'Sweet Baby James' brings the music of James Taylor to the Phillips Center in time for Father's Day

June 3, 2008

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Although it was his second album, “Sweet Baby James” put singer/songwriter James Taylor on the musical map. Ranked as one of the 500 greatest albums of all time by Rolling Stone Magazine, “Sweet Baby James” propelled Taylor into the 1970s folk/rock spotlight and set the tone for his later projects.

“Sweet Baby James…Tribute Concert to James Taylor,” a celebration of this seminal work and other great Taylor hits, makes its way to the Phillips Center for the Performing Arts Sunday, June 15. With a 4 p.m. start time, the musical performance is a great way to kick off — or wind up — your Father’s Day festivities.

James Taylor grew up in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, where his father was the dean of the School of Medicine at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill. As a child, he studied cello and the guitar. In his early 20s, Taylor joined the league of singer/songwriters that were a part of the burgeoning folk scene. He released a few singles and a self-titled album, but none of his efforts were very successful. Around the same time, Taylor became addicted to heroin and would spend some time in an asylum.

After his recovery, Taylor was signed by Warner Brothers Records, moved to California and released “Sweet Baby James.” The album was a phenomenal success and spawned a number of chart-topping hits including “Fire and Rain,” inspired partly by his time in the asylum. The success of “Sweet Baby James” sparked renewed interest in Taylor’s earlier work, including his self-titled album and the single “Carolina on My Mind” which both found their way back onto the charts.

Following the success of “Sweet Baby James,” Taylor continued to top the charts during the 1970s with songs such as “How Sweet It Is,” a re-make of the Marvin Gaye classic; “Mockingbird,” a duet with then-wife Carly Simon; “You’ve Got a Friend,” penned by Carole King, which earned the singer a Grammy nomination in 1971; and “Handy Man.”

More than 30 years after the smash success of “Sweet Baby James,” Taylor is still going strong. He performed with bluegrass artist Alison Krauss at the Kennedy Center Honors Tribute to Paul Simon in 2002; made an appearance as himself on an episode of NBC’s “The West Wing,” in which he sang Sam Cooke’s classic “A Change Is Gonna Come”; and recorded the Randy Newman song “Our Town” for the Disney animated film, “Cars.”

Bringing the life works of James Taylor to the stage is a daunting task, but one for which performer Bob Stillman is uniquely qualified. Stillman has lit up some of New York’s best-known stages as writer, musician and actor. He’s been nominated twice for Tony Awards – first as an actor, composer and onstage pianist for “Dirty Blonde,” and later as one of the songwriters for “Urban Cowboy.” Last season, he co-starred with Christine Ebersole in the acclaimed Broadway musical “Grey Gardens.” As George Gold Strong, real-life friend and accompanist to Big Edie Beale, Stillman once again had the opportunity to combine his piano playing, acting and singing in a piece of theater. His other New York Stage credits include Molina in “Kiss of the Spider Woman” opposite Vanessa Williams and the dying singer/songwriter in the cult Off-Broadway hit “The Last Session.” Kids of a certain age (and possibly their parents) will remember Bob as Reed on Nickelodeon’s “Allegra’s Window.”

Tickets prices are $15-$30. To purchase tickets, call the Phillips Center Box Office at 352-392-ARTS (2787) or 800-905-ARTS (toll-free within Florida) or call Ticketmaster: 800-277-1700 (toll-free). Tickets may also be purchased in person at the Phillips Center Box Office Hours, the University Box Office at the University of Florida Reitz Union or from any Ticketmaster outlet, or online at www.ticketmaster.com. Cash checks, MasterCard and Visa are accepted.