Crystal Taliefero
Taliefero performing in May 2007
Background information
Born (1963-01-05) January 5, 1963
Bourne, Massachusetts, US
Genres
Occupation(s)Musician
Instrument(s)
  • Percussion
  • saxophone
  • harmonica
  • vocals
  • guitar
  • drums
Years active1974–present
Websitecrystaltaliefero.com

Crystal Taliefero-Pratt (née Taliefero) is an American multi-instrumentalist and vocalist (born 5 January 1963).[1][2] Taliefero grew up with a musical family, performing rhythm and blues with her brother in the Chicago metropolitan area. During her college years she was discovered by John Mellencamp, who helped guide her to a career as a professional musician. Taliefero performed with several artists throughout the 1980s and 1990s. In 1989 she was hired as a studio musician for the Billy Joel Band, and she has been touring and recording with them ever since.

Early life

Born in Bourne, Massachusetts,[3] Taliefero spent most of her childhood in Hammond, Indiana.[4] By the age of 11 she had begun performing rhythm and blues around Hammond[5] and nearby Gary, Indiana, where her family moved two years later.[4] She joined her brother Charles in the singing group Black Mist (later renamed Magic Mist),[6] who performed in the Chicago area.[7]

Taliefero attended William A. Wirt High School[8] where she was a top athlete and graduated in 1981.[7] She studied music at Indiana University, eventually making the dean's list.[9][10] There, Taliefero was part of the Indiana University Soul Revue, Dr. James Mumford tutoring her.[11] She was a member of Delta Sigma Theta sorority.[7]

Career

In college Taliefero performed in a band called Kilo, which included other now-notable artists such as Saturday Night Live drummer Shawn Pelton, former Tonight Show bassist Robert Hurst, and trumpeter Chris Botti.[12] John Mellencamp's drummer Kenny Aronoff often sat in on drums, and in 1986 after hearing the first song of a live performance, Mellencamp invited Taliefero to join his touring band.[4][12] In a Spring 2011 interview, Taliefero credited her experience with Mellencamp as the fundamental training that "changed the whole course of [her] life".[4] In 1989, Mellencamp took time off as a musician to focus on painting. When asked, he lent Taliefero $3000, and with that she headed to New York City to pursue more musical opportunities.[4]

Two and a half months into living in New York, Taliefero received a phone call from a Mellencamp associate, asking her to play drums and sing for 1989's Storm Front, the upcoming album from Billy Joel.[4] After a successful audition, she was invited to join the Billy Joel Band, who she has been with ever since.[13] With time, Taliefero claimed the role as background vocal arranger, which she is credited with on 1993's River of Dreams.[4]

In 1991 Taliefero accompanied Bee Gees in their tour. A show in Europe needed an opening act, and they asked if she could perform some of her own material. She then formed a one-off band called Bonzai for the opening show which featured Pat Peterson, a Mellencamp backup singer, backed by the Bee Gees band.[4]

1992 saw Taliefero taking a lead role in Bruce Springsteen's extensive 107-date world tour, ending in June 1993.[14] The tour landed Taliefero a number of press hits. The New York Times music critic Jon Pareles described Taliefero as a "sassy female foil",[15] while Edna Gundersen of USA Today praised her performance alongside Springsteen. Taliefero's collaboration with Springsteen also includes a 1992 MTV Unplugged documentary performance.[4] However, Gary Graff, writing in the Detroit Free Press, lamented that Taliefero only played saxophone on "Born to Run" and missed longtime E Street Band saxophonist Clarence Clemons, who was not invited on the tour.[16]

Taliefero has performed with a wide range of other artists, including Faith Hill, Garth Brooks, Joe Cocker, Tina Arena, Bob Seger, Brooks & Dunn, Richie Sambora, Elton John, Enrique Iglesias, Natalie Merchant, Meat Loaf, and Michael McDonald.[17]

Musicianship

Taliefero's credits as a musician are chiefly as a vocalist and percussionist.[18] Instruments in her percussion kit include bongos, cabasa, mark tree, congas, cowbell, güiro, hand percussion, jam block, shaker, tambourine, timbales, triangle, Djembe, and wood block.[17] In addition, Taliefero is also quite accomplished on the guitar, keyboards, harmonica and saxophone, among other wind instruments.[18] She is known for her energetic stage performances.[12]

In its 2008 article "The 125-Plus People, Places and Things Ruling the Rock & Roll Universe", Rolling Stone magazine declared Taliefero the "Best Secret Weapon".[19]

Personal life

In 1986, Taliefero suffered a ruptured appendix while touring with Bob Seger. She was hospitalized for several weeks.[20]

Taliefero's goal is to establish the Taliefero Music Foundation that will inspire and shape young upcoming lives in the world of live entertainment.[7] As part of her purpose to inspire young musicians, she visited Central High School in East Chicago, Indiana (her home state), in 2009.[21]

Taliefero was awarded the Indiana University African-American Arts Institute's Herman C. Hudson Alumni Award on April 19, 2011.[22] In a congratulatory statement, Billy Joel noted that some of his songs would not have been written without her inspiration.[5]

