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James Wesley Voight (AKA Chip Taylor) Obituary
James Wesley Voight, more famously known as Chip Taylor, the legendary and Grammy nominated singer-songwriter behind classic hits such as Wild Thing and Angel of the Morning, passed away on March 23 at the age of 86. His storied career and contributions to the music industry have left an indelible mark on many generations of musicians and fans.
Born on March 21, 1940, in Yonkers, N.Y., Wes was the third son of Elmer and Barbara Voight. Elmer (affectionately known as "Whitey" for his thick head of white hair) was a professional golfer and head golf pro at Sunningdale Country Club for over 40 years where he was well known for nurturing young caddies and players. Elmer and Barbara raised three boys who went on to great success in their respective careers – the oldest, Barry Voight, as a geologist and engineer known for his pioneering work in volcanology and landslide prediction; Jon Voight, as an Oscar-winning actor known for his roles in Midnight Cowboy and Coming Home; and youngest brother Wes, as a prolific singer-songwriter.
Wes initially followed in his father’s golfing footsteps, winning the Met Junior Golf Championship at 14, and, after graduating from Archbishop Stepinac High School, moving to South Carolina to play college golf. Within months he abandoned college, took on the stage name Chip Taylor, and returned to New York to pursue a career in music. In what would become a lifelong partnership with April Blackwood / EMI / Sony Music, Chip began writing songs that would become significant hits. Wild Thing, performed by The Troggs and famously covered by Jimi Hendrix, became an iconic anthem of the 1960s and Angel of the Morning, most notably performed by Merrilee Rush and Juice Newton, cemented his status as a unique songwriting talent. Known for songs that captured the emotion and spirit of the times, Chip created a catalog over a six decade career that included works for a diverse range of artists including Johnny Cash, Aretha Franklin, Janis Joplin, Willie Nelson, Tom Petty, Linda Ronstadt, Shaggy, and Tina Turner. His music has been showcased in movies, including Patrick Wang’s In the Family, and in television, including the Netflix hit Sex Education.
In addition to his success as a songwriter, Chip was an exceptional performer. His own albums, including Last Chance and Yonkers, NY, which earned a Grammy nomination, displayed his honest and heartfelt lyrical ability and masterful storytelling. He has received widespread critical acclaim for his authentic voice and emotional depth, exploring themes of love, heartbreak, and social issues of the day.
Chip worked closely with talented musicians throughout his career, including guitarist John Platania, known for his work with Van Morrison; bassist Tony Mercadante, who added depth and rhythm with his adept bass playing; and Goran Grini, a renowned musician from Norway, who brought his emotive playing style to their collaborations. He collaborated on several albums, including The Trouble with Humans, which rose to #1 on the Americana chart, with the exceptional singer-songwriter and fiddle player, Carrie Rodriguez. To foster talent in sharing their own creativity with the world, Chip started a record company, Train Wreck Records, through which he produced and released records by talented musicians including Evie Sands and Kendel Carson. It was also where Chip shared his views on life through his Church of the Train Wreck podcast.
Chip also loved to gamble, and was darn good at it. So good that he took a hiatus from music for nearly a decade to focus on betting on the horses with his gambling partner, Ernie Dahlman. He loved blackjack as well and was an expert card counter, a skill that got him banned from several casinos.
And above all else, Chip loved his girl, Joan. At 16, he recorded his first song, Little Joan, for his middle school sweetheart, Joan Carol Frey, who became his wife and the great love of his life. Chip and Joan raised two children, Kristian and Kelly, and were grandparents to five awesome grandkids. Mixing music with family, Chip recorded Kids to Save the Planet with his grandkids, performing alongside them at the Smithsonian Folk Festival in celebration of the album’s inclusion in the Smithsonian’s music collection. In 2016, Chip was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame where he brought down the house performing Wild Thing with the grandkids.
Although Chip will be greatly missed, his music will live on and continue to inspire for years to come. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to the Metropolitan Golf Association Caddie Scholarship Fund, a charity important to Chip and his dad. https://caddiescholarship.org/?form=httpswwwcaddiescholar
Born on March 21, 1940, in Yonkers, N.Y., Wes was the third son of Elmer and Barbara Voight. Elmer (affectionately known as "Whitey" for his thick head of white hair) was a professional golfer and head golf pro at Sunningdale Country Club for over 40 years where he was well known for nurturing young caddies and players. Elmer and Barbara raised three boys who went on to great success in their respective careers – the oldest, Barry Voight, as a geologist and engineer known for his pioneering work in volcanology and landslide prediction; Jon Voight, as an Oscar-winning actor known for his roles in Midnight Cowboy and Coming Home; and youngest brother Wes, as a prolific singer-songwriter.
