Vernon Taylor obit

Vernon Walton Alderton

 

He was not on the list.

Vernon Taylor, a rockabilly pioneer whose career spanned Dot Records, Sun Records and a decades-later comeback, has died at 88. Born Walton Alderton on November 9, 1937, he passed away on July 12, 2026.

Taylor grew up in a Baptist family, the youngest of 4 children. His family moved to Spencerville, Maryland when he was 11, and it was there that he learned to play guitar. By 15, he’d formed his first band, The Nighthawks, with two high school classmates, and by 1956 the group had grown into a 5-piece outfit.

The Nighthawks got their first big break while still in high school, playing between sets for Curley Smith, who later joined the rock band Boston. The group went on to host an hour-long Saturday night TV show on WTTG channel 5 out of Washington, D.C., running from 1957 to 1960. During that stretch, Taylor signed with Dot Records in 1957, releasing 2 singles, “Losing Game”/”I’ve Got the Blues” and “Why Must You Leave Me,” neither of which found commercial success, leading Dot to cancel his contract.

Taylor’s fortunes shifted when Sun Records founder Sam Phillips spotted him performing on American Bandstand. He signed with Sun and recorded “Today Is A Blue Day”/”Breeze” on October 27, 1958, followed by a second single in August 1959. When neither track broke through, Taylor stepped away from music entirely, turning his focus to family and a career in business.

Music found him again in 1989, when he returned to the stage at a benefit concert for Charlie Feathers, sparking a full comeback. He went on to perform throughout the United Kingdom, and his Sun and Dot recordings were reissued through Germany’s Eagle Records. In 1999, Run Wild Records released ‘Daddy’s Rockin”, a 12-song collection of newly recorded material.

Discography:

1957 — “I’ve Got The Blues” / “Losing Game” — Dot Records

1958 — “Why Must You Leave Me” / “Satisfaction Guaranteed” — Dot Records

1958 — “Today Is A Blue Day” / “Breeze” — Sun Records

1959 — “Mystery Train” / “Sweet and Easy Love” — Sun Records