Taylor Hollingsworth (born May 11, 1980) is a guitarist, singer-songwriter and artist from

Birmingham, Alabama Birmingham ( ) is a city in the north central region of the U.S. state of Alabama. Birmingham is the seat of Jefferson County, Alabama's most populous county. As of the 2021 census estimates, Birmingham had a population of 197,575, down 1% fr ...

. Hollingsworth is also member of

Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band is the name taken by Conor Oberst and his backing band. The band is composed of Nik Freitas (guitar), Taylor Hollingsworth (guitar), Macey Taylor (bass), Nate Walcott (keyboards/organ) and Jason Boesel (dru ...

and Dead Fingers, and has toured with

Conor Oberst Conor Mullen Oberst (born February 15, 1980) is an American singer-songwriter best known for his work in Bright Eyes. He has also played in several other bands, including Desaparecidos, the Faint (previously named Norman Bailer), Commander Venu ...

Maria Taylor Maria Taylor may refer to: * Maria Taylor (sportscaster) (born 1987), American sportscaster * Maria Taylor (musician) (born 1976), American musician * Maria Jane Taylor (1837–1870), British missionary to China * Maria Madeline Taylor Maria Made ...

The Dexateens The Dexateens are a five-piece rock and roll band out of Tuscaloosa, Alabama. History 1998-2010 The Dexateens began as a four-piece band in 1998 in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, with co-lead singer-songwriters and guitarists Elliott McPherson and John ...

, Monsieur Jeffrey Evans and his Southern Ace's and

Verbena ''Verbena'' (), also known as vervain or verveine, is a genus in the family Verbenaceae. It contains about 150 species of annual and perennial herbaceous or semi-woody flowering plants. The majority of the species are native to the Americas a ...

Biography

Hollingsworth purchased his first guitar at age 14, shortly after his father passed away. After starting and playing in a variety of bands including

and

, he began gaining notoriety in 2002 with the now-defunct Taylor and the Puffs. "Taylor and the Puffs" released Skybucket Records' first band recording ''You Know That Summer's Comin in 2003. In 2005, Hollingsworth released ''Tragic City'', a "gritty sludge-fest of a record," "recalling everyone from

Alice Cooper Alice Cooper (born Vincent Damon Furnier, February 4, 1948) is an American rock singer whose career spans over five decades. With a raspy voice and a stage show that features numerous props and stage illusions, including pyrotechnics, guillot ...

Dinosaur Jr. Dinosaur Jr. is an American rock band formed in Amherst, Massachusetts, in 1984, originally simply called Dinosaur until legal issues forced a change in name. The band was founded by J Mascis (guitar, vocals, primary songwriter), Lou Barlow ( ...

... to T. Rex and early

Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers were an American rock band from Gainesville, Florida. Formed in 1976, the band originally comprised lead singer and rhythm guitarist Tom Petty, lead guitarist Mike Campbell, keyboardist Benmont Tench, drummer S ...

." His next album, ''Bad Little Kitty'' was released on July 29, 2008. The album was later nominated in the 8th Annual Independent Music Awards for "College Record Label Album of the year" in 2009. Hollingsworth was among several musicians, including Nik Freitas,

Jason Boesel Jason Lyon Boesel (born 1977/1978) is an American musician, songwriter and producer based in Los Angeles. He was the drummer for Rilo Kiley and has also played with The Elected and Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band. Bands He also drummed ...

, Macey Taylor, and

Nate Walcott Nate Walcott (born March 6, 1978) is an American musical composer, arranger, pianist, keyboardist, and trumpeter. He has composed the scores for several feature-length films, including 2014's ''The Fault in Our Stars''. He is a member of the ba ...

to travel to

Tepoztlán Tepoztlán () is a town in the central Mexican state of Morelos. It is located at in the heart of the Tepoztlán Valley. The town serves as the seat of government for the municipality of the same name. The town had a population of 14,130 inhabit ...

, Mexico in 2007 to contribute to Bright Eyes'

's new solo recordings.

released 3 records during their 2007–2010 run, with Hollingsworth contributing several original songs as well as cover of "Central City" from his album, ''Bad Little Kitty'' that was rerecorded for the band's 2012 release One of My Kind. ''Life with a Slow Ear'' came out on Oberst's

Team Love Records Team Love is an independent record label based in New Paltz, New York, founded by Conor Oberst and Nate Krenkel in 2003. It has released albums by several other recording artists. Team Love also released the documentary film by Roy Germano, Th ...

label in November 2009. Paste called the album, which was recorded with

Andy LeMaster Andy LeMaster is an American musician, songwriter, engineer, and producer from Athens, Georgia. Now It's Overhead is the primary project for his own songwriting, while he also releases music under his own name and contributes as a co-writer on ...

