Johnnie Taylor - Soul Heaven 1999 Tribute to Music Icons. Soul Heaven Lyrics: Last night I dreamed I was at a concert / So many people, you had to stand in line / One night only in Soul Heaven / I didn't wanna wake up / I was having such a good time / All of.
Stream Johnnie Taylor Soul Heaven by Millerco Entertainment from desktop or your mobile device. Johnnie Harrison Taylor (May 5, 1934 – May 31, 2000) was an American vocalist in a wide variety of genres, from rhythm and blues, soul, blues and gospel to pop, doo-wop and disco.
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JOHNNIETAYLOR SPECIAL
(June8, 2000)
Thousandsturn out for Taylor's funeral
Singer remembered by fellow R&B stars
06/08/2000
By Matt Weitz / Special Contributor to The Dallas Morning News
Thousands of friends, family and fans - including musical legendsAretha Franklin and Al Green - flocked to Dallas on Wednesday tocelebrate the legacy of Johnnie Taylor. The hometown R&Bstar, known best for his 1968 hit 'Who's Making Love'and his 1976 hit 'Disco Lady,' died last week of aheart attack.
A viewing Tuesday at Good Street Baptist Church attracted 7,000mourners, said Barbara Kennedy, Mr. Taylor's niece. On Wednesday,nearly as many paid final respects at the funeral of the 'Philosopherof Soul.'
The funeral was a mixture of church ceremony and house party. At1 p.m., when the service started, more than 1,000 mourners whocouldn't fit in the church milled about outside, either standingby the velvet-roped front walk or under a large tent next door,where two TV monitors broadcast the service. Cars lined thestreets for blocks.
At least 3,500 people crowded into the church, including a star-studdedguest list that included Ms. Franklin, Mr. Green, Bobby Womackand Millie Jackson, Ms. Kennedy said. In the adjoining chapel,another 1,000 watched on television.
Timothy Garner, who had sung and played with Mr. Taylor in theearly '90s, remembered his former boss. 'He always had asmile and a kind word, especially for the young, upcoming artist,'Mr. Garner recalled. 'He was a God-fearing man. He neverworried that friends like B.B. King or Aretha [Franklin] weremore successful than him; as far as he was concerned, they hadtheirs and he had his, and that was enough.'
Sometimes, a party vibe threatened the solemnity of the occasion.The tent televisions were occasionally obscured, and the cadencesof the service were barely audible over conversation.
'I got here at nine o'clock,' Millie Brown complainedfrom a sidewalk across the street. 'We couldn't even get in.They should've organized things better; this is such a mess.'
'When we opened the doors, between 8:15 and 8:30 [a.m.],there was already a mile of people,' Ms. Kennedy said.'...We did everything we could to get everybody seated.'
Good Street had been Mr. Taylor's church since 1971, she added.'It was the place where he'd have wanted this to be.'
After the service, people filed past the casket for hours. Thefuneral procession didn't leave until 4:20.
'He was a very honest, loving, down-to-earth person, to me,'Ms. Kennedy said. 'You always think of celebrities asspecial, but he drove himself around every day. He helped thehungry like a normal person. The city of Dallas lost someone whonot only loved the city but the people in it.'
Matt Weitz isa Dallas free-lance writer.
RememberingJohnnie
Taylor combined fervor and sophistication
06/08/2000
By Bill Minutaglio / The Dallas Morning News
Almost every weekend, the soul man did what a soul man's got todo. Johnnie Taylor, maybe Dallas' best-known ambassador of a pureAmerican art form, would head to the airport or back his big tourbus onto Marsalis Avenue and move out on another smooth musicalodyssey that would take him from Oak Cliff to points around theworld.
But as he left his modest office just off Interstate 35, the onedecorated with his framed gold and platinum records, it wasn'tjust another road trip. When elegant and often private JohnnieTaylor would glide in the general direction of your neighborhood,he'd be preparing to preach about love and all its mysterious,smoky, inconsistent, incandescent and bittersweet vagaries.
Simply put, Johnnie Taylor, who died last week at 62 from a heartattack, was an impossibly cool and learned high priest of love:
Love lost, found, stolen, betrayed, sold, bartered, badgered andcheated on.
'The best way to put it,' said his friend and peerLittle Milton Campbell, taking time out from a gig in Las Vegas,'is that there was only one Johnnie Taylor. He was a soulman and there aren't many left.'
