About James "J.T." Taylor
James "JT" Warren Taylor (born August 16, 1953) is an American singer who achieved fame as the lead singer of Kool & the Gang between 1979 and 1988. Taylor joined Kool & the Gang in 1979 and remained with the group for nine years. His tenure as lead singer was the most successful era in the band's history with the albums Ladies' Night (1979), Celebrate! (1980) and Emergency (1984) and hit singles including "Ladies' Night", the US No. 1 "Celebration", "Get Down on It", "Joanna", "Misled", "Cherish" and "Fresh". Taylor left the group in 1989 to begin a solo career but has reunited with the band a few times for concerts, also recording one last album with them in 1996. == Early life == Taylor was born on August 16, 1953, in Laurens, South Carolina, and grew up in Hackensack, New Jersey. Before his rise to fame, he was a teacher and night club singer, having first joined a band at the age of 13. In 1978 he played with Milton Galfas, Christopher Galfas, and Eleton Johns in Full Force. He left Full Force when Christopher Galfas brought him to his brother's House of Music studio to audition for Kool & the Gang.
Biography source: Wikipedia. The profile adds birthday-specific historical context from the Celebs Birthday Today editorial database.