Universal Music Australia Executive, A&R Hero Mike Taylor Passes Away

Mike Taylor, a legend of the Australian music industry, has passed away following a lengthy battle with cancer (per The Music Network).

According to the industry publication, Taylor died peacefully on Thursday (11 January), surrounded by family and friends in Brewster, New York.

He is survived by his wife Jenny and son Charlie. A formal announcement surrounding his death is expected to be made over this weekend, and funeral details to be revealed in the coming weeks.

In response to the news of his passing, Christmess director Heath Davis took to Facebook and described Taylor as “perhaps the nicest guy I’ve met in the music biz”.

For 15 years, Taylor worked in high-profile positions at Universal Music Australia (a subsidiary of Universal Music Group), spending a little under seven years as the company’s Executive Vice President of A&R and Head of Island Records Australasia before getting promoted to Managing Director alongside Darren Aboud. He held that position for just over eight years before departing in 2022, citing personal reasons.

Taylor was born in the US and began his professional career in his home country before finding great success in Australia, notably as the A&R executive for Delta Goodrem as she worked on and released her 2003 classic debut album, Innocent Eyes.

During his time heading Island Records, Taylor was instrumental in platforming the careers of Aussie artists of all genres, including Hilltop Hoods, Boy & Bear, Havana Brown, Dean Lewis, The McClymonts, Briggs, Shane Nicholson and Clare Bowditch.

Following his exit from Universal, Taylor began his own venture with Shoot True Music Management, serving as the company’s Executive Music Consultant in A&R and Artist Management.

In a 2013 interview with The Music, Taylor said about his view of signing domestic artists on worldwide deals, “I can start to help out the labels is getting their stuff released in other territories, help export the music.”

Taylor explained that international marketability was a factor often considered when signing domestic artists and that Island – and, by extension, Universal – weren’t opposed to pushing music in different regions, such as Asia. “[We'll put them] wherever we think artists' music can be enjoyed and purchased or streamed,” he said.

The Music sends condolences to Mike Taylor’s family and loved ones.