, "a scrappy, bare-bones production formed out of a love for honest, straightforward rock 'n roll." Dead Fingers, a duo with wife Kate Taylor, released their first album in 2012 on

Fat Possum Records Fat Possum Records is an American independent record label based in Water Valley and Oxford, Mississippi. At first Fat Possum focused almost entirely on recording previously unknown Mississippi blues artists (typically from Oxford or Holly Sprin ...

, earning them praise as "the first couple of new Alabama music." As part of their best bands in all 50 states project,

Paste Magazine ''Paste'' is a monthly music and entertainment digital magazine, headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, with studios in Atlanta and Manhattan, and owned by Paste Media Group. The magazine began as a website in 1998. It ran as a print publication fro ...

named them one of 12 bands you should know from

Alabama (We dare defend our rights) , anthem = "Alabama (state song), Alabama" , image_map = Alabama in United States.svg , seat = Montgomery, Alabama, Montgomery , LargestCity = Huntsville, Alabama, Huntsville , LargestCounty = Baldwin County, Al ...

for tracks like "Ring Around Saturn" and "Hold on To" that "will bring to mind the collaboration between

John Prine John Edward Prine (; October 10, 1946 – April 7, 2020) was an American singer-songwriter of country-folk music. He was active as a composer, recording artist, live performer, and occasional actor from the early 1970s until his death. He ...

and

Iris Dement Iris Luella DeMent (born January 5, 1961) is an American two-time Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter and musician . DeMent's musical style includes elements of folk, country and gospel. Early life DeMent was born in Paragould, Arkansas, the 14t ...

." SDX (or "Sweet Dog Experience") is a two piece consisting of Hollingsworth and Craig "Sweetdog" Pickering. They released ''Pawn and Gun'', recorded by

Memphis Memphis most commonly refers to: * Memphis, Egypt, a former capital of ancient Egypt * Memphis, Tennessee, a major American city Memphis may also refer to: Places United States * Memphis, Alabama * Memphis, Florida * Memphis, Indiana * Memp ...

Punk Rock n' Roll Legend, Jack Oblivion in 2013 on

. Dead Fingers released their second album ''Big Black Dog'' in 2014. The video for "Shoom Doom Babba Labba" premiered on

USA Today ''USA Today'' (stylized in all uppercase) is an American daily middle-market newspaper and news broadcasting company. Founded by Al Neuharth on September 15, 1982, the newspaper operates from Gannett's corporate headquarters in Tysons, Virgini ...

September 3, 2014. Hollingsworth rejoined

in 2015 opening for the

Drive-by Truckers Drive-By Truckers are an American rock band based in Athens, Georgia. Two of five current members (Patterson Hood and Mike Cooley) are originally from The Shoals region of northern Alabama and met as roommates at the University of North Alabama ...

and the

Alabama Shakes Alabama Shakes were an American rock band formed in Athens, Alabama, in 2009. The band consists of lead singer and guitarist Brittany Howard, guitarist Heath Fogg, bassist Zac Cockrell, and drummer Steve Johnson. The band began its career touring ...

. Hollingsworth toured with

throughout the U.S. and Europe playing in his backing band with members of

The Felice Brothers The Felice Brothers are an American folk rock/country rock band from New York.Bumgardner, Ed, 8 November 2007'Music Notes: Felice Brothers are earthy, their music visceralRelish Now!''. History The Felice Brothers got their start as a band pl ...

in support of Oberst's recent release, '' Salutations''. On May 11, 2017, they played Oberst's "Too Late to Fixate" on

The Late Late Show with James Corden ''The Late Late Show with James Corden'' (also known as ''Late Late'') is an American late-night talk show on CBS. It is the fourth and current iteration of '' The Late Late Show''. Airing in the U.S. from Monday to Friday nights at 12:37:28am ...

featuring former

Beatles The Beatles were an English rock band, formed in Liverpool in 1960, that comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are regarded as the most influential band of all time and were integral to the developme ...

