Mike Taylor (guitarist)

Michael C. Taylor (July 21, 1948 – September 5, 2010) was an American

Taylor rose quickly in the music world, serving as lead guitarist for Joni Mitchell and similar artists, all before his 21st birthday. Herb Metoyer was one of his early influences and mentors.^[2]

He joined

Taylor was given songwriting and performing credit for this John Denver hit, which is one of the two state songs of Colorado. In an interview, Denver said of the song's creation "Mike sat down and showed me this guitar lick and suddenly the whole thing came together. It was just what the piece needed. When I realized what I had — another anthem, maybe; a true expression of one's self, maybe — we changed the sequencing of the album we'd just completed, and then we changed the album title."^[4]

Historian, archaeologist and preservationist

In the early 1970s, he moved to

In 2002, Taylor was named Executive Director of the South Carolina Battleground Preservation Trust. Among the many accomplishments during his tenure were the preservation of Battery White, a Civil War Confederate fortification near Georgetown; and the confirmation and preservation of Fort Pemberton, a Confederate site on James Island.^[1]

Taylor died on September 5, 2010, in Hilton Head, South Carolina at age 62.^[1]

References

External links

• Coastal Discovery Museum
• South Carolina Battleground Preservation Trust