Dick Taylor

Richard Clifford Taylor (born 28 January 1943) is an English musician, best known as the guitarist and founding member of the Pretty Things.

Taylor was an early member of the Rolling Stones, playing guitar and bass guitar, but left the band to resume his studies at Sidcup Art College. While there he formed the Pretty Things in September 1963. As of 2017 he lived on the Isle of Wight, England. Currently, as of 2024, he plays lead guitar with a band called the Hillmans (the lead singer of the Hilllmans is Tony Minx, and the 'Hillmans' is a reference to the Hillman Minx).

Career
Taylor was born in Livingstone Hospital, Dartford, and attended Dartford Grammar School. In July 1962, while he was at Sidcup Art College, the Rolling Stones was formed when Taylor, Mick Jagger and Keith Richards' three-piece group Little Boy Blue and the Blue Boys joined Brian Jones and Ian Stewart's Rollin' Stones. Initially, Taylor played lead guitar in the band, but switched to bass to accommodate Jones. That November, Taylor left to return to art college. Taylor never recorded with the Rolling Stones, whose debut single was issued in June 1963.

In 1963, Taylor formed the Pretty Things with vocalist Phil May, and once again played his preferred guitar position. He left the Pretty Things in 1969, after the release of their concept album S.F. Sorrow. The band released a few more albums without Taylor and disbanded in 1976, but regrouped with Taylor in 1979 to release Cross Talk. Taylor remained with the Pretty Things until they broke up in 2018.

In addition to his work with the Pretty Things, Taylor co-produced Hawkwind's debut album, on which he also played guitar, as well as Cochise's first album and Skin Alley's first album. His contribution to punk rock was a recording by Auntie Pus. During the second half of the 1980s, Taylor played guitar with the English post-punk band the Mekons. He recorded with Andre Williams in Chicago for George Paulus' St. George Records.