Robert Taylor, the former guitarist of the New Zealand-formed band Dragon, has passed away at the age of 74.
In a statement posted on social media, Dragon drummer Kerry Jacobson announced the news.
“I’m writing to share the unexpected and devastating news of the passing of my mentor, my partner in crime for some of the best times, my musical comrade through the hardest of times and my dear friend of decades…the irreplacable Robert Taylor,” the statement reads.
“Many admired his songwriting and his musical talent and, after all these years people would still speak to me with great reverence of his talent and contribution to Australian music. I admired his loyalty, I treasured his mateship, I valued his consistency and I absolutely loved it when often the phone would ring and he was up for a chat. He had a dry wit, was a keen observer and had a memory like a razor but mostly he was just one of the good ones. That’s what has stuck in my head today “he was one of the good ones” and I think that sums it up. I will miss him terribly.”
Taylor joined Dragon in 1974 after the breakup of Wellington outfit, Mammal.
Taylor featured on some of the Sydney-based group’s biggest hits, including April Sun in Cuba and Are You Old Enough. His first album feature came with 1977’s Sunshine. He would go on to appear on Running Free that same year and O Zambezi in 1978.
Though he did depart the band some time after, Taylor joined Dragon on stage at the 2008 ARIA Awards where they were inducted into the Hall of Fame.
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“On the recording of the band’s big hit ‘April Sun in Cuba’ – written by keyboardist Paul Hewson on a broken guitar – it is Taylor who plays the chunky two chords on which the song is based,” music library website AudioCulture states.
