James Taylor brings sweet voice to Harvey's Outdoor Concert Series

James Taylor has graced the cover of Time, but he’s timeless — his appearance in the magazine heralded the beginning of the singer-songwriter era back in 1971.

In 1971, Taylor was a 23-year-old with three albums to his credit, a contemporary of Jackson Browne, Jim Croce, John Denver, Don McLean, Cat Stevens, Joni Mitchell and Carly Simon — whom Taylor later would marry.

But 40 years into his recording career, Taylor now stands as one of 17 members of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame to play Harveys Outdoor Concert Series.

Taylor is on tour with his Band of Legends, which includes saxophone player “Blue” Lou Marini (the Blues Brothers), keyboardist Larry Goldings (John Scofield, Maceo Parker) and Afro-Cuban percussionist Louis Conte.

Taylor has been performing songs that will appear on an album tentatively called “Covers,” due for release Sept. 30, Taylor publicist Allison Elbl said.

Taylor has sold more than 40 million albums since signing to the Apple Records label in 1968, hitting the gold, platinum and multiplatinum marks 40 times. Taylor is a five-time Grammy Award-winner, most recently for “October Road” in 2002, and the recipient of the Recording Industry Association of America’s Diamond Award and Billboard’s Century award.

Taylor first reached the top of the Billboard pop chart with “You’ve Got a Friend” 37 years ago this week. According to Pollstar and The Associated Press, his is the current No. 13 concert tour by average box office gross per city. That tour will bring Taylor to Stateline for an outdoor concert at Harveys at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, July 26.

Taylor, 60, grew up in North Carolina but was born in Massachusetts and lives in the Berkshires with his wife, Caroline, and their sons Henry and Rufus. In addition, Taylor’s four siblings have recorded albums, and his two children with his previous wife Carly Simon, Ben and Sally, are musicians as well.

The Beatles’ Apple label released Taylor’s eponymous debut in 1968, but it was “Sweet Baby James” two years later that went triple-platinum, spawning the singer-songwriter’s first top-10 hit, “Fire and Rain.” It also renewed interest in “James Taylor” and propelled “Carolina In My Mind” up the charts. “Mud Slide Slim and the Blue Horizon” followed a year later, selling a million copies and spawning a No. 1 single in “You’ve Got a Friend.”

Taylor stayed active throughout the 1970s, scoring another hit with his cover of Marvin Gaye’s “How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You).” His greatest hits compilation from the ’70s would go on to be his best-selling album, and the decade also marked his collaboration with, and marriage to, Simon. After releasing “JT,” Taylor took a two-year break before reappearing in 1979.

Simon and Taylor divorced in 1983, two years after the singer released “Dad Loves His Work,” and “That’s Why I’m Here” followed in 1985.

Taylor married actress Kathryn Walker in 1985. He released “Never Die Young” in 1988, “New Moon Shine” in 1991, then a double live album in 1993. “Hourglass” (1998) won him a Grammy for Best Pop Album.

After kicking off the decade by marrying for the third time, Taylor released “October Road” in 2002, the same year he appeared with another of this summer’s outdoor series performers, Alison Krauss. Krauss and Taylor sang “The Boxer” at the Kennedy Center Honors tribute to Paul Simon and later recorded “How’s the World Treating You?” together.

Four decades into the music business, Taylor’s gentle folk standards have become mainstays on film and television. But the singer-songwriter is still active, joining the “Vote for Change” tour in 2004 and performing with the Dixie Chicks. Taylor joined his original band and Carole King for a series of concerts last year, with proceeds benefiting the Natural Resources Defense Council, MusiCares, the Alliance for Wild Rockies, the Los Angeles Regional Foodbank and America’s Second Harvest.

Taylor’s newest album, “One Man Band,” is a 19-song live concert CD with a companion DVD, and has a new album due out this fall.

— Information from wikipedia.com.