Musician. A native of Washington, DC, he was the lead guitar player for the Rock ‘n’ Roll Rival Group Sha Na Na. Born Christopher Hempstead Donald in San Salvador, Bahamas, his father, Christopher Sr., worked for the U.S. State Department as a Foreign Service Officer. Taking up the guitar as a boy, he played with various “surf bands” before joining Sha Na Na in February of 1971, where he replaced lead guitarist Larry "Israel" Packer. He was with the group for their two biggest records, the 1973 double album, The Golden Age Of Rock 'n' Roll, which became a certified Gold Record, and Hot Sox, which was released in early 1974. Known for his slick playing style and cool on stage demeanor, he was always seen wearing his trade mark aviator sunglasses, both on stage and off. On April 19, 1974, the band played a concert at University Hall at the University of Virginia as part of a promotional tour to coincide with the release of their album Hot Sox. After the show, Taylor retired to his motel room where he was later found dead from what authorities would later confirm as an accidental heroin overdose. Taylor, who was only 25 at the time of his passing, was survived by his parents and wife Paula.
Musician. A native of Washington, DC, he was the lead guitar player for the Rock ‘n’ Roll Rival Group Sha Na Na. Born Christopher Hempstead Donald in San Salvador, Bahamas, his father, Christopher Sr., worked for the U.S. State Department as a Foreign Service Officer. Taking up the guitar as a boy, he played with various “surf bands” before joining Sha Na Na in February of 1971, where he replaced lead guitarist Larry "Israel" Packer. He was with the group for their two biggest records, the 1973 double album, The Golden Age Of Rock 'n' Roll, which became a certified Gold Record, and Hot Sox, which was released in early 1974. Known for his slick playing style and cool on stage demeanor, he was always seen wearing his trade mark aviator sunglasses, both on stage and off. On April 19, 1974, the band played a concert at University Hall at the University of Virginia as part of a promotional tour to coincide with the release of their album Hot Sox. After the show, Taylor retired to his motel room where he was later found dead from what authorities would later confirm as an accidental heroin overdose. Taylor, who was only 25 at the time of his passing, was survived by his parents and wife Paula.
Bio by: Frank Russo
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