Eddie Taylor Jr.

Edward Taylor (March 27, 1972 – March 8, 2019), better known as Eddie Taylor Jr., was an American Chicago blues and electric blues guitarist, singer and songwriter.

His father was Eddie Taylor, another Chicago blues musician.

Life and career Taylor was born in Chicago, Illinois, United States on March 27, 1972. In time, following the kidney transplant, Taylor eventually resumed his live schedule.

Taylor's reputation as one of the few guitarists who could still play in the original Chicago blues style, Songs he recorded include versions of Robert Johnson's "Stop Breaking Down"; Muddy Waters' "Clouds In My Heart"; Syl Johnson's "Sock It To Me"; Ricky Allen's "Cut You A-Loose"; Magic Sam's "Easy Baby"; and one of his father's most noteworthy tracks, "I Feel So Bad". Taylor also supplied his own songs such as "Red Hot Mama", "Groovin' With Eddie", "Worried About My Baby", "Can’t Take It No More" and "Trying To Play A Mind Game".

So-Called Friends: His Best 15 Songs was issued in 2012 and included the best of his work to that point. Taylor experienced both further health problems and the death of a son, before his next album was released. Stop Breaking Down (2015) comprised 10 cover versions and two of Taylor's own tracks. Utilising guitar effects not employed by Taylor on record before, the album's tracks began with a cover of Slim Harpo's "I'm a King Bee," followed by a version of Brook Benton's "Kiddio." "Baby What You Want Me to Do," a song his father played regularly behind Jimmy Reed, was also included, plus a take on Elmore James' "The Sky Is Crying". The two Taylor numbers were "Baby Please Come Home" and "You Gotta Pay The Price". A couple of Robert Johnson penned songs, "32-20 Blues" and "Stop Breaking Down" were also incorporated in the collection.

Taylor died of heart failure on March 8, 2019, at the age of 46. In 2021 the Killer Blues Headstone Project placed the headstone for Eddie Taylor Jr. at Mt. Hope Cemetery in Chicago.

Discography Year Title Record label 1998 Lookin' for Trouble Wolf Records 2004 Worried About My Baby Wolf Records 2006 Mind Game Wolf Records 2009 I Got to Make This Money, Baby Wolf Records 2010 From the Country to the City Wolf Records 2012 So-Called Friends: His Best 15 Songs Wolf Records(Best of compilation album) 2015 Stop Breaking Down Wolf Records