collaborator and

Traveling Wilburys The Traveling Wilburys were a British-American supergroup consisting of Bob Dylan, George Harrison, Jeff Lynne, Roy Orbison and Tom Petty. Originating from an idea discussed by Harrison and Lynne during the sessions for Harrison's 1987 album ...

drummer,

Jim Keltner James Lee Keltner (born April 27, 1942) is an American drummer and percussionist known primarily for his session work. He was characterized by Bob Dylan biographer Howard Sounes as "the leading session drummer in America".Howard Sounes. ''Down ...

on drums. The

Mystic Valley Band Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band is the name taken by Conor Oberst and his backing band. The band is composed of Nik Freitas (guitar), Taylor Hollingsworth (guitar), Macey Taylor (bass), Nate Walcott (keyboards/organ) and Jason Boesel (dru ...

reunited for their first time since 2010 for a one-off New Year's Eve show at the Lodge Room in Highland Park, on December 31, 2017. In mid 2018, they announced a 7-date reunion tour through California and Arizona, with special guest

Phoebe Bridgers Phoebe Lucille Bridgers (born August 17, 1994) is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and record producer. She has released two solo albums, ''Stranger in the Alps'' (2017) and ''Punisher'' (2020), both of which received critical acclaim ...

. In January 2019,

and

released

Better Oblivion Community Center Better Oblivion Community Center is an American indie rock superduo consisting of musicians Conor Oberst and Phoebe Bridgers. They released their self-titled debut album on January 24, 2019, through Dead Oceans. Background Oberst and Bridgers ...

's debut studio album featuring only one non-Bridgers-Oberst composition, a cover of Hollingsworth's song "Dominos" from his album "Where To Go, How To Get There, And What You Should Know In Advance." In June 2019,

premiered a new single from Hollingsworth entitled, "Devil N Me," from his new full-length record ''Tap Dancin' Daddy,'' out on Flower Moon Records called, calling it "the sound of the blues in 2019."

PopMatters ''PopMatters'' is an international online magazine of cultural criticism that covers aspects of popular culture. ''PopMatters'' publishes reviews, interviews, and essays on cultural products and expressions in areas such as music, television, fi ...

premiered the titled track in July, saying it "calls to mind a '70s solo record from former

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first kno ...

Bill Wyman William George Wyman (né Perks; born 24 October 1936) is an English musician who achieved international fame as the bassist for the Rolling Stones from 1962 until 1993. In 1989, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member ...

or the country colors of

Ronnie Lane Ronald Frederick Lane (1 April 1946 – 4 June 1997) was an English musician and songwriter who is best known as the bass guitarist and founding member of Small Faces (1965–69) and subsequently Faces (1969–73). Lane formed Small Faces in ...

's Slim Chance." Hollingsworth supported

on tour in August 2019, as an opener and performing with the band on occasion during their final west coast tour. He is married to

's sister, singer-songwriter Kate Taylor. They had their first child together, a daughter, in 2012. Hollingsworth's photo, shot by

Robert M. Knight Robert M. Knight is a rock and roll photographer that has been active for around 40 years. He is an author and the subject of the documentary film ''Rock Prophecies''. Knight has photographed Jimi Hendrix, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Eric Clapton, Jeff ...

hangs on the front of a

Guitar Center Guitar Center is an American musical instrument retailer chain. It is the largest company of its kind in the United States, with 294 locations. Its headquarters is in Westlake Village, California. Guitar Center oversees various subsidiaries in ...

Jackson, Mississippi Jackson, officially the City of Jackson, is the Capital city, capital of and the List of municipalities in Mississippi, most populous city in the U.S. state of Mississippi. The city is also one of two county seats of Hinds County, Mississippi, ...

, and Florida.

Artistry

Hollingsworth is also a mixed media artist who has shown his work at Birmingham's "Magic City Art Connection," an annual juried outdoor art show and festival, Artwalk, Moss Rock Festival, and Rojo. At the 2017 "Magic City Art Connection," Hollingsworth was invited to teach an interactive children's "junk art sculpture" class.

