Chip Taylor, 'Wild Thing' songwriter, dead at 86

"In 1966, Taylor penned 'Wild Thing' for the garage-rock band the Troggs, which rocketed to No. 1 and kicked off a new mode for rock 'n' roll that favored grungier musicianship and more overt sexuality. 'That upstrum, there? You wouldn't play that if you were properly schooled,' he told the Independent in 2023. 'I did it because I didn't know any better. I ended up with this innocent energy.'"

"Jimi Hendrix famously performed the song at Monterey Pop in 1967 in a fever of sexual tension, making it an era-defining rock hit and Taylor's most famous tune. He also wrote 'Angel of the Morning,' popularized by Juice Newton and Merrilee Rush, and penned songs performed by Willie Nelson, Linda Ronstadt, Johnny Cash and Janis Joplin."

Chip Taylor, born James Wesley Voight, passed away at 86 in hospice care. He was known for writing the Troggs' hit 'Wild Thing,' which became a defining rock song. Taylor's music career began as a guitarist and songwriter, gaining recognition in the country music scene. He also wrote 'Angel of the Morning' and songs for various artists. In the 1980s, he shifted to gambling but later returned to music, collaborating with Carrie Rodriguez in the 2000s.

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