Goin’ to Carolina in my mind — James Taylor’s roots run deep in Chapel Hill

COMMUNITY NEWS

It’s hard to cross the James Taylor Bridge on a steamy July day and not get nostalgic for the music James Taylor created, knowing that much of it was based on his childhood in what was then the sleepy Southern town of Chapel Hill. “You know I can feel it on a country road…” James would tell us.

The acclaimed singer-songwriter James Taylor has a long history in Chapel Hill. Taylor, who spent some of his formative years here, has maintained strong ties over the decades. Some may not know his connection. So take a walk down a country road and, for a few minutes…can’t feel the sunshine? Now can’t you just feel the moonshine?

Sweet Baby James, James Taylor’s first album

Singer-songwriter James Taylor was born in Boston, in 1948 to Gertrude and Isaac Taylor. Taylor’s family moved to Chapel Hill when he was three years old. Taylor grew up playing music with his four siblings, Alex, Kate, Livingston, and Hugh, according to information from the Chapel Hill Visitors’ Center, where Taylor recorded a welcome video about his life in Chapel Hill in March 2022.

James Taylor’s relationship with his parents was complex and sometimes challenging. His father, Isaac, a professor and Dean of the UNC Medical School, often traveled for work. Taylor’s mother, Gertrude Woodward Taylor, suffered from depression and was often hospitalized during his childhood.

Despite these challenges, Taylor’s resilience shines through. He speaks about feeling distant from his father and seeking solace in music. He credits his mother with introducing him to music and has written songs about his father, including “Walking Man” and “Copperline.”

In one of his most candid interviews in 2013, James Taylor told Rolling Stone magazine that he could describe his life in 15 songs. His songs describe his addiction, his often absent father, the love of his life, and the time he spent in Chapel Hill.

Taylor has also spoken about moments of closeness and connection with his parents: “The song ‘Carolina in my Mind’ pays homage to Chapel Hill and my family. Those lyrics never fail to take me back and reconnect me to the Carolina Piedmont landscape and to the peace and quiet that allowed me to grow as a young artist,” Taylor said in his video.

Taylor went to primary school at Glenwood Elementary School and then attended Phillips Middle School, which was then known as Chapel Hill Junior High School. He graduated from Chapel Hill High School in 1966. During his teenage years, he played in various bands, including The Corsayers, with a popular local following.

So, next time drive as slowly as you can over the James Taylor bridge. You just may hear the hint of “Carolina in my mind.”

James Taylor left his initials carved on his former home in the Morgan Creek neighborhood.

James Taylor’s childhood home in Morgan Creek

His childhood home, located at 618 Morgan Creek Rd. on 25 acres in the Morgan Creek neighborhood of Chapel Hill, still stands and has been renovated and restored. According to Mansion Global by Kate Thompson of the Wall Street Journal, its current owners bought the rundown 3,172-square-foot home for $1.66 million and put $2 million into renovating the 1950s wood-and-glass Midcentury Modern Home.

After graduating from high school, Taylor briefly attended UNC-Chapel Hill before dropping out to pursue his music career. James Taylor has spoken openly about his struggles with drug addiction during his early years as a musician, including his time in New York City during the late 1960s. However, there is little evidence to suggest that his drug problems began in Chapel Hill. In fact, Taylor has often spoken fondly of his childhood in Chapel Hill and its positive influence on his life. His experiences in Chapel Hill have shaped him into the successful musician he is today, and he often credits the town for his resilience and determination.

He moved to New York City in the late 1960s and eventually signed a recording contract with Apple Records, the label owned by The Beatles. Throughout the 1970s, Taylor became one of the most popular and successful singer-songwriters in the world, releasing hits like “Fire and Rain,” “Carolina in My Mind,” and “Sweet Baby James.”

Despite his global success, Taylor has never forgotten his Chapel Hill roots. He has returned to the area numerous times throughout his career and even wrote a song called “Copperline,” which references his childhood memories of the town. In 1998, Taylor was awarded an honorary degree from UNC-Chapel Hill in recognition of his contributions to music.

The Bridge

The James Taylor Bridge in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, was named in honor of James Taylor. The bridge, a symbol of Taylor’s influence and connection to the town, is located adjacent to N.C. Highway 54, which runs past the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill campus and connects the town to nearby areas.

The naming of the James Taylor Bridge came about in the mid-90s, when officials in Chapel Hill were looking for ways to recognize Taylor’s contributions to music and his ties to the town. This act of recognition was not just a tribute to Taylor, but also a reflection of the town’s values of inclusivity and diversity. During this time, there was also a push to rename the Dixie Highway, a major thoroughfare in the southeast that had connections to the Confederacy and was seen as a symbol of racism and divisive history. Community leaders proposed renaming the Dixie Highway after James Taylor to recognize his local roots and send a powerful message about the town’s values of inclusivity and diversity.

While the proposal to rename the Dixie Highway ultimately did not come to fruition due to various legal and logistical challenges, Chapel Hill officials decided to name the bridge after James Taylor instead. In 1999, the James Taylor Bridge was officially dedicated in a ceremony attended by the singer-songwriter, local officials, such as then-Mayor Pam Hemminger and community members.

The James Taylor Bridge remains an important landmark in Chapel Hill, recognizing the town’s connection to the singer-songwriter and his impact on music and culture.

Ten years after the bridge’s dedication, James Taylor wrote on Facebook: “I have indeed crossed over the ‘bridge’ which I am so flattered to know, bears my name. Morgan Creek and environs are the physical landscape of my fondest early memories, and I delight in the connection that the good people of Orange Co. have established….a proud, James Taylor.”

According to the Wall St. Journal article, on a return trip to Chapel Hill, Taylor was distressed to see his old neighborhood and lamented the overdevelopment that had changed the area. “I tried to go back, as if I could, all spec houses and plywood, tore up and tore up good, down on Copperline,” the song goes.

If you decide to take a walk across the James Taylor Bridge, you might not find the peace and quiet he remembered around Morgan Creek as the sound of cars whiz past, and much of the acreage Taylor used to hike and play in is being developed.

So instead, take a walk along the Morgan Creek trail with “You Can Close Your Eyes” in your earbuds, pick a spot to sit, and “stay as long as you like.” You will get a feel for the place that inspired this singer/songwriter so many years ago.

“I don’t know no love songs, and I can’t sing the blues anymore. But I can sing this song, and you can sing this song when I’m gone.” Yes, we can, James. Thank you for the sweet memories.

Michelle Cassell is a seasoned reporter who has covered everything from crime to hurricanes and local politics to human interest over the course of 35 years. As managing editor, she hopes to encourage writers of a wide range of backgrounds and interests in TLR’s coverage of Southern Orange County news.
This reporter can be reached at Info@TheLocalReporter.press