Dallas Taylor (drummer)

Dallas Woodrow Taylor Jr. (April 7, 1948 – January 18, 2015) was an American session drummer who played on several rock records of the 1960s and 1970s.

Taylor was born in Denver but grew up in San Antonio, Texas.[1] He achieved some success first with 1960s band Clear Light,[2] but is best known as the drummer on Crosby, Stills and Nash's debut album,[3] Crosby, Stills & Nash (1969) and their follow-up with Neil Young, Déjà Vu (1970), and was given a front-sleeve credit along with Motown bassist Greg Reeves.[4]

As well as appearing on Stephen Stills's eponymous first solo album in 1970, his 1971 follow up Stephen Stills 2, and the supporting tour with the Memphis Horns, Taylor was the drummer for Stills's group Manassas[5] in 1972 and 1973. He also appeared on Stills's 1975 solo album Stills. In 1974 he played with Van Morrison at the 1974 Montreux Jazz Festival in a quartet along with keyboardist Pete Wingfield and bassist Jerome Rimson, a performance issued on the 2006 DVD, Live at Montreux 1980/1974. He briefly appeared again in the mid 1970s, drumming for Paul Butterfield's touring band.

He also appeared on Graham Nash's 1971 debut Songs For Beginners, and played percussion on the Byrds, 1973 reunion album Byrds, further connecting him to CSNY.

On January 18, 1970, at The Doors 2nd set, Taylor sat on drums, playing "Going To New York Blues" and "Maggie M'Gill". The entire show was released on a 6-CD Box Set, called "Live In New York". In January 1979, he reunited with Stills to perform a 4 date residency at The Roxy, this was professionally recorded.

Taylor died on January 18, 2015, of complications from viral pneumonia and kidney disease, aged 66.[6][7]