Theodore Taylor (born on 16 February 1934 in Okmulgee, Oklahoma), also known as Ivory Lucky, began his musical journey in the early 1950s after moving to California, where he joined the Mighty Clouds of Joy gospel group before becoming a tenor with the Santa Monica Soul Seekers. In 1955 the group secured a recording deal with Modern Records, and he led the vocals on "Do You Wanna Rock (Hey Little Girl)" and "I Cry" for the Cadets. His first solo releases appeared in 1957 on Melatone Records under the pseudonym Ivory Lucky. His career gained momentum in the early 1960s with the single "Stay Away From My Baby" (Okeh, 1965), which reached Number Fourteen on the Billboard R&B chart and Number 99 on the pop chart, marking his sole national pop entry. He issued several studio albums during this period, including "Be Ever Wonderful" (Okeh, 1963), "Blues & Soul" (Okeh, 1965), and Ted Taylor’s Greatest Hits (Okeh, 1966). Subsequent releases on Ronn (e.g., You Can Dig It! 1970, Taylor Made 1972) produced further R&B charting singles such as "It's Too Late" (1969) and "Steal Away" (1976). He continued to record independently on his Solpugids and SPG labels until his death in a car crash in Lake Charles, Louisiana, on 23 October 1987. His work has been sampled by contemporary hip‑hop artists, cementing his lasting influence on the genre.
