Meet Taylor John Williams!
Dignified Pet Services presents 'People in the Neighborhood'
Taylor John Williams performs at 105.1 The Buzz's Deck The Hall Ball
Taylor John Williams has been given less than 24 hours to soak in the watery sunshine and fresh air of home between performances and interviews, and then he’ll be on a plane to L.A.
Still, he’s happy to be back in his hometown, even for such a short time.
“There’s something about Portland specifically that I love so much that I feel has brought out so much in me,” he says. “I miss the fresh air. Being here feels literally good for you, you know what I mean?”
Hopefully he’ll be able to inhale enough to get him through the next week, when he competes as one of the Top 5 finalists on the NBC’s singing competition "The Voice." At the moment though, he’s just trying not to fall asleep in the cushy chair where he's sitting to yet another Q&A before playing 105.1 The Buzz's Deck The Hall Ball.
It's worlds away from the life he was living just a few months ago, when he serenaded canines at Portland's Sniff Dog Hotel. He got to spend a little time at his former workplace earlier today, as part of one of those "going home" packages the show does with each finalist. He’s also staying connected to Sniff—and his love of dogs—through a fundraising effort for Portland’s PAW Team.
“Once the show kicked off, Sniff was getting blown up with requests for T-shirts, and they contacted me and said we should do something cool with this,” Taylor explains. “So we got together and researched some different non-profits and charities and PAW Team was perfect. They hit two really big places in my heart, which is animals and the homeless situation here.”
The nice-looking “Team Taylor” Ts can be purchased for $20 at the Sniff Dog Hotel website, and all of the money from sales goes to the organization, which provides veterinary care for the pets of the homeless and those on assistance.
“It’s an incredible thing they do,” Taylor says.
Originally from Eugene, the tall, lanky singer-songwriter says pets have always been an important part of his life. “I’ve pretty much always had a dog. There’s something really mysterious to me about dogs specifically. It’s like music—music makes you feel good. [It’s the] same thing with dogs. It’s this rare kind of interaction we don’t have with any other living thing.”
Currently, Taylor enjoys that interaction with his two Boston Terriers Beyonce and Anderson Cooper. They share his Northwest Portland home along with his girlfriend, who Taylor says has been handling his lightning-bolt fame very well.
“She’s definitely thrilled and has been incredibly supportive through this. I mean, this is a lot on my plate.”
Thoughtful and soft-spoken, Taylor is also candid about the fact that this is all new territory for him and that he’s learning on the fly—especially when it comes to being in a big, blinding national spotlight. What’s the weirdest thing that’s happened to him as a result of being on the show?
Beyonce and Anderson Cooper
“Dude it’s all weird,” he laughs. “There’s nothing about this that makes any sense. But that’s cool. I feel myself growing and experiencing this sort of music industry boot camp.”
And it looks like liberty is over as his handlers from The Voice pull him away for a sound check, making it impossible for the singer to squeeze in his rendition of “People In The Neighborhood”. But it’s all good—you can catch Taylor’s sweet, bluesy tenor on NBC’s The Voice tonight at 8pm. Don’t forget to vote!
About our Sponsor
Dignified Pet Services has served the Portland-area community for 13 years. In addition to their core business of cremation and memorial services, Dignified co-sponsors the beloved annual Service of Remembrance at The Old Church in downtown Portland, as well as serving as wonderful supporters and friends of pets and those working in animal welfare. Proprietors Michael, Randy and Avani live in Sherwood.
Michele Coppola is a Portland-based air personality for 99.5 The Wolf and copywriter for Entercom Radio. When she's not talking, writing, or pursuing quality couch time with husband Bryon and their dogs, Cindy and Lucy, she's also a proud volunteer for Fences for Fido and Family Dogs New Life Shelter.