In early May, as part of an annual celebration of his birthday,many of his musical friends and family members (including hischildren) came to listen to the legend in the fittingly legendaryLonghorn Ballroom. It was, in a way, the appropriate finalshowcase for Johnnie Taylor - the Longhorn, for years, has servedas the scene of the greatest blues, R&B and soul triumphs inthe history of the city. It was also fitting that his children,including the ones in his extended musical family, were there. Ina way, Mr. Taylor was a godfather in a special, sadly unheraldedpantheon that still sets Dallas apart from most American cities.For decades, Dallas has quietly had one of the most importantconcentrations of artists who have resolutely been perfecting andkeeping alive what has generically been labeled 'soul'- that achingly poignant brand of American music seemingly filledwith the entire depth and scope of human emotion.
Among a few of the soul-inspired artists who have lived inDallas, or camped out here for a while, are: Z.Z. Hill. VernonGarrett. Charlie Roberson. Barbara Morrison. Bobby Patterson.Ernie Johnson. Gregg Smith. Millie Jackson. R.L. Griffin. Al'TNT' Braggs. Etta James. Sam Myers. Little Nicki.Brenda George. Harold Walker. Little Joe Blue. Tutu Jones. Andrew'Junior Boy' Johnson. B'nois King. Lucky Peterson.James Braggs.
But beyond the sheer number of performers, the Dallas soul soundis important stylistically. It is usually distinguished by aninescapable nod to the sophisticated marriage between deep bluesand uptown jazz that Dallas' own Aaron 'T-Bone' Walker(whose very first record in the early part of the 20th centurywas called 'Trinity River Blues' - and was cut underthe name Oak Cliff T-Bone) helped to invent.
But, like all good soul music, the Dallas sound is also alwaysembedded in the church - and, of course, that's where you canfind Mr. Taylor's musical roots. He was born in Crawfordsville,Ark., on May 5, 1938, sang in churches and then first recordedwith the Five Echoes doo-wop group. He moved to the Highway Q.C.'sgospel ensemble and then, in his first important career move,replaced Sam Cooke as the lead gospel singer in the Soul Stirrers.
'Johnny was emblematic of the sound that came out of thechurch,' said author and musicologist Peter Guralnick. Mr.Taylor had, he said, a combination of 'gospel fervor andvocal sophistication.' (Of course, it's no small coincidencethat a special service was scheduled for yesterday at Good StreetBaptist Church, where many of the most important memorials toDallas' leading citizens have taken place over the years.)
For a while, Mr. Taylor even served as a preacher, until Mr.Cooke asked him to sing for his new label. Finally, after Mr.Cooke's death, Mr. Taylor gravitated toward the Stax label - and,during that label's heyday, he began his ascent into the firstranks of American soul singers. He uncorked a spray of hits,toured the world, was recognized for having the tightest bands inthe business - and also dedicated himself to maintaining arelatively low profile around the media. Mr. Taylor did most ofhis speaking up on stage - including barreling through the Southon what Bobby Bland still affectionately calls 'the chitlin'circuit' of nightclubs and dance halls like the EastwoodCountry Club in San Antonio or J.B's Entertainment Center inHouston.
But Mr. Taylor, much like jazz immortal Red Garland did late inhis life, also decided to make Dallas his base of operations. Hemoved here in the 1960s and never left - and his presence oftenserved as an inspiration to dozens of other soul artistsstruggling to keep their sound on the capricious airwaves.
'He was very, very important. He kept the trend going forabout three decades,' says singer and bandleader R.L.Griffin, whose nightclub in South Dallas was a place Mr. Taylorwould frequently drop by. 'He was one of our leaders.'
That fact has been underscored by the outpouring of tributes toMr. Taylor coursing across the Internet since his death. At aspecial memorial site set up by the Mississippi-based Malacorecord label (his home for the last 16 years - and the home forother stalwarts such as Mr. Campbell and Tyrone Davis), therewere messages posted from around the world. Among the laudatorynotes was one from Karl Tsigdinos, host of The River of Soulradio show in Dublin, who said: 'I have played the fullvariety of his songs on my radio show here in Ireland, and alwaysreceive many requests for his music, so I know he leaves a lot offans on this small island. Music cannot afford to lose suchtalents - they are not being replaced.'
And, from Radio France, Jean Luc Vabres simply wrote: 'It'sa sad day here in France, J.T. will be in our hearts forever.'
At Malaco, where Mr. Taylor and Mr. Hill were among the biggestsellers in the label's history, the founder and president didn'tmince any words when it came to his own salute. 'He was thelast of the great soul men and nobody can replace him,' saidTommy Couch.
In Texas, at least, it could be said that Mr. Taylor was rivaledin critical and commercial popularity by only one other soul man- Joe Tex, the native of Rogers and resident of Navasota. And thedirector of the Texas Music Office, a wing of Gov. George W.Bush's office, maintained that Mr. Taylor was an important LoneStar asset.