Discography

Solo

*Taylor and the Puffs – ''You Know That Summer's Comin'' (2003, Skybucket Records) *Taylor and the Puffs – ''On White Out'' EP (2003, Skybucket Records) *Taylor Hollingsworth – ''Shoot Me, Shoot Me Heaven'' EP (2005, Brash Music) *Taylor Hollingsworth – ''Tragic City'' (2006, Brash Music) *Taylor Hollingsworth – ''Bad Little Kitty'' (2008, Mass Music) *Taylor Hollingsworth – ''Life with a Slow Ear'' (2008,

) *Taylor Hollingsworth – ''Where To Go, How To Get There, And What You Should Know in Advance'' (2011, Catapult) *Taylor Hollingsworth – ''Knifer'' (2016, Lo-fi, Lo-life) *V/A – ''Flower Moon Records Friends and Family Volume 1'' (2018, Flower Moon Records) *Taylor Hollingsworth – ''Tap Dancin' Daddy'' (2019, Flower Moon Records) * Taylor Hollingsworth – ''Country Visions'' (2020)

Other Projects

* Monsieur Jeffrey Evans and his Southern Ace's – ''Lord Keep Me Sanctified'' (2008, Big Legal Mess) *

– ''

'' (2008,

Merge Records Merge Records is an independent record label based in Durham, North Carolina. It was founded in 1989 by Laura Ballance and Mac McCaughan. It began as an outlet for music from their band Superchunk and music created by friends, and has expande ...

) *

– '' Gentleman's Pact'' (2008,

) *

– ''

Outer South ''Outer South'' is the fifth solo studio album by American musician Conor Oberst and the second to be credited to Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band. It is Oberst's first solo album to include songs written and sung by his bandmates. Nik Fre ...

'' (2009,

) *

– '' One of My Kind'' (2012,

) *Dead Fingers – ''Dead Fingers'' (2012,

) *Dead Fingers / Nik Freitas – ''Another Planet / A Million Ways'' Split 7" (2012, Affairs of the Heart) *SDX – ''Pawn and Gun'' (2013,

) *Dead Fingers – ''Big Black Dog'' (2014, Communicating Vessels)

Appearances

*Preston Lovinggood – ''Sun Song'' (2013) – Producer *\\GT// - ''Beats Misplaced'' (2015,

Rough Trade Records Rough Trade Records is an independent record label based in London, England. It was formed in 1976 by Geoff Travis who had opened a record store off Ladbroke Grove. Having successfully promoted and sold records by punk rock and early post-pun ...

) – Producer *''

'' (2019,

Dead Oceans Dead Oceans is an American independent record label formed in 2007 and based in Bloomington, Indiana, with offices in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Austin, London, Paris, Amsterdam, and Berlin. Dead Oceans is part of Secretly Group, which also ...

)

Television and film appearances

* Dog the Bounty Hunter – Taylor Hollingsworth – "I'm A Runaway (New Orleans)" *

Electrick Children ''Electrick Children'' is a 2012 American independent coming of age film written and directed by Rebecca Thomas and starring Julia Garner, Rory Culkin, and Liam Aiken. Garner plays Rachel, a 15-year-old girl from a fundamentalist Mormon commun ...

– Taylor Hollingsworth – "Damn Boy'' and "Keep Comin' Back"

TV Performances

The Tonight Show with Jay Leno ''The Tonight Show with Jay Leno'' is an American late-night talk show hosted by Jay Leno that first aired from May 25, 1992, to May 29, 2009. It resumed production on March 1, 2010 and ended on February 6, 2014. The fourth incarnation of the ...

–

– "Get Well Cards" (2008) *

The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson ''The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson'' is an American late-night talk show hosted by Scottish actor and comedian Craig Ferguson. This was the third iteration of the ''Late Late Show'' franchise, airing from January 3, 2005, to December 19, ...

–

– "Moab" (2008) *

Late Night with Conan O'Brien ''Late Night with Conan O'Brien'' is an American late-night talk show hosted by Conan O'Brien. NBC aired 2,725 episodes from September 13, 1993, to February 20, 2009. The show featured varied comedic material, celebrity interviews, and music ...

–

– "Nikorette" (2008) *

–

– "Cape Canaveral" (2008) *

Late Night with David Letterman ''Late Night with David Letterman'' is an American late-night talk show hosted by David Letterman on NBC, the first iteration of the ''Late Night'' franchise. It premiered on February 1, 1982, and was produced by Letterman's production company ...

–

– "Spoiled" (2009) *

–

ft.

and

– "Too Late to Fixate" (2017)

References

External links

Official Website

Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band

Taylor Hollingsworth at Team Love
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hollingsworth, Taylor 1980 births Living people American male singer-songwriters Musicians from Birmingham, Alabama Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band members 21st-century American singer-songwriters 21st-century American male singers Singer-songwriters from Alabama