Chip Taylor, Songwriter Behind "Wild Thing" and Jon Voight’s Brother, Dies at 86
You almost certainly know Chip Taylor’s most famous song. You almost certainly don’t know the rest of his story — and it’s wilder than the three-chord hit that made him a household name.
Taylor, born James Wesley Voight on March 21, 1940, in Yonkers, New York, died Monday, March 23, in hospice care at age 86. His daughters, Kelly and Kristian, confirmed the death.
“His last days were peaceful. Chip loved the amazing blessing it was to connect with people through music and truly appreciated this community. He considered you all friends. We will miss him greatly,” his daughters wrote on Facebook.
Taylor was diagnosed with throat cancer in 2023, which he documented on his album Behind the Sky, released in February 2024.
He is survived by his wife Joan — whom he married, divorced, and remarried — his two daughters, two brothers, and five grandchildren.
Chip Taylor’s Family Is Full of Talent
Taylor was one of three brothers born to Elmer and Barbara Voight. His brother Jon Voight is an Oscar-winning actor. His niece? Angelina Jolie — Jon Voight’s daughter and also an Oscar-winning actress.
His other brother, Barry Voight, is a geologist who invented a formula to predict volcanic eruptions.
Even their father, Elmer, had a notable career — a golfer who played in the U.S. Open in 1928 and 1929 and later served as a country club pro.
“The three of us were very close in age, and we did all this stuff growing up,” Taylor told NPR in 2010. “Our mom and dad were very supportive of us being crazy, so we have wonderful days together.”
The Songs You Know but Can’t Place
Taylor wrote “Wild Thing” in 1965. The Troggs took it to No. 1 in July 1966, and it became one of the most instantly recognizable rock songs ever recorded.
But that wasn’t his only hit. “Angel of the Morning” — first recorded by Evie Sands in 1967 — became a smash multiple times over. A version by Merrilee Rush reached No. 7 on the Hot 100 in 1968, while Juice Newton’s 1981 recording sold over a million copies, peaked at No. 4.
He also co-wrote “Try (Just a Little Bit Harder)” with Jerry Ragavoy, which Janis Joplin recorded in 1969 as the opening track of her debut album, and “He Sits at Your Table,” recorded by Willie Nelson.
Taylor’s songwriting career started remarkably early. He became passionate about music as a child and was writing songs at the Brill Building while still in high school.
In 1957, he and his band, Wes Voight & the Town and Country Brothers, were signed by King Records. He moved to Warner Bros. Records in 1962 and charted on the Hot 100 with “Here I Am.”
He later became a staff writer at April Blackwood Music, the publishing arm of CBS, where he signed Billy Vera and James Taylor.
Chip Taylor Walked Away From Music To Gamble
After recording seven solo albums in the 1970s, Taylor stepped away from music entirely in 1981. His next move? Professional gambling. He transitioned from part-time to full-time between 1981 and 1995.
He returned to music in 1995, launched his own independent label, Train Wreck Records, in 2007, and released a children’s album, Golden Kids Rules, in 2011, featuring his granddaughters.
Over his six-decade career, he recorded approximately two dozen albums.
In 2016, Taylor was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame.
“I was an organic kind of producer. I was always fighting for emotion. That’s what I was best at,” he said of his work as a producer in a 2006 interview.
“I wasn’t a technical producer. I knew what I wanted things to sound like, but I wasn’t an engineer, so I didn’t know how to get them. But I knew what I didn’t like and fought hard to get what I liked,” he added.
This article was created by content specialists using various tools, including AI.
