Jay Taylor

Now based in Nashville, Jay was raised in the Central Florida town of Duette on a 2,000-acre
cattle ranch that has been in his family since the 1930s. Jay first sang in public at age 3 for the
congregation of the historic Dry Prairie Baptist Church, accompanied by his mother, the church
pianist. Music and performing have been part of his life ever since. “My whole family sang
and my mother played piano,” he says, “so I just thought everyone knew how to sing.”
As a teenager, he took up the guitar, began writing his own songs, and dared to dream
of a music career.
His first professional break came right after high school graduation in 2004, when he won the
Florida Super Singer contest in Orlando, topping 856 entrants. That exposure led to offers from
Florida’s Sea World and Busch Gardens theme parks, where he spent three years performing live
daily, building a fan base, and regularly entertaining international audiences exceeding 5,000.
He also opened for country headliners such as Diamond Rio, Lorrie Morgan, Montgomery Gentry,
Little Big Town, Trace Adkins, Buddy Jewel, Trick Pony, Billy Dean, and Craig Morgan.
As comfortable onstage as he is in on the ranch, Jay performs with a presence and sound that belie
his 22 years. His rich, understated baritone vocals have been compared to those of the legendary
George Strait, one of Jay’s influences along with Garth Brooks, Elvis Presley, and his own musical family.
Today Jay hangs his genuine cowboy hat in Nashville, where he has recorded his first studio CD,
“Plain and Simple,” and has formed his own band. After touring the southeastern and
southwestern U.S. for the summer/fall of 2007, “I can’t wait to get on the road in 2008,” says Jay.
“That’s where I feel the most at home.”
The new album features six of his original songs as well as six numbers by hit country songwriter
Kirsti Manna in collaboration with David Kent, Danny Myrick, Dell Gray, and Ashe Underwood.
“Jay is a true talent,” says Kirsti. “He has one of those classic country voices with great emotional
delivery on anything he sings.”