Jeff Taylor, Longtime Foothills Resident, Lifelong Musician

Family and friends have been deeply saddened over the holiday by the Thanksgiving Day death of Jeff Taylor.

A longtime Foothills resident and a lifelong musician, Jeff was born in Glendale to James and Virginia Taylor in 1954, and raised in La Canada with his brothers Craig and Steve. He attended Parents’ and Childrens’, Palm Crest, Foothill Intermediate and La Canada High schools, as well as Pasadena City College.

He was an enthusiastic fan of anything baseball; he operated a memorabilia shop in Montrose early on, but later moved on to wood work and carpentry in Oregon, then turned to his real love, music. He sold instruments and gave music lessons at Grayson’s in Montrose before ending up with his own music store, selling and repairing fine guitars in Pasadena for the past several years.

Jeff’s musical life began in elementary school. He first played drums and then guitar. He became a widely respected master of the latter, playing and recording over the years with the Logan Brothers, Black Creek, Mad Shadow, TCS (Taylor-Carruthers-Swanson), Tales, Cross, Aquatint, Beast of Blues and the Jeff Taylor Band. He also produced the albums “The Hurting Game” and “Back Home Someday,” providing guitar and lead vocals on both.

Jeff was predeceased by his parents and is survived by his wife, Marie; his daughter, Laura; brothers, Craig and Steve and sister-in-law Mindy; nephews Cameron and Chad; niece, Kelly; numerous cousins; and myriad fans. Services will be on Saturday, December 7, at 9:00 AM at the Wee Kirk o’ the Heather at Forest Lawn in Glendale.