Livingston Taylor & Loudon Wainwright III
Livingston Taylor’s career as a professional musician has spanned over 50 years, encompassing performance, songwriting, and teaching. Described as "equal parts Mark Twain, college professor, and musical icon, Livingston maintains a performance schedule of more than a hundred shows a year, delighting audiences with his charm and vast repertoire of his 22 albums and popular classics. Livingston has written top-40 hits recorded by his brother James Taylor and has appeared with Joni Mitchell, Linda Ronstadt, Fleetwood Mac, and Jimmy Buffet. He is equally at home with a range of musical genres - folk, pop, gospel, jazz - and from upbeat storytelling and touching ballads to full orchestra performances. In addition to his performance schedule, Livingston has taught stage performance for over 30 years, beginning at Berklee College of Music in Boston in 1989, passing on the extensive knowledge gained from his long career on the road to the next generation of musicians. Liv is an airplane-flying, motorcycle-riding, singing storyteller, delighting audiences with his charm for over 50 years.
Loudon Wainwright III (father of Martha and Rufus) is an American singer-songwriter and occasional actor. He has released twenty-six studio albums, four live albums, and six compilations. Some of his best-known songs include "The Swimming Song", "Motel Blues", "The Man Who Couldn't Cry", "Dead Skunk", and "Lullaby."
Livingston Taylor picked up his first guitar at the age of 13, which began a more than 50-year career that has encompassed performance, songwriting, and teaching. Born in Boston and raised in North Carolina, Livingston is the fourth child in a very musical family that includes Alex, James, Kate, and Hugh. Livingston recorded his first record at the age of 19 and has continued to create beautifully crafted, introspective,original songs as well as sparkling interpretations of the classic songbook that have earned him enthusiastic listeners worldwide.
From top 40 hits “Carolina Day,” “Get out of Bed,” “I Will Be in Love with You” and “I’ll Come Running,” to “I Can Dream of You” and “Boatman,”( the last two recorded by his brother James), Livingston’s creative output has continued unabated. His musical knowledge has inspired a varied repertoire, and he is equally at home with a range of musical genres—folk, pop, gospel, jazz. You can also find Livingston performing with a full symphony orchestra.
Livingston has never stopped performing since his early coffeehouse days, touring with major artists such as Joni Mitchell, Linda Ronstadt, Fleetwood Mac, Jimmy Buffett, and Jethro Tull. He maintains a busy concert schedule, touring both nationally and internationally. Livingston is a natural performer, peppering his shows with personal stories, anecdotes and ineffable warmth that connect him to his fans. His relaxed on-stage presence belies the depth of his musical knowledge, and fans might just as often be treated to a classic Gershwin or a favorite from a Broadway musical.
For over three decades, Livingston taught at the Berklee College of Music where he created a course on Stage Performance.Former students include Charlie Puth, Liz Longely, John Mayer, Molly Tuttle,Gavin McGraw, Susan Tedesci, Matt Cusson, Grace Kelly, Clay Cook, and Betty Who. Livingston now takes his course “ on the road” and teaches at a variety of colleges and institutions,including the Frost School of Music at the University of Miami, NASA’s Goddard Space Center, and Tulane Law School among others. His book, Stage Performance, based on his course and 50+ years (5,000+ hours) of real and practical on stage time has become the go to book for those interested in elevating their presentation and performance standards from good to downright to professional.
Livingston's 50th year of making music was celebrated by Boston Mayor Marty Walsh and Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker, both declaring January 18, 2017 "Livingston Taylor Day".
"Livingston Taylor: Life is Good,” a documentary feature film directed by Tracy Anarella was released in 2018 at national and international film festivals, garnering awards, nominations, and accolades, including The Van Gogh Award for Feature Documentary at the Amsterdam International Film Festival. The film is currently available to the public on Amazon. Click here to watch the trailer.
Released in 2019, "LIVe - 50 Years of Livingston Taylor Live" is a box set featuring 87 never released recordings from 1969 through 2016 as well as a 54-page commemorative photo book with notes and stories from Livingston; a treasure for life-long Livingston Taylor fans and live music enthusiasts. Best of LIVe, also released in 2019 features 11 songs from the box set and upon release ranked in the top 10, with his song “Good Friends” hitting #2 on the Folk DJ chart.
Also in 2019, American Public television filmed and released “Livingston Taylor Live from Sellersville Theater: Songs and Stories" which broadcast across PBS stations nationally and featured Matt Cusson and Chelsea Berry, both former students and touring musicians. Click here to watch the trailer.
Taking the Stage Performance class he has taught for 40 years and adapting it for online learning in 2022, Livingston partnered with True Fire, the premier online learning site for musicians to create “The Livingston Taylor Playbook”, a 5 hour masterclass. Similar to his classroom teachings, the course is ideal for those wanting to learn at an independant pace. Click here for link to Truefire.
On June 23, 2023, Liv recorded with the 58 piece BBC Concert Orchestra at the Maida Vale BBC Studio in London. All four of the sessions and songs were videotaped. Click here to watch the trailer. Starting in 2024, Liv will be taking his BBC Concert Orchestra music out to a live audience, performing with symphony orchestras all over the country. Liv's tuxedo is always ready; he comes with musical charts brilliantly written by Tony Award winning Broadway and Hollywood composer, Bill Elliott Music.
