New details have emerged about the funeral of Vernon Taylor, the 1950s rockabilly pioneer and Sun Records artist who died July 12 at age 88 after a long battle with dementia.
According to an obituary published by Osborne Funeral Home in Williamsport, Maryland, Taylor's funeral service was held Thursday, July 16, with Elder Gary Utz officiating. He was laid to rest at Greenlawn Memorial Park in Williamsport, following a viewing the evening before at the funeral home.
Taylor, born Vernon Walton Alderton, was preceded in death by his parents, two brothers, a sister, and his son James Alan Alderton. He is survived by his wife of more than 57 years, Brenda Alderton, sons Timothy and Thomas, daughter Jennifer Bolin, five grandchildren, and four great-grandchildren.
Raised in a Baptist farming family as the youngest of four children, Taylor's musical roots ran alongside a lifelong connection to faith and family - one his obituary reflects in its choice of a church elder to lead his final service. Before signing with Sun Records under legend Sam Phillips, Taylor got his start playing fire halls and private parties around Washington, D.C. with the band he formed as a teenager, The Nighthawks.
Tributes from the music community have continued since his passing. Musician Kevin Booth and the retro group The Fabulous Hubcaps - whom Taylor personally inducted into the Southern Legends Entertainment and Performing Arts Hall of Fame in 2005 - both shared public remembrances online, with The Fabulous Hubcaps writing, "We're sure they welcomed you into Rock and Roll Heaven with open arms and big wide hugs. Rock on, friend."
Related Article: Rockabilly Pioneer Vernon Taylor Dies at 88, One Day After His Brother: Raised in a Baptist Farming Family