Film and book collaborations

Taliefero has contributed narration, compositions and/or music to a range of child-oriented videos and audiobooks though the Weston Woods Studios division of Scholastic Corporation:[17]

  • Martin, Bill Jr. (1989). Chicka Chicka Boom Boom. Ehlert, Lois (illustrator); Taliefero, Crystal (narrator). ISBN 1-55924-577-8.
  • Lester, Julius. John Henry. Narrated by Jackson, Samuel L. and Taliefero, Crystal (June 1998 ed.). ISBN 0-7882-0086-0.
  • Ehlert, Lois (2007). Planting a Rainbow. Taliefero, Crystal (narrator). BNID 2000003675593.
  • Rappaport, Doreen (2002). Martin's Big Words. Collier, Bryan (illustrator); Duncan, Michael Clarke (narrator); Taliefero, Crystal (music). ISBN 1-60514-944-6.
  • Martin, Bill Jr. (2006). Chicka Chicka 1 2 3. Ehlert, Lois (illustrator); Taliefero, Crystal (narrator). ISBN 0-439-89629-0.
  • Ehlert, Lois (2007). Planting a Rainbow. Taliefero, Crystal (narrator). BNID 2000003675593.
  • Ehlert, Lois (2007). Waiting for Wings. Taliefero, Crystal (narrator). BNID 2000003675067.
  • Hamanaka, Sheila (2007). All the Colors of the Earth. Taliefero, Crystal (narrator). BNID 2000003674978.

Further reading

References

  1. ↑ "Facebook". www.facebook.com. Retrieved January 5, 2024.
  2. ↑ "HOME". CrystalTaliefero. Retrieved January 5, 2024.
  3. ↑ "Crystal Taliefero-Pratt". Sabian. Retrieved July 13, 2014.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Requet, Thad. "Former Band Member Spotlight: Crystal Taliefero-Pratt". johnmellencamp.com. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved July 13, 2014.
  5. 1 2 "IU honoring alumna and talented musician Crystal Taliefero-Pratt with Herman Hudson Alumni Award". Indiana University. Retrieved July 4, 2014.
  6. ↑ Poulton, Diane (September 17, 2013). "Ex-teacher devoted to music, family". The Times of Northwest Indiana. The Times Media Co. Retrieved July 4, 2014.
  7. 1 2 3 4 "Crystal Taliefero" (PDF). crystaltaliefero.com. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 14, 2014. Retrieved June 23, 2014.
  8. ↑ Poulton, Dianne (September 17, 2013). "Ex-teacher devoted to music, family". The Times of Northwest Indiana. Retrieved June 24, 2014.
  9. ↑ Greene, Andy (May 29, 2020). "Rock's Greatest Sidewoman on What Springsteen Taught Her, Why Billy Joel Is the Perfect Boss". Rolling Stone. Retrieved August 23, 2022.
  10. ↑ Kelper, Nicole (July 10, 2012). "The Beat Goes On". Nashville Arts: 38–39. Retrieved June 24, 2014.
  11. ↑ Rico, Damian (September 5, 2016). "Region multi-instrumentalist Crystal Taliefero to lead IU Soul Revue". nwitimes.com. Retrieved April 29, 2020.
  12. 1 2 3 Benarde, Scott (March 30, 1990). "Crystal Taliefero adds spice to Billy Joel's band". Ocala Star-Banner. Retrieved February 12, 2010.
  13. ↑ "12–12–12 Concert for Sandy Relief and Our Student Crystal". Dark Horse Institute. December 12, 2012. Retrieved June 24, 2014.
  14. ↑ Greene, Andy. "Bruce Springsteen, Billy Joel Form Supergroup for Obama in NYC". Rolling Stone. Retrieved July 14, 2014.
  15. ↑ Pareles, Jon (July 25, 1992). "Review/Rock; Springsteen, 42, Leans Toward Family Values". The New York Times. Retrieved July 14, 2014.
  16. ↑ Graff, Gary (2013). Burger, Jeff (ed.). Springsteen on Springsteen. Music Sales Group. p. 227. ISBN 978-0-857-12999-4.
  17. 1 2 3 "Crystal Taliefero". Latin Percussion. Archived from the original on October 9, 2014. Retrieved September 30, 2014.
  18. 1 2 "Crystal Taliefero - Credits". Allmusic. Retrieved September 30, 2014.
  19. ↑ Hiatt, Brian (2008). "Best Secret Weapon – Crystal Taliefero". rollingstone.com. Archived from the original on April 21, 2008. Retrieved February 20, 2010.
  20. ↑ Graff, Gary (August 29, 1986). "Seger's storm electrifies home crowd". freep.com. Archived from the original on June 6, 2011. Retrieved February 20, 2010.
  21. ↑ Watkins, John J. (2009). "Crystal Taliefero". The Times of Northwest Indiana. Retrieved February 20, 2010.
  22. ↑ "Crystal Taliefero-Prat". indianapolisrecorder.com. June 18, 2011. Retrieved June 19, 2011.
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