R&B Group Vocalist Battle #9: J.T. Taylor (Kool and The Gang) vs. Big Bub (Today)

J.T. Taylor (Kool & The Game)

Career

Before his rise to fame, Taylor was a schoolteacher and amateur night club singer. When he was 13 years old, he and his friends started their own band. He joined Kool & The Gang in 1978 and became the band's lead singer in 1979.

Together, they released the album Ladies' Night. Taylor helped the singles "Too Hot" and "Ladies' Night" reach gold and platinum status. The group's change to a pop sound was raised by producer Eumir Deodato, who, starting with Ladies' Night, produced the group's next four platinum and gold albums, between 1979 and 1982. With the help of Deodato, the group's next album, Celebrate!, became one of the biggest hits of their career. In 1988, he separated amicably from Kool & The Gang to pursue a solo career.

As a solo artist, Taylor has released four solo albums to date. Signing with MCA Records, he started his solo career and released his debut album Master of the Game in 1989. Taylor had a hit with his first solo single: a duet with Regina Belle entitled "All I Want Is Forever." Two singles from that album, "Sister Rosa" and "8 Days a Week," got substantial airplay. He completed his second solo album, Feel the Need, in 1991, and two songs from that album, "Long Hot Summer Night" and his duet with Stephanie Mills, "Heart to Heart," were minor hits. After that he also released Baby I'm Back.

During the mid-1990s, Taylor made both his Hollywood and Broadway acting debuts in The Mambo Kings and Raisin, respectively. Taylor returned to Kool & The Gang in 1995. However, Taylor is not to be found on Kool and the Gang's latest release, Still Kool (2007).

Taylor released his fourth solo album, A Brand New Me," in 2000.

Taylor has been touring worldwide since 1990. In 2008 he released a single, "Winner," as an homage to then-Presidential candidate Barack Obama. Taylor is currently working on a new CD to be released in 2009.

Big Bub (Today)

Lee 'Big Bub' Drakeford got his start with the New Jersey based quartet Today. When the group split in the early 1990s, Drakeford assumed the name Big Bub and began his solo career.

Big Bub released his debut album, Comin' At Cha in 1992 and scored minor hits with 'I Don't Mind' and 'Tellin Me Stories.' 'I Don't Mind' reached #22 on the R&B charts and 'Tellin Me Stories' reached #27.

He released his follow-up album, Timeless, in 1997. The album featured Big Bub's only track to appear on the Hot 100 as 'Need Your Love' reached #70 and #26 on the R&B charts.

His third album, Never Too Late, was released in 2000.

In 2008, Big Bub returned with his 2 CD set Tug Of War. The album was aimed to show a clash between singing for the lord and singing for the devil. One disc is gospel music while the other features classic R&B.