Cunard Line will commemorate the 10th Anniversary of Queen Mary 2 in 2014, and one of the most exciting highlights will be when the flagship welcomes back Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter James Taylor and his band for two special concerts during the 27 August 2014 Transatlantic Crossing.
Passengers on board the eight-day sailing from New York to Southampton, England, via Halifax, Nova Scotia, will have the exclusive opportunity to enjoy these legendary performances in the Royal Court Theatre.
“We are thrilled to welcome back James Taylor aboard Queen Mary 2, particularly during her 10th Anniversary year,” said David Dingle, CEO for Cunard Line. “Our guests will be thrilled to enjoy this intimate concert experience with an American music icon, which will make this special eight-day Crossing that much more memorable.”
As a recording and touring artist, Taylor has set a precedent to which countless young musicians have aspired. His warm baritone is among the most recognized voices in popular music, and his distinctive style of guitar-playing has been enormously influential. Over the course of his celebrated song-writing and performing career, James Taylor has sold over 100 million albums, earning gold, platinum and multi-platinum awards for classics ranging from Sweet Baby James in 1970 to October Road in 2002.
James Taylor has won multiple Grammy awards over his career and has been inducted into both the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the prestigious Songwriters Hall of Fame. Most recently, Taylor was awarded the distinguished Chevalier of the Order of Arts and Letters by the French government and the National Medal of Arts by President Barack Obama in a White House ceremony. He was also one of a select few music artists who performed for both of Obama’s inaugurations.
“I’ve always wanted to take an ocean liner back to Europe, and in June 2009 we got the chance to do that. It’s such a civilized way to go, and Queen Mary 2 is the last word in first-class travel,” Taylor said.
He added, “In 2009, we realized a collective dream using that passage to transport and rehearse for our European summer tour: band, crew and family — kit and caboodle. Now, in 2014, I am looking forward to celebrating the ship’s 10th Anniversary alongside her crew, staff and guests by performing two on board concerts as my band and I make our next European passage. Hallelujah, no jet lag!”
To view highlights of James Taylor’s 2009 Transatlantic Crossing aboard Queen Mary 2, click here.
James Taylor is part of Cunard’s illustrious history of hosting famed entertainers with peerless cachet. Legendary notables such as Elizabeth Taylor, Rita Hayworth, Cary Grant and Clark Gable frequently crossed the Atlantic on Cunard’s earlier Queens, Queen Mary and Queen Elizabeth; and since Queen Mary 2’s debut nearly ten years ago, in addition to Taylor, the ship has welcomed musical notables such as jazz legend Dave Brubeck, Rod Stewart and Lenny Kravitz.
