Chip Taylor (b. January 1, 1940 in New York City) is the stage name of American songwriter James Wesley Voight noted for writing the song, Wild Thing. Taylor's brothers are the actor, Jon Voight, and the geologist, Barry Voight. He is the uncle of actors Angelina Jolie and James Haven. ...show more

Chip Taylor (b. January 1, 1940 in New York City) is the stage name of American songwriter James Wesley Voight noted for writing the song, Wild Thing. Taylor's brothers are the actor, Jon Voight, and the geologist, Barry Voight. He is the uncle of actors Angelina Jolie and James Haven.

After a hardly successful attempt to become a professional golfer, Taylor entered the music business. He wrote and composed pop and rock songs, both alone and with other songwriters including Al Gorgoni, Billy Vera, Ted Daryll, and Jerry Ragovoy. Taylor's best known songs are Wild Thing, which was originally recorded in 1965 by The Wild Ones but became best known as a 1966 hit single for The Troggs and a 1967 live performance by Jimi Hendrix), and Angel Of The Morning, a hit first for Merrilee Rush in 1968, then again in 1981 for country-pop singer Juice Newton. Other Taylor compositions that made entries onto the pop charts include, I Can't Let Go (performed by The Hollies), Make Me Belong to You, I Can Make It With You (Jackie DeShannon), Any Way You Want Me (The Troggs), Step Out of Your Mind, Country Girl City Man, I'll Hold Out My Hand, and Try (Just A Little Bit Harder) (Janis Joplin).

Country hits written and composed by Taylor include Sweet Dream Woman (Waylon Jennings), and Son of a Rotten Gambler (Emmylou Harris, The Hollies and Anne Murray). Taylor released recordings on Warner Brothers, Columbia, and Capitol records, and his most popular recording is Chip Taylor's Last Chance released through Warner Brothers. In the mid-1970s, Taylor gave up the music business for a career as a professional gambler specializing in blackjack and horseracing handicapping. But the year 1980 saw Taylor making a screen acting appearance in the film Melvin and Howard. ...show less