Wes initially followed in his father’s golfing footsteps, winning the Met Junior Golf Championship at 14, and, after graduating from Archbishop Stepinac High School, moving to South Carolina to play college golf. Within months he abandoned college, took on the stage name Chip Taylor, and returned to New York to pursue a career in music. In what would become a lifelong partnership with April Blackwood / EMI / Sony Music, Chip began writing songs that would become significant hits. Wild Thing, performed by The Troggs and famously covered by Jimi Hendrix, became an iconic anthem of the 1960s and Angel of the Morning, most notably performed by Merrilee Rush and Juice Newton, cemented his status as a unique songwriting talent. Known for songs that captured the emotion and spirit of the times, Chip created a catalog over a six decade career that included works for a diverse range of artists including Johnny Cash, Aretha Franklin, Janis Joplin, Willie Nelson, Tom Petty, Linda Ronstadt, Shaggy, and Tina Turner. His music has been showcased in movies, including Patrick Wang’s In the Family, and in television, including the Netflix hit Sex Education.
In addition to his success as a songwriter, Chip was an exceptional performer. His own albums, including Last Chance and Yonkers, NY, which earned a Grammy nomination, displayed his honest and heartfelt lyrical ability and masterful storytelling. He has received widespread critical acclaim for his authentic voice and emotional depth, exploring themes of love, heartbreak, and social issues of the day.
Chip worked closely with talented musicians throughout his career, including guitarist John Platania, known for his work with Van Morrison; bassist Tony Mercadante, who added depth and rhythm with his adept bass playing; and Goran Grini, a renowned musician from Norway, who brought his emotive playing style to their collaborations. He collaborated on several albums, including The Trouble with Humans, which rose to #1 on the Americana chart, with the exceptional singer-songwriter and fiddle player, Carrie Rodriguez. To foster talent in sharing their own creativity with the world, Chip started a record company, Train Wreck Records, through which he produced and released records by talented musicians including Evie Sands and Kendel Carson. It was also where Chip shared his views on life through his Church of the Train Wreck podcast.
Chip also loved to gamble, and was darn good at it. So good that he took a hiatus from music for nearly a decade to focus on betting on the horses with his gambling partner, Ernie Dahlman. He loved blackjack as well and was an expert card counter, a skill that got him banned from several casinos.
And above all else, Chip loved his girl, Joan. At 16, he recorded his first song, Little Joan, for his middle school sweetheart, Joan Carol Frey, who became his wife and the great love of his life. Chip and Joan raised two children, Kristian and Kelly, and were grandparents to five awesome grandkids. Mixing music with family, Chip recorded Kids to Save the Planet with his grandkids, performing alongside them at the Smithsonian Folk Festival in celebration of the album’s inclusion in the Smithsonian’s music collection. In 2016, Chip was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame where he brought down the house performing Wild Thing with the grandkids.
Although Chip will be greatly missed, his music will live on and continue to inspire for years to come. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to the Metropolitan Golf Association Caddie Scholarship Fund, a charity important to Chip and his dad. https://caddiescholarship.org/?form=httpswwwcaddiescholar
Words From Holy Gardens
Words From Holy Gardens is a true lo-fi masterpiece. The songs were written and recorded in Taylor’s home on his iPhone or Zoom in first takes without any editing. His friend, musician and co-producer Goran Grini, helped flesh out these often devastating, reflective and philosophical songs. The result is unique - a songwriting legend’s straight-from-the-heart deep observations of life and death. The new songs are sad, yet optimistic and show a hard-earned wisdom accumulated over a long and fascinating life and songwriting career.
Note from Chip about WFHG:
I met and fell in love with Joan when I was 13. It was a love as beautiful as you can imagine. There were some ups and downs over the years but we were strong at the end - when I lost her to the heavens last summer.
While I was taking care of her (and she was caring for me), I was often sitting at home with my guitar. I play some chords with no direction in mind and sometimes words and melodies just come along. I look for that “chill factor” - when my body tells me there is something magic happening. When I felt that chill factor, I turned on the voice memo on my phone and played whatever was in my heart at the moment - no editing.
This album is dedicated to my Joan. Honey - you were right there when these songs were written and every song has your spirit floating around next to mine. Our hearts are beautifully locked together - through every note and word. It is for us forever. Thank you for being there with me and keeping me strong through the rough times since you’ve been gone. I love you so much.
Keep listening, I will see you soon.
