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James Taylor narrates life before fame and sings American standards on new album

The title of James Taylor's audio memoir Break Shot refers to the first shot in a game of pool when order is suddenly broken. 'That seemed like an apt metaphor for what happened to my family,' he says.
The title of James Taylor's audio memoir Break Shot refers to the first shot in a game of pool when order is suddenly broken. 'That seemed like an apt metaphor for what happened to my family,' he says.Norman Seeff
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by Ned Wharton and Lulu Garcia-Navarro

February 09, 2020

James Taylor has been a household name for a long time now. Taylor was just 20-years-old when he released his self-titled debut in 1968; in the half century since then, he has sold over 100 million albums and cemented his status as one of the most successful American singer-songwriters.

But in Break Shot: My First 21 Years, his audio memoir on Audible, Taylor narrates his life before fame — including details of his struggle with drugs, alcohol addiction and time in psychiatric institutions. Taylor is also looking back with American Standard, a new album that revives the American Songbook tunes of his childhood.

NPR's Lulu Garcia-Navarro spoke with Taylor about revisiting his fraught early memories, dealing with fame at an early age and his connection to The Beatles. Listen to their conversation in the player above and read on for highlights from the interview -- including a few audio excerpts from Break Shot.

Interview Highlights

Copyright 2020 NPR. To see more, visit www.npr.org.

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