WALLY TAX

Wally Tax

Front man of '60s group The Outsiders. In the '70s he is a successful songwriter.
Full biography

Instruments

gitaar, zang

Mentioned in the biography of

1967   The Outsiders
1970   Swinging Soul Machine
1972   Martin Duiser
1973   Husky
1975   Lee Towers
1975   Lisa Boray
1976   Champagne
1988   De Dijk
1989   Jan van der Smit
1995   Robin Berlijn
2003   Juicebox
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Biography Wally Tax

Front man of '60s group The Outsiders. In the '70s he is a successful songwriter.

Played in

The Outsiders   gitaar, mondharmonica, zang

1959

Wally Tax starts his first band at the age of 11.

1964

Wally Tax is singer and rhythm guitarist with The Outsiders.

The Outsiders

1966

The Outsiders have a hit with Lying All The Time and Tax becomes so popular he has to hire a bodyguard to be able to go outside.

1967

Tax's ambitions go far beyond the music he makes with The Outsiders and he embarks on a solo career. He records several singles and an album called Love-In.

1970

After The Outsiders have broken up, Tax forms Tax Free.

1971

Tax Free's debut album is recorded in New York. One of the guest musicians on it is Velvet Underground's John Cale. The album is well received in the US and even gets a Billboard Award. Sales are disappointing, however, and by the end of the year the band breaks up.

1972

Wally Tax goes solo.

Swinging Soul Machine Tantalus

1973

Tax records the album Wally Tax.

1974

Miss Wonderful, the first single to be taken from the album, is a huge hit. It Ain't No Use, Evidently and Bridges Are Burning also hit the charts.

1975

Wally Tax receives a Zilveren ('Silver') Harp Award. The album Tax Tonight is less successful than its predecessor.

1976

Tax starts writing for other people. Dutch crooner Lee Towers has his first hit with the Tax composition It's Raining In My Heart.

Lee Towers

1977

ABBA clones Champagne enjoy several hits with the Tax compositions Rock 'n' Roll Star, Oh Me Oh My Goodbye and Valentino. Tax himself hits the charts with the single Let's Dance.

Champagne

1978

Girlie (Andy) is another artist for whom Tax writes. Champagne hits the charts again with Light Up My Eyes.

Girlie

1979

Champagne scores another series of hits with That's Life, Black Jack and Rollerball.

1986

Tax faces drug abuse, alcoholism and tax problems. An attempt by Tax and former Outsider colleague Leendert Busch to revive the band, fails.

1990

The album Springtime In Amsterdam is released. Tax also has a new band: The Music.

1992

Although Tax keeps on recording, the record companies are not interested. His older work with the Outsiders is, however, still very popular, especially with new groups like Nirvana.

Spo Dee O Dee

1996

Wally Tax agrees to take part in a reunion tour with the Outsiders.

Jack Of Hearts Spo Dee O Dee The Outsiders

1997

The Outsiders' reunion tour is very successful.

1998

Due to health reasons Tax steps out of the reunion tour.

1999

Tax breaks his leg in his bathroom and is grounded for a while.

2001

Tax performs as a guest musician on the album Yestermorrow Songs from Takes On Words, a project set up by an artist called Aja and the German 'kraut rocker' Uli Trepte.

2002

Tax releases his first solo album in 12 years. 'Toute Amsterdam' is present at the belated album launch of The Entertainer (Virgin), which was shelved for seven years.

Jack Of Hearts

2005

Wally Tax dies on April 10 at the age of 57. Various generations of the Dutch pop culture gather on April 17 in Paradiso Amsterdam for a benefit concert for their '60s beat hero. Usually first generation pop fans only meet each other in the Golden Oldies circuit. Apparently it takes the death of a true icon to bridge all generation gaps. It only goes to show Tax's status. Highlight of the evening by far is former Fatal Flowers singer Richard Janssen singing Tax's The Entertainer, the title track of his last album from 2002. The Outsiders, Tax's original band reunites for a one-off, fronted by Philip Elzerman of The Zipps. The benefit is meant to raise money to pay for the funeral the next day. George Oostdijk, benefit organiser/band leader announces that the event grosses €10.000, enough to pay the bills.

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