimmy Buffett, and released his first and only album, It’s Up to You, in 1990. The album featured contributions from James, Alex, Kate and Livingston, but went out of print.
Hugh and his wife, Jeanne, have owned the Outermost Inn, a scenic hotel and restaurant on Martha’s Vineyard, since 1988. They also run a local bike service.
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