Few people noticed when an obscure Massachusetts troubadour got signed to the Beatles' Apple label. That first James Taylor album didn't catch on, so he and manager Peter Asher, himself a former pop star, made sure everything went right for the follow-up. 1970's Sweet Baby James, partly written during his stay at a psychiatric hospital, launched a trend for thoughtful lyrics, acoustic guitars, and deep, brooding looks. When smoother adult-contemporary sounds caught on, Taylor clicked with romantic covers of ‘60s hits. Collaborations with old friend Carole King and former wife Carly Simon rank among his many career highlights.