James Taylor Revisits ‘That’s Why I’m Here’ & His Beatles-Assisted Big Break On ‘Kimmel’
Watch the legendary singer-songwriter perform the title track from his 1985 studio album.
By Scott Bernstein Apr 22, 2026 • 6:42 am PDT
James Taylor was a featured guest on last night’s episode of Jimmy Kimmel Live. The iconic musician opened up about the pivotal moment The Beatles handed him his big break before he delivered a captivating performance of “That’s Why I’m Here.”
Taylor found himself at a crossroads in 1967 after his first band, the Flying Machine broke up. The then 19-year-old singer-songwriter made a move that would wind up being one of the best decisions he ever made.
“After the band dissolved in New York City, I went home to North Carolina to recover and lick my wounds for a while, and then, not knowing what else to do, I talked my folks into buying me a plane ticket to visit a friend that lived in London, and I took my guitar, and some songs, I ran into some people who were enthusiastic about my music, and they convinced me to make a little demo,” JT told Jimmy Kimmel.
The young musician bought time in a studio and came away with a reel-to-reel tape he and his friends shopped around. He connected with Peter Asher, who had just landed a big gig. “I went over to his house, I played through some songs I had, and as luck would have it, he had just taken on a job as head of A&R and was looking for new talent to sign to The Beatles’ new record label Apple Records,” Taylor recalled.
Asher signed Taylor to the fledgling imprint and having the Beatles’ seal of approval helped get his music into the ears of the masses. Though his 1968 debut record on Apple wasn’t a huge hit, he became a critical darling which paved the way for his scoring a deal with Warner Records two years later. Taylor broke through in 1970 with his single “Fire and Rain” and would go on to become one of the best-selling artists of the 20th century.
James Taylor ended the episode by teaming with members of his All-Star Band and Kimmel house band, The Cletones, for “That’s Why I’m Here.” His son, Henry Taylor, was among those who backed him on the performance of the title track from his 1985 studio album.
The Kimmel appearance came as James Taylor prepares to launch an extensive tour. Taylor and His All-Star Band kick off the 29-show excursion on Sunday, April 26 in Highland, California.
Watch James Taylor perform “That’s Why I’m Here” and chat with the host on Jimmy Kimmel Live below:
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