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Photo of Koko Taylor

Photo: Sumori / CC BY-SA 3.0 (source: Wikimedia Commons)

Koko Taylor

American composer

September 28, 1928 – June 3, 2009 · Memphis, Tennessee, United States

  • Tennessee
  • composer
  • singer
  • musician

Koko Taylor was a composer, singer and musician. Koko Taylor was born on September 28, 1928 in Memphis, Tennessee, United States. Death is recorded on June 3, 2009, at the age of 80.

My Take

Koko Taylor is the kind of artist who makes me believe the blues is survival set to music. Born Cora Ann Walton in Memphis, she earned the title Queen of the Blues not through polish but through that gravel-edged, room-shaking voice. I love that her power was the opposite of prettiness; it carried the weight of a hard life lived out loud. When she passed in 2009, the genre lost one of its most authentic forces. For me, she remains proof that the most moving singing is not technically perfect but emotionally fearless, and Taylor was nothing if not fearless.

1. Profile

Name (English)
Koko Taylor
Name (Japanese)
ココ・テイラー
Reading
ここ・ていらー
Born
September 28, 1928 – June 3, 2009
Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
Libra / Dragon
Origin
Memphis, Tennessee, United States
Occupation
composer / singer / musician

3. About this entry

Tags

  • Tennessee
  • composer
  • singer
  • musician
Last updated
2026-06-24

Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public or unconfirmed items are omitted. English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.

Frequently asked questions

When was Koko Taylor born?

Born September 28, 1928.

When did Koko Taylor die?

Died June 3, 2009, aged 80.

Where was Koko Taylor from?

Koko Taylor was from Memphis, Tennessee, United States.

What did Koko Taylor do?

Koko Taylor worked as composer, singer, musician.

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