R. Dean Taylor – born Richard Dean Taylor on May 11, 1929, in Toronto, Canada – was a singer, songwriter, musician, producer, and artist best known for hits such as “Indiana Wants Me” and “There’s a Ghost in My House” and “Gotta See Jane”. He started his career in Toronto, performing with local country music bands before making his earliest studio recordings. He released several singles that were local hits including “At the High School” (1961) and “I’ll Remember” (1962). In order to advance his career, R. Dean Taylor relocated to Detroit, Michigan where he was eventually hired as a songwriter and recording artist for Motown Records. He released several singles including “Let’s Go Somewhere” (1965) and “There’s a Ghost In My House”(1967), which flopped in the US but reached Number 3 on the singles chart in the UK. His 1968 single “Gotta See Jane” was also a hit on the UK charts. As a songwriter and co-songwriter, his songs were recorded by the Four Tops, the Temptations, and Diana Ross & The Supremes, who took “Love Child” all the way to Number 1 in the US. Recording for Motown subsidiary label Rare Earth, R. Dean Taylor scored a Number 1 American hit with “Indiana Wants Me” in 1970, which turned into an international hit. He continued to record singles and albums but was unable to match the success of “Indian Wants Me”. In the 1980s, he attempted an unsuccessful solo comeback, but eventually stepped away from the music industry. R. Dean Taylor contracted the COVID-19 virus in late 2021 and died on January 7, 2022, at the age of 82.
