Ellis Taylor

Ellis Taylor (born February 4, 1931, Kansas City, Missouri, USA - died January 25, 2006, Kansas City, Missouri) was a soul music songwriter and producer. After a stint in the Navy, he founded Taylor's T.V. Service & Sales in Kansas City and spent time doing technical work and filling in on black radio station KPRS. Through a KPRS radio personality contact, he found his way into music production and financing, producing tracks for the Idols, The Derbys, and [a=Leroy Harris (4)]. In 1966 and 1967, he began the initial work of founding his own record label, Forte Records (2) and publisher Cleanteen Music. Five songs were recorded in Chicago's RCA Studios in 1967 by Kansas City group The Rayons and [a=Leroy Harris (4)], representing the first two singles (the fifth track went unreleased and the artist is unknown). In 1970, he reissued [r4924013], originally released on Marva Whitney's MJC Records (4) and after a brief courtship, they married in August 1970. Throughout the late '60s and mid '70s several of his artists and recordings saw issues on bigger labels such as Decca, Swan, Excello, and Paula - but the overall success of the label was debatable, being a constant quest to find a hit. A handful of 45s saw release throughout the 1970s, including three by Marva Whitney credited in different ways. In 1977, Marva and Ellis separated and Forte Records (2) saw only two more 45 releases, both in 1980. Seven years after Taylor's passing, MJC Records (4) would release the complete Forte Records (2) collection on [r4751401].