Mike ‘Beard Guy’ Taylor a loving father and musician who kept on truckin’
Walk Off the Earth keyboard player was co-founder and owner of Gateway Freight Systems, and found rock stardom in his mid-40s
MIKE TAYLOR
was much more than “Beard Guy,” the talented Walk Off the Earth keyboard player loved by fans around the world.
Taylor, who unexpectedly rose to rock stardom in his late 40s, was also an astute businessman — co-founder and owner of a successful Burlingtonbased freight and trucking company.
More importantly, he was a loving father of his 16-year-old daughter, Mylie, and 14-year-old son, Jackson.
“Most people knew him as this ‘Beard Guy’ character. But for the rest of us — his family, his inner circle of friends — he was just Mike, a very special person,” his younger brother, Locksley Taylor, told The Spectator.
The life of Taylor, who died in his sleep of natural causes on Dec. 30 at the age of 51, will be celebrated by his fellow musicians with a special memorial Sunday at 4:30 p.m. in Burlington’s Civic Square, 426 Brant St.
Taylor’s four bandmates from Walk Off the Earth will perform, as will members of The Arkells and Barenaked Ladies, pop singer Scott Helman, Hamilton rock group Monster Truck and Burlington’s Saint Alvia.
There will also be plenty of family and friends, people who knew Taylor from high school at M.M. Robinson back in the ’80s, young hockey players he may have coached, and people who remember him from the many bar bands he worked with over the years.
Expect also co-workers, clients and business associates from his 25 years at the helm of Gateway Freight Systems Inc., a company that employs 25 full-time staff and facilitates more than 25,000 transborder freight shipments each year.
“Mike was a straight shooter, a fair boss, a good guy,” said business partner Bill Charney, who met Taylor in high school and remained a close friend ever since.
“As a business owner and a partner, he was honest, he was clear and he was straight. He wasn’t ruthless in any way. He was a compassionate guy and a shrewd operator.”
Charney and Taylor co-founded Gateway — a freight brokerage — out of a small office in Burlington in 1994 when both were in their mid-20s.
Taylor eventually became the firm’s sole owner and remained the company’s president, managing to successfully run the company while touring the world and recording with Walk Off the Earth.
“He could juggle a few balls in the air at the same time,” Charney said.
Locksley and Charney both said Taylor’s death came as a complete surprise.The family is still waiting for a definitive cause, but they are certain it was natural.
After splitting with his former wife, Amy, Taylor had recently found a comfortable home in downtown Burlington with bedrooms for Mylie and Jackson when they came to visit. He was happy and settled.
And he seemed to be in great shape. The brothers regularly worked out at a local gym and spent quite a bit of time together over the Christmas holidays.
As well, Taylor loved hockey and helped coach his son Jackson’s rep hockey team, the Burlington Cougars.
One of the biggest thrills of Taylor’s life was playing in the annual Juno Cup hockey game that pits musicians against a squad of former NHL stars.
“Of all the things he was doing, the Juno Cup was his favourite event, hands down,” Locksley said. “He wouldn’t stop talking about it.”
As a member of Walk Off the Earth, Taylor was shy about disclosing his age. When asked by the Burlington Post in 2012, Taylor replied, “I don’t remember.”
“He was considerably older than the rest of the band, but they made it
work,” Charney said. “I think Mike felt quite lucky about where he landed.”
When Taylor joined Walk Off the Earth in 2011, the band was little known, releasing its original music independently, as well as creative covers of other artists’ work.
That all changed in early 2012, when the band posted a video on YouTube showing all five members playing one guitar while singing a live cover of Gotye’s “Somebody I Used to Know.” The video went viral and has since received more than 185 million views.
Bandmate Gianni “Luminati” Nicassio told The Spectator that originally Taylor had informed him that he wouldn’t be able to make the video shoot — he had business to attend to at Gateway.
“He was supposed to be away that week,” Nicassio said. “So it was going to be only four people on a guitar. Then I got a call from Mike saying he was now available ...When he showed up we told him what to do and that was basically the birth of Beard Guy.”
Two albums followed on the prestigious Columbia Records label, leading to a 2016 Juno Award for group of the year.
Before Taylor’s death, Walk Off the Earth had committed to a world tour starting Feb. 9 in Nova Scotia. Nicassio said the band has agreed to continue with the tour as a tribute to the memory of Taylor.
“We have a meeting next week about how we’re going to put together
a show that doesn’t have him in it,” Nicassio said.
“It’s going to be hard because he was a really big part of the show ... We’re definitely not going to add somebody to the band to replace him. That will never happen.”
Taylor was first introduced to the band through Stars Academy, which was run by Nicassio’s sister. At the time, Taylor’s daughter Mylie was taking dance lessons there.
“We ended up jamming with him a couple of times and it really clicked,” Nicassio said.
Although Taylor’s rock stardom came late in life, he came from a family that was steeped in music. Locksley has worked as a guitarist and vocalist with several bands, including Hamilton’s Sianspheric. His older sister, Chris, was a singer-songwriter who worked in Nashville.
Taylor’s father performed in musical theatre productions in Hamilton and his mother was a member of the Harlequin Singers. It’s through their influence that Taylor developed a love for show tunes.
“Mike loved Broadway music,” his friend Charney said. “You’d go over to his house and he’d be playing (the soundtrack from) ‘Oklahoma!’ ”
Locksley said he is glad his brother was finally able to gain a taste of fame.
“He found a way to balance his professional life, from before, and still live out his dream with the band,” said Locksley. “To be honest, I was a bit jealous.
“He didn’t need to be in the band. He was doing it out of his love for playing music. It was great that he got to that point.”
Charney, who played guitar in various high school bands with Taylor, said the same qualities of character that made “Beard Guy” a solid businessman, also made him a great musician.
“He was a very hard-working musician, just like he was a businessman,” Charney said.
“But he wasn’t flashy. Mike honestly believed that success was nine parts showing up.”
Mike ‘Beard Guy’ Taylor was president of a Burlington freight company until his death, managing to run a business, while also touring and recording with Walk Off the Earth.