Mike Taylor Remembered, Funeral Details Confirmed

Mike Taylor’s life and brilliant career will be saluted later this week with a gathering of friends and family in his homeland, the United States.

The experienced record label executive and A&R standout will be remembered with a ceremony this Saturday, Jan. 20 at St Lawrence O’Toole Church, in Brewster, New York.

Guests are invited to kick on for a party to celebrate Taylor’s life.

“After enduring a long illness, Michael Taylor passed away peacefully on Jan. 11, 2024, in Brewster, New York, surrounded by family and loved ones,” reads a message circulated by family members.

He was 54.

Mike Taylor

Born and raised in the U.S., Taylor made his home in Sydney where he enjoyed a 15-year run with Universal Music Australia, including stints as executive VP, A&R and founding general manager and head of UMA imprint, Island Records Australia.

The late executive was instrumental in growing the music major’s domestic roster, signing a long list of homegrown stars including Hilltop Hoods, Havana Brown, Baker Boy, Briggs, Clare Bowditch, Shane Nicholson, The McClymonts and Dean Lewis.

The music man had a fine set of ears. It was Taylor who A&R’d Delta Goodrem’s 2003 Sony Music release Innocent Eyes, one of the best-selling homegrown albums in Australian recorded music history.

As news of his passing spread, industry professionals remembered Taylor for his kind, good nature, and for his unshakeable support and belief in his people and projects. 

“One of the really good guys of the music industry who’s stamp will live on forever through the artists and music he helped create and nurture,” reads a social post from ex-Sony Music executive Craig Green.

Taylor “was a class act,” writes Stephen Barr, chief of Blood Makes Noise Management.

“Not only was Mike a great A&R man and music industry leader but also just a lovely guy,” adds Matt McQuade, CFO U.K. Europe & ROW at Soho House & Co and VP & CFO Asia at Crocs.

Prior to joining UMA in 2007, he served as head of A&R at Sony Music Australia and as senior director with the major’s Epic Music division, and ran the A&R activities for Madonna’s Maverick Recording Company before that.

When he announced his departure from UMA in September 2022, he revealed that he would do so for personal reasons and to dedicate more time to ongoing cancer treatments.

Taylor is survived by his wife Jenny and son Charlie. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Charlie Taylor’s college fund.