T.J. Hooker-Taylor Page

T.J. Hooker Taylor

T.J. Hooker-Taylor

T J Hooker Taylor comes from a musical family. His mother, Mary Ann Hooker, and father the late Great Johnnie Taylor, raised him in the church. Along with his family and at the age ten he joined his first group, The Young Golden Voices, who performed at all the churches in the Kansas City area. At the age of 16 TJ stared a R & B band, called The Grand Jury Band, who opened for many top acts that came to the city like The Bar-Kays , Cameo Slave And Many More.

Some of the members of that band went on to become the group LOW-KEY, which got signed by top R & B producers Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis. .

At The age of 21 TJ's young voice started to change. "I could hear that (Taylor Sound) I had never tried to sound like my dad I didn't even like the Blues . But on my 25th Birthday I was given a chance to open for my Dad and get paid, " says Hooker-Taylor . "That's when the Blues hit me".

Unapologetically proud of his lineage, Hooker-Taylor has released CDs independently with that Johnnie Taylor sound, albeit with mostly new, original songs. His most recent, "The Total Package", featured the hit song "Player Haters".

CDS Records signed JT Hooker-Taylor and released two albums on him (2009's "Your Babies Ned A Daddy" and 2012's "Taylorized". In 2015 Taylor began performing with local Gospel group The KC Clouds.

Album Discography
"2nd Generation" (Hooked Up 2005)

1. Mama Didn't Raise No Fool
2. Bring It Home
3. Heavens Baby
4. 2nd Generation
5. Taylor Made
6. Jody - Could Be a Woman or a Man
7. Ride This Pony
8. I'm Your Pupet
9. Remember My Dady

"The Total Package" (Hooked Up 2007)

1. Take My Blues to the Dance Floor
2. Keep On Rockin Johnnie Taylor
3. Player Haters
4. Made a Wrong Turn (Tell Me Why)
5. 10 Ways to Keep a Good Woman (Radio Version)
6. Heavens Baby (Remix)
7. Taylor Made (Remix)
8. Players Call
9. Love Is the Answer
10. I Can't Stand to Be Away from You
11. Here's a Flower (For the Lonely Woman)
12. Step into My Heart

**1/2 The Johnnie Taylor legacy continues (sorta) with a third son of the great one releasing his own take on Soul Blues (other than Floyd Taylor and Johnnie Taylor Jr.). And yes you can definitely hear a 'lil papa in T.J. Hooker Taylor's voice, especially on the "Disco Lady" pastiche "Take My Blues To The Dance Floor", "Heaven's Baby" and the best cut here, "Player Haters". The disc doesn't quite get a "good" rating due to a few bum tracks like the "Soul Heaven"-rip "Keep On Rockin Johnnie Taylor", thinly-produced "Player Call" and "Made A Wrong Turn" and the one minute a capella "Love Is The Answer", which also shows the warts in T.J.'s phrasing. With these among a mere 9 selections makes this unsatisfying. Still methinks we'll hear from T.J. again. The point: 3 good tracks.

"Your Babies Need A Daddy" (CDS 2009)

1. You're Like Sugar
2. Your Babies Need A Daddy
3. In Them Jeans
4. Gonna Give You Good Lovin'
5. The Greatest Song I Ever Sang
6. I Stopped Drinking (When I Met My Baby)
7. Got To Get My Money Right
8. I Won't Start A New Relationship (Until I Get Over You)
9. You Can Call Me TJ
10. MOMA
11. In the Vibe Room/Let Jesus Fix It

"Taylorized" (Aviara Music 2012)

1.Blues Festival
2.Don't Treat Me Like A Stepchild
3.I Promise
4.Jody Be Hittin' It
5.Ready For The Rain
6.I Don't Wanna Prove Nothin'
7.Missing Johnnie Taylor
8.Ladies Night
9.Just Because
10.You Can Love Anything
11.Player Haters
12.Take My Blues To The Dancefloor
13.Ride My Pony
14.You're Like Sugar
15.Bring It Home

"Greatest Hits" (Music Access 2015)

1. Got To Get My Money Right
2. Player Haters
3. Take My Blues To The Dancefloor
4. Bring It Home
5. Blues Festival
6. Ready For The Rain
7. Sugar
8. Gonna Give You Good Lovin'
9. Jody Be Hittin' It
10.Don't Treat Me Like A Stepchild
11.Your Babies Need A Daddy
12.You Can Call Me TJ
13.MOMA
14.The Greatest Song I Ever Sang
**New Bonus Tracks**
15. Be True
16. Tell Me What You Want

"Bloodlines" (Hooked Up 2016)

1 In the Rinse
2 2nd Generation
3 Working Your Body
4 Skys the Limit
5 Touch the World
6 Independent Lady
7 Jody
8 DJ Played the Same Damn Song
9 Pay to Play
10 My Baby My Queen

"Here Comes The Son" (Hooked Up 2020)

1. Let's Stay Together
2. The Last Time
3. Somebody Wants You
4. Where The Party At
5. Give Him Love
6. Show Up Show Out
7. Sex With My Ex
8. Tell Me What You Want
9. Just Because
10. Playa Haters (Remix)

BUY CDS