Chip Taylor, ‘Wild Thing’ songwriter, dead at 86

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Chip Taylor, the writer of the classic rock song “Wild Thing” and Angelina Jolie’s uncle, has passed away at the age of 86.

Taylor passed away on Monday while receiving hospice care, as reported by Page Six, who cited producer and longtime friend Billy Vera.

I’ve always been fascinated by musicians who forge their own path, and that really applies to Taylor. Born James Wesley Voight in Yonkers, New York, back in 1940, he was actually Jon Voight’s brother, but he didn’t let that overshadow his own impressive career in music. He truly made a name for himself, separate from his brother’s fame.

He started playing guitar as a teenager and joined the band Town & Country Brothers, even touring with Neil Sedaka. His songs caught the attention of country music legend Chet Atkins at RCA Records, who began promoting his work. Interestingly, Taylor also wrote songs from the same New York building as the famous songwriting duo Gerry Goffin and Carole King.

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The upbeat songwriter was famous for several popular songs from the 1970s, such as “Breaking Up Is Hard to Do” and “Laughter in the Rain.”

In 1966, Chip Taylor wrote “Wild Thing” for the Troggs, and it quickly became a number one hit. The song helped launch a new, rawer style of rock and roll that embraced a grungier sound and more suggestive lyrics. As Taylor explained in 2023, the song’s distinctive guitar strum wasn’t the result of musical expertise, but rather a lack of formal training. “I didn’t know any better,” he said, “and it gave the song a fresh, energetic feel. The music just flowed out of me naturally.”

Jimi Hendrix’s electrifying performance of the song at the 1967 Monterey Pop Festival – captured in a 1968 concert film – helped turn it into a defining rock anthem and remains Taylor’s best-known work. Beyond that, Taylor also wrote “Angel of the Morning,” a hit for Juice Newton and Merrilee Rush, and his songs were recorded by iconic artists like Willie Nelson, Linda Ronstadt, Johnny Cash, and Janis Joplin, to name just a few.

My film journey took a really unexpected turn when I learned about this guy, Taylor. Apparently, he was a pro gambler, living a bit of a wild life in Atlantic City back in the ’80s. But then, things really changed for him in the 2000s. He met a fantastic fiddle player named Carrie Rodriguez at a music conference in Austin, and they started making some seriously great alt-country albums together. I was surprised to find out one of his songs, the bluntly titled “F— All the Perfect People,” ended up on the soundtrack for the super popular Netflix show Sex Education. It’s a cool little connection – a gambler turned musician whose work ended up in a show so many people are watching!

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Taylor explained the song came from his experiences playing concerts for prisoners, which he considered some of his best performances. He shared that he’s always found prisoners to be remarkably honest and that he feels empathy for everyone he’s met in prison. He wrote the song early one morning, inspired by upcoming shows for inmates, wanting to create something specifically for them.

Taylor’s last album, “The Truth and Other Things,” came out in 2025. He is remembered by his children and grandchildren. His wife, Joan Carole Frey, passed away in the same year.

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2026-03-26 03:31