'Music lovers in this state were made better by hisbeautiful voice,' said Casey Monahan. 'I hope peoplekeep him alive by listening to his music.'
That shouldn't be a problem, according to Little Milton Campbell.He's someone who knows what life is like being one of the handfulof internationally traveling soul men who have tried to stay thecourse - the artists who are unafraid to bring that sweet, achingmusic to either a juke joint in Elgin, Texas, or a sold-outstadium in Europe. Love, and all its glories and pitfalls, willnever go out of fashion. And, really, Johnnie Taylor's lessonsare eternal. He was a preacher in the church for a while. And hewas preaching, just on a different stage, right until he died.
'When Johnny would choose his material, it would be lyricsthat made people go: 'Yeah, I've been there, I've done that.' Hesang about everyday life. He maintained the heritage of recordingabout realism,' says Mr. Campbell. 'The man was a hellof a singer.'
CAREERACHIEVEMENTS
Born in Crawfordsville, Ark., May 5, 1938. In the early 1950s,began singing with a doo-wop group called the Five Echoes. Theymade their first and only recording for the Chance label inChicago.
Became a member, in the mid-1950s, of the Highway Q.C.'s gospelgroup and appeared on the song 'Somewhere to Lay My Head.'
In 1957, was picked to replace Sam Cooke as the lead singer inthe Soul Stirrers, the influential gospel quintet. Listeners saidthat his voice, at times, had an uncanny resemblance to Mr.Cooke's.
After the Soul Stirrers, he served briefly as a preacher.
When Mr. Cooke formed his SAR record label, he asked Mr. Taylorto join him. In 1962, Mr. Taylor had a hit with 'Rome Wasn'tBuilt In A Day.'
After Mr. Cooke's death, Mr. Taylor continued touring and singingand finally signed with Stax Records in Memphis in 1967. He begana seven-year string of hits for the label and often useddifferent Muscle Shoals session musicians to round out his sound,either on the road or on record.
Among his hits: 'I Had A Dream,' 'I've Got to LoveSomebody's Baby,' 'Who's Making Love,' 'Cheaperto Keep Her,' 'Jody's Got Your Girl' and 'TakeCare Of Your Homework.'
Signed to the Columbia label, he had his biggest hit with 'DiscoLady' in 1975 - which sold 2 million copies and wasreportedly the first single to be certified platinum by theRecording Industry Association of America.
In 1982, he charted with 'What About My Love' for theBeverly Glen label. Looking for someone to replace artist Z.Z.Hill (who was also living in Dallas, and who had scored one ofthe best-selling soul-blues songs of all time with 'DownHome Blues') after Mr. Hill died in 1984, Malaco Recordssigned Mr. Taylor.
For 16 years, Mr. Taylor recorded a number of critically andcommercially successful albums for Malaco, many of them steepedin the classic soul music genre that he had helped to invent inthe 1960s and 1970s.
Died May 31, 2000. At the time of his death, his last album,Gotta Get The Groove Back, was at No. 100 on the BillboardR&B and hip-hop chart.
A song from that last album, which Malaco was talking aboutreleasing as a single earlier this year, is called 'SoulHeaven.' In it, Mr. Taylor sings about a man dreaming aboutdying and joining the roll call of the great, immortal soulsingers in 'Soul Heaven.'
Johnnie Taylor Too Many Memories
(Intro) Soul Heaven, Soul Heaven
Had a dream last night
Soul Heaven, SoulHeaven
Last night I dreamed I was at a concert
So many people, you had to stand in line
One night only in Soul Heaven
I didn't wanna wake up
I was having such a good time
All of The Bar-Kays were tuning up on stage
Jimi had his guitar, gettin' ready to play
Sam was singing 'A Change Gonna Come'
Otis was there, sittin' at the dock of the bay
There was a party in Soul Heaven
Superstars from the past
Standing room only, so you better hurry
Buy your ticket cause they're going fast
Train & Miles (J. Coltrane, M.Davis) took mean solo
Jr. Walker had 'em dancing in the isles
They stood up when Jackie sang 'Lonley Teardrops'
When Sammy (Davis, Jr.) danced, the crowd went wild
I think I saw Ella standing with Mahalia
Backstage with Elvis with his blue suede shoes
It started raining, everybody just stayed there
To hear Z.Z. sing the 'Down Home Blues'
Well there's a party in Soul Heaven
Superstars from the past
Standing room only, so you better hurry
Buy your ticket cause they're going fast
There's a party in Soul Heaven
Superstars from the past
The great Al Jackson was a holding down the beat
When Marvin sang 'Let's Get It On', they jumpedto their feet
Everyone started screaming and gave a standing ovation
When the curtain came up with the mighty Temptations
King Curtis blew the 'Soul Serenade'
Thought I saw Lady Day (B. Holiday) sittin' in the shade
I got two lovers and I ain't ashamed
Lord I love the way sweet Mary (Wells) sings
It was getting kinda late, it was time to go
Tupac and Biggie (Smalls), they closed the show
(Boo!)
