Chip Taylor, the legendary songwriter behind the 1966 rock classic “Wild Thing”, has died at 86 in hospice care, just days after celebrating his birthday, his friend and Grammy-winning producer Billy Vera said. “RIP: Chip Taylor, my friend and songwriting mentor,” Vera wrote on Instagram. Born James Wesley Voight in Yonkers, New York, Taylor was the brother of actor Jon Voight and uncle to Angelina Jolie, but he built a towering musical legacy of his own. Taylor wrote “Wild Thing” in 1965 for the rock band The Troggs, with the song shooting to No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 the following year, where it stayed for two weeks. Taylor also penned hits including “Angel of the Morning” and songs recorded by Willie Nelson, Janis Joplin, Cliff Richard, and The Hollies. In addition to writing, he released solo albums and founded Train Wreck Records in 2007, with his 2009 album Yonkers NY earning acclaim for its Americana-country style. He is survived by his children and grandchildren; his wife Joan Carole Frey passed in 2025.
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