James Taylor

The epitome of the sensitive singer-songwriter in the 1970s, James Taylor's warm, introspective music soothed a generation of listeners worn down by the turmoil of the 1960s, who longed for the simple joys of his best songs like "Carolina in My Mind," "Fire and Rain," "Shower the People" and "How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You)." The 1990s and 2000s saw a major return to form with Grammy-winning albums and a lucrative reunion with Carole King, who had penned his No. 1 hit, "You've Got a Friend." Throughout his career, Taylor's graceful voice and presence, and his unerring ability to strike an emotional chord through his music, not only went untouched but gained strength, gravity and undeniable beauty over the course of his four-decade career.