Troy Taylor

Troy Christopher Taylor is an American record producer, singer, and songwriter. He is best known for discovering and mentoring R&B singer Trey Songz. Taylor was a member of the production collective the Characters before founding the record label and recording studio Songbook Entertainment in 2002. Songz signed with the label the following year, releasing eight albums with the label in a joint venture with Atlantic Records.

Throughout his career, Taylor has also produced for other R&B acts including Chris Brown, the Isley Brothers, Aretha Franklin, Patti LaBelle, K. Michelle, Tank, Whitney Houston, Zara Larsson and Boyz II Men, among others.

Career Musical upbringing Taylor was born in suburban New Haven, Connecticut into a family of musicians, resulting in exposure to music at a very early age. He started by singing in local talent shows, which evolved into playing keyboards as well as learning how to listen to and understand music. Record executive Timmy Regisford would subsequently buy out Taylor's contract, and sign him to Motown Records. Taylor would subsequently place records from his unreleased debut album on other projects he was writing for at the time, with the remaining portion of his debut album being eventually released in 2021. Two previously unreleased Taylor tracks, "Just A Cover Up" and "Can't Be Liked", would later appear on a 2009 Cooleyhighharmony repackage.

In the 1990s/early 2000s, Taylor was also a member of The Characters alongside fellow songwriter/producer Charles Farrar: a production collective that signed several acts to their production company Character Music Corporation, and worked with Brownstone, SWV, Darius Rucker, and Kenny Lattimore, among others. They also produced several remixes for physical singles during their tenure, including Brandy ("Best Friend") and Babyface ("Chivalry"). Their work on song "Jezzebel" from 1994 Boyz II Men album II won the duo a Grammy Award for Best R&B Album. Songwriter Johnta Austin would later join the collective after his label delayed the release of his debut album, and together the trio created award-winning hit single "Sweet Lady" for Tyrese, as well as other songs for SWV and Jason Weaver.

2000-present: Songbook Entertainment and Trey Songz The Characters disbanded amicably in 2002, but would continue to work together to contribute to albums from B2K and Jhené Aiko, as well as appear on the Barbershop soundtrack. Taylor would next create Songbook Entertainment, a multi-disciplinary firm meant to encompass songwriting, publishing, and the development of new artists. Taylor would also work with former IMx member Marques Houston on his solo debut. While developing Neverson over the next five years, Taylor would also be commissioned to work on projects from Whitney Houston, Aretha Franklin, Patti Labelle, Ginuwine, and the Isley Brothers, receiving recognition from the R&B wing of the Grammys for his contributions to 2003 Aretha Franklin album So Damn Happy. Taylor would later reminisce about recording sessions in Franklin's home studio, Franklin's ability to record ten full songs without breaks, as well as recording his time producing for Houston for posterity in various interviews and publications.

In 2016, Taylor was tasked with writing and producing songs based on scripted plotlines for Lee Daniels' Fox television series Star. In 2020, Taylor worked with gospel artist Koryn Hawthorne on her second album I Am, contributing two singles ("Speak To Me", "Pray") that charted on the Billboard Gospel Charts. He reunited with Characters collective member Austin to co-write his contributions to Hawthorne's album.

Discography Shelved Debut Album (1990/1991) The 90s Demos EP (2021)

Songwriting and production credits Credits are courtesy of Discogs, Spotify, and AllMusic.

Guest appearances + List of guest appearances, with other performing artists, showing year released and album name Title Year Other performer(s) Album "Win You Over"1994Debelah MorganDebelah

Awards and nominations Year Awarding Body Award ResultRef 1995 37th Annual Grammy Awards Grammy Award for Best R&B Album (II) 2000 ASCAP Pop Awards Award-Winning Song ("Sweet Lady") 2000 ASCAP Rhythm & Soul Awards Award-Winning Song ("Sweet Lady") 2012 BMI Awards Producer Of The Year 2022 BMI Trailblazers of Gospel Music Awards Gospel Song of the Year ("Speak To Me")