TGLR Interviews B. Taylor

http://www.thagoodlifereviews.com/2011/08/11/tglr-b-taylor-interview/

Hopefully you saw us recently feature B. Taylor’s music video featuring Pauley Perette,“Fire In Your Eyes”. As a follow up, we decided to hit up B and see what’s up with him. Check out the interview below!

TGLR: Hey, B. Taylor, what’s up?

B. Taylor: Not too much, just working hard.

TGLR: Tell us a little bit about yourself. What is your first name, and when did you decide to shorten it?

B. Taylor: My first name is Billy Taylor and I shortended it about 4 years ago. There is jazz musician named Billy Taylor and I couldnt use it as a stage name so I came up with B. Taylor.

TGLR: Could you tell our readers about your life before you decided to pursue your music career?

B. Taylor: Yes I attended the University of Missouri where I studied Computer Science and Statistics and was a collegiate athlete that played football and basketball, and also was part of the US Navy.

TGLR: What led you to join the Navy? Did you attend the Naval Academy for your college years?

B. Taylor: No, but I got chosen to attend the Naval Academy, but instead I tested into the Nuclear Engineering Program which furthered my education, but i ended up becoming a Aviation Electronics Technician specializing in a program called “Huntron” trouble shooting and designing circuit cards for all aircrafts and ships of the Navy and Marines. Also worked with security with Navy Seals and Marine Units and The Search and Rescue Units, and was a member of the All Navy and Team USA Basketball Team!!

TGLR: What was it like playing on the All Navy Team-USA basketball squad?

B. Taylor: It was a blast we had guys that were collegiate ballplayers and some that played for the Military Academies as well. A lot of my teammates got tryouts and invited to NBA camps!

TGLR: It says in your bio that you received an honorary discharge in order to pursue music and athletic talents professionally. Were you thinking of joining the NBA?

B. Taylor: No, it was more of the NFL. I had got an agent and the US Navy allowed me to work out and train for the NFL, the San Diego Chargers. I was gearing up for it and making head way with GM A.J. Smith of the Chargers. I also worked out with the Scouting Combine and trained with Charger Players and strength coaches.

TGLR: How did you eventually choose to pursue music over football?

B. Taylor: Well, I was already to go for the season and one day at McDonalds, Brian Stewart, who was my Defensive Back coach at the University of Missouri and at the time was the Chargers Defensive Back coach talked to me about trying to do music and play football. He basically told me that I had accomplished alot in the sports world since high school and that I had great musical abilities and that I should pursue it, especially with what I was doing at the time. He said there was no way I could be a fulltime NFL player and a full time recording artist. Then A.J. Smith, GM of the Chargers, wrote me a letter stating this and I listened to my former coach and chose music.

TGLR: What is your musical background? Who are your musical influences?

B. Taylor: Well I grew up in the Baptist Church playing the drums, organ, piano, and guitar!! My musical influences are Stevie Wonder, Micheal Jackson, Tu Pac, Run DMC, and Kirk Franklin.

TGLR: Motown Legends such as Pete Moore, Claudette Robinson, and Bobby Rogers have called you “The Stevie Wonder of Hip Hop”. How did you first meet them and show them your
music?

B. Taylor: Well I met Pete Moore 3 1/2 years ago, parallel to how Smokey and the Miracles met Berry Gordy in 1958. It was so ironic, and he had me come down to his house that same day and I played two tracks of 30 seconds for him and he said lets go to the studio. I went to the studio and showed him my abilities and two weeks later he said you remind me of Stevie Wonder when we, The Miracles, discovered him in the way you play instruments your musicianship, etc. I am going to call you “The Stevie Wonder of Hip Hop” and the rest is history.

TGLR: TGLR recently posted up your music video “Fire In Your Eyes” featuring NCIS star Pauley Perette. What was it like working with a TV star?

B. Taylor: It was great, Pauley is wonderful. She is a preacher’s kid like myself and we have attended church together quite a few times, and she said that it would be great for us to collab on a song and that is what we did!!

TGLR: “Fire In Your Eyes” currently has over 1.1 million views on YouTube! How did you feel when you saw the counter hit the 1 million mark?

B. Taylor: It was great and 99 percent of the fans said they love the song and over at CBS they were very excited for myself and Pauley and have really supported me as well. The cast of NCIS has been great as well and to Mark Harmon aka “Gibbs” thank you for your support and encouragement as well!!

TGLR: With close to 118,000 fans on Facebook and over 42,000 followers on Twitter, you’ve seemed to rack up quite the following! How would you describe your interaction with fans? Do you personally respond to tweets?

B. Taylor: Yesir, I do. I try to interact with the fans because they are the ones that support us as artists! They all love my unique story and all adore Pauley Perrette as well. One thing they say is this is a positive and historical story for the hip hop genre and I’m just blessed to share the story and my fans worldwide all love the music and my story. I am one of the few who has learned from the same legends that taught Stevie Wonder and Micheal Jackson, what it takes to make timeless music for all races and what it takes to be called a legend in this business, and lastly how to make a difference in the world so that your legacy will live forever!!

TGLR: Tell us more about your upcoming album, One Life To Live. When can we expect it?

B. Taylor: My EP ” One Life To Live” will be coming out isometime in October 2011 thru Bungalo/ Universal Music Group Distribution. It will have features from Ray J, of course Pauley Perrette and a few new songs. My EP album ” One Life To Live” basically is a feel good, real music with real stories that everyone can relate to. We all have lost someone close and dear to us so we should not take anything for granted because at the end of the day everybody on this planet male or female only has “One Life To Live”

http://www.thagoodlifereviews.com/2011/08/11/tglr-b-taylor-interview/