Vernon Taylor Dead at 88

A performer who was known for releases on one of America’s most iconic record labels has died.

Per an online obituary, Vernon Walton Alderton died on July 12 at age 88. While that name might not ring a bell, Alderton was better known in music history as “Vernon Taylor.”

Taylor first broke into the music world as a member The Nighthawks, a Virginia-based group, in the ’50s. He then began a career as a solo act, scoring deals with Dot Records and the iconic Sun Records, the early recording home of Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash and many other icons.

Taylor released several singles for Sun, including one that contained “Breeze” and “Today is a Blue Day” in 1958 and one that featured covers of Roy Orbinson’s “Sweet and Easy to Love” and Junior Parker’s “Mystery Train” in 1959. That Parker cover also appeared on the compilation Where Rock ‘n’ Roll Was Born: Celebrating 100 Years of Sam Phillips.

Another Taylor recording has also seen some success in the streaming era. His recording of “Your Lovin Man” appeared on the compilations Sun Records Originals: 52 Rockabilly Rarities (2024) and Warner Music Group’s Rockabilly (2016). It currently has more than 103,000 Spotify streams as of press time.

Taylor eventually shifted music into a secondary career as he found success in the printing industry. He faced dementia in the final decade of his life.

He and his wife, Brenda J. Alderton, were married for 57 years before the musician’s passing. He is survived by Brenda, two sons, a daughter and five grandchildren.