Johnnie Taylor

Gospel/r&b/soul singer, born 5 May 1934 in Crawfordsville, Arkansas, died 31 May 2000 in Dallas, Texas.

He started his career in the mid-1950s as a member of gospel group [url=https://www.discogs.com/artist/1221681-The-Highway-QCs]The Highway QC's[/url] but left that group in 1957 to replace [a=Sam Cooke] as lead vocalist for [url=https://www.discogs.com/artist/406831-The-Soul-Stirrers]The Soul Stirrers[/url].

Taylor has been active as a solo artist since the early 1960s, first at Sam Cooke's [l=SAR Records], later at the [l=Stax] label where he had a string of hits. His best known song from that period is probably "Who's Making Love" (1968).

Following the bankruptcy of Stax in 1976 he signed at [l=Columbia] where he recorded his biggest hit "Disco Lady" (1976), the first single to be rewarded with a platinum record in the US (for selling 2 million copies).

After a brief period at [l=Beverly Glen Music] in the early 1980s he signed at [l=Malaco Records] in 1984 where he would record until his death.

Please see [a294682], easily confused as contemporary & near namesake who hit with "Part Time Love" in 1963.