Died On This Date (June 30, 2009) David Taylor / Lead Singer of ’80s Metal Band, Drive
themusicsover David Taylor
December 5, 1964 – June 30, 2009
David Taylor was the lead vocalist for ’80s hard rock band, Drive. Formed in Houston, Texas by Rick Chavez and Mercy Valdez, Drive soon found their voice in a young David Taylor, just barely out of his teens. In the mid ’80s, the band moved to Los Angeles, which was quickly becoming the epicenter of the ’80s metal scene. Winning a radio contest with their song “I Need The Nights,” Drive landed on the Best Of The West compilation that was released on Rampage Records. Rampage soon signed the band, and in July of 1988, released their debut, Characters In Time. The album received tremendous reviews from the industry’s top hard rock press, including the coveted 5 “K” rating from Kerrang magazine. The album also received solid airplay from hard rock stations around the country, including Los Angeles powerhouse, KNAC. What separated Drive from the “hair” bands of the Sunset Strip, was their intelligent lyrics, intricate musicianship, and of course, Taylor’s supurb voice that fell somewhere between Ronnie James Dio and Queensryche’s Geoff Tate. And what endeared them to true metal critics and fans alike was that they were more akin to Iron Maiden and Judas Priest than most of the L.A. bands that were coming up at the time. Characters In Time was followed by the more mature and sonically advanced, Diablero on Zoo Records. Unfortunately, a shake-up at the label along with the dawn of the metal-killing “grunge” scene, left the album without much of a push, so the band’s recording career ended as the band members moved back to Texas, where Taylor was living in recent years. While driving along a San Antonio interstate on June 25, 2009, Taylor apparently lost control of his vehicle after a tire came off, causing him to crash. He was airlifted to an area hospital where he died of his injuries five days later. He was 44.
More photos of David Taylor and Drive can be found at
davidtaylormemorial.blogspot.com
Richard “Pistol” Allen was a drummer for Motown’s Funk Brothers, the acclaimed session band the provided the sound for many of the greatest songs in American history. His shuffle style drumming could be heard on such classics as the Supremes’ “Baby Love,” 
