R Dean Taylor is dead. The Canadian singer is reportedly died at the age of 82.
Who Was R. Dean Taylor?
Richard Dean Taylor, known professionally as R. Dean Taylor, is a Canadian singer, most notable as a recording artist, songwriter, and record producer for Motown during the 1960s and 1970s. According to Jason Ankeny, Taylor “remains one of the most underrated acts ever to record under the Motown aegis.
R. Dean Taylor was a Canadian vocalist best known for his work with Motown in the 1960s and 1970s as a recording artist, composer, and record producer. Taylor “remains one of the most undervalued bands ever to record under the Motown auspices,” according to Jason Ankeny.
Taylor was best known in the United States for his chart-topping single “Indiana Wants Me,” which reached No. 1 in Cash Box in the United States, No. 1 in Canada, No. 2 in the United Kingdom, and No. 5 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1970. The song was included in the opening minutes of The Ninth Configuration, a 1980 American film. Other songs include “Gotta See Jane” and “There’s a Ghost in My House,” which made him a household name in the United Kingdom.
How Old Was Richard Dean Taylor?
Richard Dean Taylor was born in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, on May 11, 1939. In 1961 he started his career, as a pianist and singer with several music bands in Toronto.
In 1961, he recorded his debut recordings for the Audiomaster label. Taylor’s single “At The High School Dance,” released by Amy-Mala Records the following year, was a small hit. Following the success of his following song, “I’ll Remember,” on the Barry label, reached No. 23 on Toronto rock and roll radio station CHUM, the singer chose to travel to Detroit, Michigan, to advance his career.
Taylor was engaged by Motown Records as a composer and recording artist for the Motown subsidiary V.I.P. label in Detroit in 1964. The topical comedy “My Ladybug (Stay Away From That Beatle)” was Taylor’s planned debut single for V.I.P. in March 1964, but it was considered too weak for promotion and never released.
Taylor released the V.I.P. single “Let’s Go Somewhere” in November 1965. Taylor collaborated with Brian Holland on the song, which was produced by Holland and Lamont Dozier, who had previously produced five No. 1 hits for The Supremes.
“There’s A Ghost In My House,” written by Holland–Dozier–Holland, and Taylor, and produced by Brian Holland and Lamont Dozier, was released in 1967. It was a commercial flop in the United States, but it reached No. 3 on the UK Singles Chart in 1974. Taylor also became a songwriter for other artists, and his co-composed songs “I’ll Turn to Stone” by the Four Tops and “All I Need” by The Temptations were both charted in the United States in 1967.
Reactions to R Dean Taylor’s Death
Several fans, friends, and supporters reacted and stated their condolences on social media websites following this tragic news.
Aaqil Ahmed tweeted: “RIP R Dean Taylor – every time I hear “there’s a ghost in my house” I’m transported to Mod nights as a teenager in Bolton and Manchester. Still one of my top ten favorite songs.”
One wrote: “Sad to hear R Dean Taylor has died, one of my favorite Northern Soul artists. ‘There’s a Ghost in My House’ is one of those tracks I regularly just stick on repeat, and ‘Gotta See Jane’ is a classic.”