From the Archives: Musician and Gambler Chip Taylor

Why It Matters

Taylor’s journey shows how diversified talents and adaptive income streams can sustain creative careers through industry turbulence, inspiring musicians to blend art with alternative ventures.

Key Takeaways

• Chip Taylor swapped hit songwriting for full‑time horse‑track gambling.
• He analyzed horses’ foot angles to identify winning bets at Belmont.
• Label dispute in 1980 forced him to rely on gambling income.
• Family ties include Oscar‑winning actor brother and niece Angelina Jolie.
• After his mother’s death, he revived music, launching Train Wreck Records.

Summary

The archival interview revisits the eclectic life of Chip Taylor, the 1960s‑70s songwriter behind "Angel of the Morning" and "Wild Thing," who later became a professional gambler at New York’s Belmont Park. Taylor recounts how he learned to read a horse’s front‑foot angle, turning meticulous observation into a reliable source of income after a 1980 clash with his record label over a single he believed would be a hit.

He explains that gambling was never a hobby but a full‑time occupation that supplemented royalty earnings, allowing him to sustain a modest lifestyle while his music career stalled. The conversation also highlights his famous family: brother John Voight, an Academy‑Award‑winning actor, and niece Angelina Jolie, underscoring a lineage of artistic achievement.

A turning point arrived when his mother fell ill; Taylor returned to the guitar, writing songs for her and eventually re‑launching his recording career. He founded Train Wreck Records, issued three new albums—including the two‑disc "London Sessions Bootleg"—and enjoys renewed critical acclaim, even as a rap artist samples his classic.

Taylor’s story illustrates the resilience of a creator who navigated industry setbacks, leveraged an unlikely side hustle, and ultimately reclaimed his musical voice, offering a compelling blueprint for artists balancing passion with pragmatic survival.

Original Description

Songwriter and musician Chip Taylor, best known as the composer of such songs as “Wild Thing” and “Angel of the Morning,” died on March 23, 2026 at age 86. In this March 4, 2001 “Sunday Morning” profile, Taylor (birth name James Voight) talked with correspondent Rita Braver about how, despite his success, he left the music industry to concentrate on gambling – and then, how his family drew him back from the racetrack to music again. Braver also talks with Taylor’s brothers, actor Jon Voight and geologist Barry Voight, about their family bonds.

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