Dick Taylor
He walked away from the Rolling Stones to found the Pretty Things, a band that pioneered a raw, proto-punk sound that influenced generations.
Born 1943 (age 83)·English musician·Birthday: January 28·The Silent Generation
Biography
Dick Taylor's story is one of rock and roll's great 'what ifs' and a testament to following a singular artistic vision. As a school friend of Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, he was the original bassist for the embryonic Rolling Stones, even playing on their first demo. But the pull of art school and a different musical direction proved stronger. Leaving the Stones behind, he formed the Pretty Things, taking up lead guitar and steering the band toward a rawer, more aggressive sound than their contemporaries. With their snarling attitude and Taylor's fuzzed-out guitar work on tracks like 'Rosalyn' and 'Don't Bring Me Down,' the Pretty Things became crucial forerunners of garage rock and punk. While they never achieved the commercial heights of his former band, Taylor's commitment never wavered; he remained the creative core of the Pretty Things for over five decades, their music earning deep respect from musicians who valued rawness over polish.
The Silent Generation
1928–1945
Born between the Depression and the end of WWII. Too young to fight, old enough to remember. They became the conformist middle managers of the 1950s — and the civil rights leaders who quietly dismantled Jim Crow.
Dick was born in 1943, placing them squarely in The Silent Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Dick Was Born
The biggest hits of 1943
#1 Movie
For Whom the Bell Tolls
Best Picture
Casablanca
Dick's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1943Born
Allies invade Sicily; Battle of Stalingrad ends
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $3,290Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"I've Heard That Song Before" — Harry JamesBest Picture: Casablanca
1948Started school
Israel declares independence; Berlin Blockade begins
Gas: $0.26/galHome: $7,450Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Twelfth Street Rag" — Pee Wee HuntBest Picture: Hamlet
1956Became a teenager
Elvis Presley appears on The Ed Sullivan Show
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $10,050Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Heartbreak Hotel" — Elvis PresleyBest Picture: Around the World in 80 Days
1959Could drive
Fidel Castro takes power in Cuba
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $12,400Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"The Battle of New Orleans" — Johnny HortonBest Picture: Ben-Hur
1961Could vote
Yuri Gagarin becomes the first human in space
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $12,500Min wage: $1.15/hrPresident: John F. Kennedy"Tossin' and Turnin'" — Bobby LewisBest Picture: West Side Story
1964Turned 21
Civil Rights Act signed; Beatles arrive in America
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $13,450Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"I Want to Hold Your Hand" — The BeatlesBest Picture: My Fair Lady
1973Turned 30
US withdraws from Vietnam; Roe v. Wade decided
Gas: $0.39/galHome: $22,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree" — Tony Orlando & DawnBest Picture: The Sting
1983Turned 40
Internet adopts TCP/IP, creating the modern internet
Gas: $1.16/galHome: $57,700Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Every Breath You Take" — The PoliceBest Picture: Terms of Endearment
1993Turned 50
European Union officially established
Gas: $1.11/galHome: $86,600Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"I Will Always Love You" — Whitney HoustonBest Picture: Schindler's List
2003Turned 60
US invades Iraq; Human Genome Project completed
Gas: $1.59/galHome: $146,000Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"In Da Club" — 50 CentBest Picture: The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
2013Turned 70
Edward Snowden reveals NSA surveillance programs
Gas: $3.53/galHome: $152,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Thrift Shop" — Macklemore & Ryan LewisBest Picture: 12 Years a Slave
2023Turned 80
ChatGPT goes mainstream; Israel-Hamas war begins
Gas: $3.52/galHome: $361,600Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"Flowers" — Miley CyrusBest Picture: Oppenheimer
2026Age 83 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- A founding member of the Rolling Stones, playing bass on their first-ever recording demo in 1962.
- Founded and served as the lead guitarist and primary songwriter for the influential rock band the Pretty Things.
- Co-wrote and played on the Pretty Things' 1968 rock opera 'S.F. Sorrow', considered one of the first concept albums in rock.
- Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1989 as a member of the Rolling Stones.
Did You Know?
He left the Rolling Stones to continue his studies at Sidcup Art College.
The Pretty Things were named after a Bo Diddley song called 'Pretty Thing'.
He played bass on the early Stones demo that included a cover of Chuck Berry's 'Come On'.
After the Pretty Things retired in 2018, he joined the British folk-rock band the Hillmans.
“I left the Stones because I wanted to play guitar, not bass.”
