I Believe in You

Sam began to pursue Johnnie to join SAR Records. In 1961, after lengthy discussions, Cooke finally convinced Taylor to cross over, and accomplished the feat of signing the young up-and-comer. It was a difficult decision but Taylor ultimately decided to leave his gospel roots and follow Sam once again. After leaving the Soul Stirrers, Taylor was in need of financial stability and needed a place to call home, so Johnnie agreed to join SAR. After Cooke’s persuasion, Taylor took on his ambition to be a star and entered the dog-eat-dog world of popular rhythm and blues. “In gospel you start off with a cold audience and work them into an emotional state,” he explained. “It’s pretty much the same (in R&B). People feel what you do, and they automatically get with you. It’s kind of like the old saying, ‘That from the heart which is the heart,’ because you can always tell when you’re in the pocket in their groove.”1 Many years later, Johnnie recalled, “[It] took me and Aretha a while to switch tracks and catch on, but soon as we hear [Sam’s] “You Send Me” we knew we weren’t long for the gospel world. Wherever Sam was going, we was following.”2 Rodgers Redding, Otis’s brother summed up Johnnie’s transition, “It was a money thing. He admired Sam, Sam was his idol, so you go.”3 Radio personality David Washington shared, “[Johnnie] said, Yo, this preachin’ ain’t making no money and Sam said, ‘Use your voice, use your voice, don’t go back to gospel, come over the the pop field and make more money.”4 SAR Records gained momentum by assembling a unique collection of bedfellows. Sam signed the Stirrers to the label despite leaving the group and spurning his fellow singers. Johnnie Taylor was then signed, although recently fired from the Stirrers. Cooke was the common denominator to both developments, and used his influence to bring the artists together and to put their differences aside. Johnnie conducted his first pop session with SAR in 1961, recording “Never, Never” written by Ed Townsend and produced by Sam. However, the release would be delayed. It was disappointing for Johnnie, but Sam convinced him the song should be held back in order to create space between the “Never, Never” release and Johnnie Morrisette’s forthcoming single. Morrisette was Taylor’s labelmate at SAR, and his song “Meet Me at the Twistin’ Place” was completed before “Never, Never” hit the finish line. Sam elected to stagger the two releases in order to maximize the impact on the listening public. “Alex stayed in Los Angeles to promote the new Johnnie Morrisette release (they had decided to hold back Johnnie Taylor’s single until the beginning of May to give “Meet Me at the Twistin’ Place” some breathing space).5 In anticipation of Johnnie’s milestone recording, Cooke and Alex held a release party for Taylor at the California Club with some of the other SAR recording artists. The festivity was described as “one continuous floor show, featuring many top-flight performers…”6 J.T.’s release of “Never, Never” wasn’t a big success, although it did introduce Taylor to producing a secular-styled song. “After Sam Cooke signed me to sing R&B on his label I wanted to have a hit right away. When I didn’t, I kept asking Sam ‘What’s wrong? How come I’m not going anywhere?’ He told me to relax. He said I was talented and that things would take care of themselves if I’d just let my career build. He was right.”7 “Never, Never,” was a representation of Johnnie’s capabilities with his smooth delivery and meticulous phrasing. The song featured Edgar Redmond with a short sax interlude and finished strong with Johnnie’s emphatic promise to never quit loving, wanting or needing. J.T. developed a style that was instantly recognizable, and there was never a doubt as to who was singing. “He would caress one song with consummate grace, then apply the grit with riveting rhythmic drive to the next, but the listener could always tell it was Johnnie Taylor.”8 Taylor’s early influences were said to be R.H. Harris, the well known Soul Stirrers’ lead vocalist for over forty years; Archie Brownlee of the Five Blind Boys of Mississippi, Junior Parker from West Memphis, Big Joe Turner of KC and bluesman Louis Jordan from Brinkley, Arkansas. Johnnie spoke about his sound, “We don’t want to change it too much,” Johnnie said, “We want people to know it’s me. We just try to keep it simple, earthy and good.”9 Johnnie and his first wife, Harriet Lewis divorced in 1961. The former Mrs. Taylor was mother of their two children, Johnnie Jr., (a.k.a ‘Spud’), the eldest, and Sabrina, his younger sister. The couple split after Johnnie began spending more time pursuing his career in California. The kids were four and one respectively. Johnnie’s traveling and the responsibilities of two young children laid a heavy burden on Harriet to raise the young children. Johnnie accepted his obligation to be a supportive father and spoke of his responsibilities in an interview several years later: “Divorce”, Taylor maintains, “should not cut-off anyone from the responsibility.”10 “Daddy Taylor” as he was known by the two children, remained dedicated, even though he was on the road a better part of the year. They grew up in Chicago and attend the public schools in the city. Occasionally Johnnie would return to his home in Kansas City and play at the Ivanhoe Masonic Temple, a Chitlin’ Circuit favorite; or the 9th Street Missionary Baptist Church led by Pastor Isaac Hooker. Rev. Hooker was a pioneer who arranged the first live radio broadcast of the church’s services on KPRT, which featured gospel music and worship. When he was with the Q.C.’s, Johnnie was invited to sing one Sunday at the 9th Street Church. There he met Rev. Hooker’s daughter Mary, who was always in attendance. Mary was a single mother at the time, a hairdresser and also worked for the U.S. Post Office in Kansas City. When Johnnie and the Q.C.’s arrived at church one Sunday, he was introduced to Mary, and a relationship soon developed.11 Not long after, she became pregnant and in November of 1962, she had Johnnie’s son, Tyronne (T.J.). Afterwards, Taylor’s visits to the Hooker household would be infrequent which resulted in little time for Johnnie and T.J. to establish a father-son relationship. Johnnie’s absence robbed T.J. of a male role model and father figure.