Words From Holy Gardens is a true lo-fi masterpiece. The songs were written and recorded in Taylor’s home on his iPhone or Zoom in first takes without any editing. His friend, musician and co-producer Goran Grini, helped flesh out these often devastating, reflective and philosophical songs. The result is unique - a songwriting legend’s straight-from-the-heart deep observations of life and death. The new songs are sad, yet optimistic and show a hard-earned wisdom accumulated over a long and fascinating life and songwriting career.
Note from Chip about WFHG:
I met and fell in love with Joan when I was 13. It was a love as beautiful as you can imagine. There were some ups and downs over the years but we were strong at the end - when I lost her to the heavens last summer.
While I was taking care of her (and she was caring for me), I was often sitting at home with my guitar. I play some chords with no direction in mind and sometimes words and melodies just come along. I look for that “chill factor” - when my body tells me there is something magic happening. When I felt that chill factor, I turned on the voice memo on my phone and played whatever was in my heart at the moment - no editing.
This album is dedicated to my Joan. Honey - you were right there when these songs were written and every song has your spirit floating around next to mine. Our hearts are beautifully locked together - through every note and word. It is for us forever. Thank you for being there with me and keeping me strong through the rough times since you’ve been gone. I love you so much.
Keep listening, I will see you soon.
Chip is back with a sprawling, epic 3-disc album. The 25 songs (many with revealing spoken-word introductions) cover a wide range of music from Americana-style rock to heartfelt ballads to acoustic folk. Chip and his stellar band (John Platania, Goran Grini, Tony Mercadante, Tony Leone and Greg Leisz) deliver it all with a sense of humor and hard-won wisdom. The specially-priced CD is available here now (a vinyl edition will be out in Europe soon) and you can also find it streaming everywhere beginning on February 14.
On March 8, Chip returns with Behind The Sky. All of the songs were written during the time Chip was undergoing chemo and radiation therapy for throat cancer. As soon as his voice recovered, Chip went into the studio with a full band (John Platania, Goran Grini, Tony Mercadante and Tony Leone) and recorded the album in just a few days. Listen to this extraordinary collection on Spotify, Apple, or the CD is available for purchase here.
Chip's 27 song double album was co-produced with Goran Grini and also features John Platania and Tony Mercadante.
Mojo magazine gives it 4 stars and says it is, "An intimate trawl through the wisdom he has won the hard way, Cradle finds beauty and nobility in everyday drudgery . . . whenever you need a lift in life, dive right in." It was also Uncut's Americana Album of the Month - "A sprawling double opus, united by its simple intimacy. Liberally sprinkled with heartfelt devotion."
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I am writing this from a hotel room in Bergen,
Norway, while listening to the final master
of this album. Just played a show with Paal
Flaata, our first show in four months due to
the pandemic. Once again, because of the
circumstances, these songs traveled from
New York to Norway and back. And every now
and then via upstate New York, where John
Platania added his magic.
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Dad & the Monkey began just before the lock down and finished during it. Chip's brilliant musician friends John Platania, Tony Mercadante and (from time to time) Goran Grini joined him for this wonderful group of songs with a feeling of friendship on every track. Chip has a lot of favorites here including Whatever Makes, Lucky Guy, Cowboy Music and Hey Joan Somebody. Find the CD in the store. Click on the cover above to see credits and lyrics.
Chip's latest album, In Sympathy of a Heartbreak is now available. Small quantities of CDs and Vinyl will be released in the near future but the music can be heard now on Spotify, Apple and elsewhere. To see the credits and lyrics (and download if you want) please go here. (Click on song titles to see lyrics.)
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NY to Norway and Back was recorded by Chip and Goran Grini while both were locked down in their homes during the early days of the 2020 pandemic. Chip recorded his voice and piano/guitar parts in NY before sending them to Goran in Norway who added his magic. A quiet reflective gem.
Find the CD in the store. Click on the cover above to see credits and lyrics. 
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Whiskey Salesman, Chip's latest in a remarkable string of recent albums, is at once both personal and universal. It is an album filled with timeless, intimate love songs - poignant, meditative odes to life. And drinking (in moderation) songs. Their spirit is perhaps best captured by the videos Taylor has created for each and every song (included on a DVD). Filmed at his own apartment and local bar, and starring his wife and friends, Taylor welcomes everyone in to his warm, heartfelt world.
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F**K ALL THE PERFECT PEOPLE was featured in a recent Netflix TV series out of the UK, Sex Education. (The song plays in the second episode - approx. 39 minutes in). This has resulted in tens of thousands streams on Spotify and many people discovering the video on YouTube.
