Sam "Bluzman" Taylor

Sam "Bluzman" Taylor is an American blues musician. Born in Mobile, Alabama on October 25 1934, Taylor cut his teeth early in music, beginning singing gospel at age 3.

His Long Island connection began in 1957, during his service in the United States Air Force. He was stationed at the Westhampton Beach Air Force Base and was only a short haul from the blues mecca of the east end, Flanders, where the Blue Bird Inn was infamous. A warm nest and a dangerous environment, the Blue Bird let nascent guitarist Sam "Bluzman" Taylor learn the ropes. During much the same time, Sam was a prime-ribbed championship boxer so he learned other ropes, too.

After leaving the service in 1959, Sam lived in Riverhead. His first major pro gig was as Maxine Brown's band leader at the Apollo Theater and he never looked back after right his first big #1 R&B hit "Funny" . As an artist himself often going under the name Sammy Taylor, he recorded for various labels including Capitol Records. The author of hundreds of songs, many of them hits and some even gold records like "Do It 'Til You're Satisfied", performed by the BT Express, Sam's handiwork can be heard rendered by Freddie King, Son Seals, Jimmy Witherspoon, Jay and the Americans, Joey Dee, Maxine Brown and Joe Tex. Sam also was bandleader/guitarist for the likes of Big Joe Turner, The Isley Brothers, Tracy Nelson, Otis Redding and more notably Sam and Dave.

Sam and his partner Bennie Earl wrote two of Sam & Dave's early hits "People in Love" & "Listening For My Name" when the Florida duo recorded for Roulette Records predating their later success with the Stax/Volt movement. Sam was also original member/guitarist of Joey Dee & The Starliters which is considered to be the first intergrated Rock n Roll band that put their own stamp on the Twist-dance craze with the "Peppermint Twist". Him alongside fellow Starliter Dave Brigatti had a huge influence on The Rascals which included Dave's little brother Eddie Brigatti. He also was a mentor and wrote some of the first songs for The Vagrants which included innovative Rock guitarist Leslie West who went on to form legendary Rock trio Mountain. After recording & appearing in two movies with the Starliters including Two Tickets to Paris, Sam gave up his position to a young, gifted guitarist by the name of James Marshall, who later became known to the world as the most innovative guitarist in Rock history, Jimi Hendrix. At the start of the 1970s, Sam & Bennie were hired as staff writers for The Beach Boys new record label, Brother Records. But due to Brian Wilson's mental condition which led to the now infamous fire that burned down the studio and all the reels included, this big dream job was tarnished.

In the early 1970s, Sam released his classic opus "Tunnels Of My Mind" on the GRT record label. Today, This album has a collector's dream usually being bid on for close to a $1,000 on ebay.

Through the 1970s, Taylor spent his days writing, producing,arranging and teaching more notably for 1970s legendary Funk/Soul group B.T Express who he became mentor to. Sam can be heard laying down his innovative rhythm guitar work and writing skills on the group's first four albums including one of their biggest hits "Peace Pipe" but unscrupulous business practices and the changes wrought by the disco era pushed Sam out of the business and off Long Island. Sam has publically voiced the fact that many record labels made broken promises to record him as a artist but chose to keep him behind the scenes out of fear of his own tremendous talent and at the same time, meager portions of the finances. "I always got the Gold plaques but not the Gold stacks" says Sam. In the late 70's, He moved to Santa Monica, California, where he created a scene of his own at Venice Beach that attracted fellow artists like Rickie Lee Jones & good friend Albert Collins but drugs and medical problems were the challenge. Through the advice of his friend Kidd Squid, he moved to Tucson, Arizona where a supportive blues community helped his body and spirit heal as he became the ultimate celebrity of the town which opened the door for his son Bobby Taylor who had a promising career after winning a whopping 13 times at New York's famed Apollo Theatre but like his father became victim to drug addiction in the 1980s. Bobby got clean and won fame in Tuscon with his R&B/Soul band The Real Deal which featured cousin Jacques "Showbiz" Taylor and sometimes nephew Lawrence "L*A*W" Taylor-Worrell. Tragically, Bobby died of heart failure in the mid-1990s and that's when Sam realized it was time to get back to his roots -- his family and Long Island. Upon his return and through his grandson L*A*W, Sam discovered that his music was being sampled by rap artists. The song he wrote for B.T Express "Everything That's Good To Ya (Aint Always Good For Ya) has become one of hip-hop's most recognizable and favorite samples thanks to Epmd, Ma$e, Beanie Seagle and more successfully DMX whose first #1 hit "Get At Me Dog" included the song. Originally, actions to sue were formed but after the companies agreed to pay monies owed to Sam Taylors

Now a resident of Central Islip, Sam "Bluzman" Taylor is widely recognized as the blues' elder statesman there. Since returning,Sam has released five CDs including "Blue Tears", "Voice of the Blues" a live recording from his 2004 Riverhead Blues Fest set, "Bluzman Back Home" and his latest "Portrait: The Funk Side Of Sam". He currently hosts WUSB (FM)'s "Blues With A Feeling" radio show.

Sam "Bluzman" Taylor was inducted into the Long Island Music Hall of Fame in 2006 which is second to him being inducted into the Blues Hall Of Fame overall. He just recently released his autobiography "Caught In The Jaws Of The Blues". His grandson L*A*W is becoming well-known in the industry circles for his Hip-Hop/Funk-Rock/R&B hybrid known as "Tha Planet 12 Sound" and for his extensive work with Funk Legend George Clinton as the lead singer of the P-Funk affliated 420 Funkmob and singing with troubled British superstar Amy Winehouse and just recently had his songs "Get Hollywood On Em" & "Get Down" played on