I didn't wanna wake up, I was having such a good time
I didn't wanna wake up, I was having such a good time
Pearl Bailey, she was there
Duke and Count, they were there
Woah Hathaway (Donnie), I saw him there
Dizzie and Satchmo, I saw 'em there
It was a party in Soul Heaven
You shoulda been there
You shoulda been there
Everyone was having such a good time
Soul Heaven
Soul Heaven
JOHNNIETAYLOR OBITUARY
Today the worldmourns the ever too soon tragic loss of a legend. Last night (May31,2000), Malaco recording artist and R & B great, JohnnieTaylor passed away as a result of a massive heart attack at 11:00p.m. central standard time.
Over the past 25 years, Johnnie Taylor has been one of the mostversatile and durable recording artists of the era. With a careerthat embraced gospel, pop, blues, R & B, doo-wop, Memphissoul, and even disco; Taylor has proven that he can conquer anyform of music.
Johnnie Harrison Taylor was born in Crawfordsville, Arkansas, May5, 1938. Inspired equally by both gospel and blues, Taylor firstrecorded in the early '50s as part of the Five Echoes. They werea doo-wop group that had one release on the Chance label inChicago. However, Taylor did not receive any real recognitionuntil he moved into the field of gospel, when he joined theHighway Q. C.'s on their recording of 'Somewhere To Lay MyHead'.
When Johnnie Taylor would sing to audiences, people would tellhim that his voice bared a strikingly resemblance to that of SamCooke. So in 1957, it came as no surprise that he took Sam'splace in the group called The Soul Stirrers. With the group,Taylor made a number of fine recordings, but eventually left topursue a short career as a preacher.
Sam Cooke soon formed the Sar label as a sideline to his ownsuccessful career. He sought to get Taylor as one of his artists.Taylor agreed and with that recorded the hit 'Rome Wasn'tBuilt In A Day' in 1962. But soon after, Sar's operationswere suspended due to the untimely death of Sam Cooke.
Taylor soon landed at Stax Records in Memphis in 1967. With Stax,he scored with the recordings 'I Had A Dream' and'I've Got To Love Somebody's Baby'. Two years later,Taylor's style of music easily adapted to the demands of modernsoul with his recording of 'Who's Making Love', whichshot to the top of the R & B charts. That record sold morethan two million singles, and established Taylor as one of thenation's premier soul attractions.
For the next seven years, Johnnie's name never left the best-sellerlist. His first million seller was followed by such classics as'Take Care Of Your Homework', 'Jody's Got YourGirl', and 'Cheaper To Keep Her' to name a few.
With the demise of Stax, Taylor moved to the Columbia label,waxing the mega-hit, 'Disco Lady', which was at the topof everyone's chart in 1975. But soon Johnnie left due toColumbia casting him as being a disco artist only. He made abrief stop at Beverly Glen Records in 1982, recording an albumand climbing back into the charts with the single, 'WhatAbout My Love'. Taylor did not stay there long because hewas looking for a label that would work close to him as Stax oncehad.
In 1984, Taylor had found that company when he signed with MalacoRecords. His initial album, 'This Is Your Night', wasnot only a well crafted piece of music, but saleswise, it wasJohnnie's biggest record in nearly a decade. He later releasedsuch albums as 'Wall To Wall', 'Crazy 'Bout You',the award winning 'Good Love', and his current release'Gotta Get The Groove Back'. How fitting it is that hisupcoming single tells of Johnnie having a dream about a party in'Soul Heaven' with superstars from the past performingfor one night only. As great as all the performers were, theywere missing one thing, the closing act! Johnnie, thanks for thememories and enjoy the rest of the show! Johnnie Taylor was 62.
Johnnie, we'll truly miss you!
The Funeral Home for Johnnie is:
The Sandra Clark Funeral Home
6029 South RL Thorton Fwy
Dallas, TX 75232
Phone: 214-371-2600
Fax: 214-374-9901
Funeral Arrangements are still tentative at this point.
For more information, please contact Malaco Records at 601-982-4522.
Johnnie Taylor Soul Heaven Izlesene
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