Chip Taylor, the Grammy-nominated songwriter behind classics such as 'Wild Thing' and 'Angel of the Morning', has died at the age of 86. The musician, born James Wesley Voight, passed away peacefully on Monday night in hospice care, according to a statement from his children Kris and Kelly posted on his Facebook page.
Taylor, who was the brother of actor Jon Voight and uncle of Angelina Jolie, began his career in music after dropping out of college. He signed with April Blackwood, later EMI and Sony Music, and went on to write 'Wild Thing', recorded by The Troggs in 1966 and inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2019. The song was famously covered by Jimi Hendrix in 1967 and The Runaways in 1976.
His other major hit, 'Angel of the Morning', was first recorded by Evie Sands in 1967 and later covered by Dusty Springfield, Olivia Newton-John, and Shaggy, among others. Taylor also wrote songs for Johnny Cash, Aretha Franklin, Janis Joplin, Willie Nelson, Tom Petty, Linda Ronstadt, and Tina Turner.
As a performer, Taylor released numerous solo and group albums from 1971 onwards, founding his own label, Train Wreck Records, in 2007. He is survived by his children Kristian and Kelly, and five grandchildren, with whom he recorded the 2011 song 'Kids to Save the Planet'. His wife of over 60 years, Joan Carole Frey, predeceased him last year. The family has requested donations to the Metropolitan Golf Association Caddie Scholarship Fund in lieu of flowers.
