Groovy JenKins

     T J Hooker Taylor comes from a musical family. His mother, Mary Ann Hooker, and father the late Great Johnnie Taylor, raised him in the church. At the age ten he, along with some of his family, joined his first group, "The Young Golden Voices", performing in churches around the Kansas City, MO area. At the age of 16, TJ started an R&B band called "The Grand Jury Band". This band opened for many top national acts that came to K.C, including The Bar-Kays, Cameo, Slave and many others.
     At the age of 21 TJ's young voice started to change. "I could hear that (Taylor Sound). I had never tried to sound like my dad, I didn't even like the Blues. But on my 25th Birthday I was given a chance to open for my Dad and get paid, " says Hooker-Taylor. He continues, "That's when the Blues hit me".
     Unapologetically proud of his lineage, Hooker-Taylor has released CDs independently with that Johnnie Taylor sound, albeit with mostly new, original songs. His most recent, "The Total Package", featured the hit song "Player Haters". CDS Records signed JT Hooker-Taylor and released two albums on him (2009's "Your Babies Ned A Daddy" and 2012's "Taylorized". In 2015 Taylor began performing with local Gospel group The KC Clouds.