Blues for Taylor
Remembering Taylor Rau

He’s one of those who knows that life
Is just a leap of faith
Just spread your arms and
Hold your breath
And always trust your cape
                 — Guy Clark, “The Cape”

    It is with heavy hearts and sadness that we at Oxford Publishing mourn the passing of one of our best friends, Taylor Rau. In the early hours of Saturday, July 7, in Nashville, Tenn., Taylor passed away in a motorcycle accident. He was 27 years old.
Somewhere along the timeline of knowing John Taylor Rau for the last five years and working alongside him — even sharing an office with our desks side-by-side for a good while — I shared a hotel room with him in Las Vegas.
    One morning, I got up early to get ready for a long day at “The Show,” but Taylor didn’t wake up. I just could not wake that boy up to report for duty at the exhibit hall with me. Yelling didn’t work. I eventually resorted to slapping his face and throwing water on him, to no avail. I started calling our co-workers to ask if Taylor had some health condition I should know about, but no one had an answer. We all started to get a bit scared something was wrong with him. I got very mad — the kind of mad you get out of frustration and care when you find yourself unable to help someone.
    Truth be told, it was probably a little bit too much manufactured drama; he was just a very, very deep sleeper, a fact of which I just had not been aware.
    But when I heard the news of Taylor’s death in a motorcycle accident Saturday morning, I felt anger rise within me again. Angry at Taylor for riding that bike. Angry knowing he probably wasn’t wearing any safety gear other than a helmet, not that it would have helped. Angry like one might be at a kid brother who made a wrong decision and got hurt.
    It’s safe to say everyone here at Oxford Publishing who knew Taylor felt that way when they heard the news.

Only the Good
    Taylor first began writing for Nightclub & Bar while still a student at the University of Mississippi, about seven years ago. Soon he became a staff writer and later associate editor of the magazine. In early 2005, Taylor was tapped to replace Michael Harrelson as editor, a post in which he served with maximum enthusiasm and talent until September 2006 — when Taylor decided it was time for a change of scenery.
    He returned to his hometown of Nashville, Tenn., wanting to be closer to family and friends, but he continued his ties with NCB as a contributing writer until his death. As a matter of fact, Taylor was to write the cover story for our September 2007 issue.
At Oxford Publishing, Taylor was a little brother to some, a big brother to others and, to some, a son. Across the board, he was a friend who would do anything for anyone, and in return, we always looked out for Taylor.
    As a writer, he was one of the most gifted to have worked here. I’ve always felt that the best magazine writing — at least the kind of articles we do — should come across like a conversation. Just as Taylor engaged in person with so many of you at The Show each year, he conversed genuinely in the pages of Nightclub & Bar. He was so proud of the magazine and so enthusiastic that he made a lasting impression on most everyone with whom he exchanged words.
    Most of you probably remember him the way he appeared every day and night at “The Show” — in his dark, chalk-striped suit, French blue shirt and tie. Back here in our little office in Oxford, Miss., there’s not much of a dress code, and we all remember fondly the scrappy young Taylor in a t-shirt, flip-flops and shorts.

Outside In
    Other than writing, Taylor’s great passions lay outdoors. Be it boating, fishing, off-roading or just playing on the beach with his beloved yellow lab Bentley at Sardis Lake, Taylor loved the outdoors. Many a Monday morning during his time at Oxford Publishing would find a sunburned Taylor, sporting his faded, dirty red Captain Morgan visor, ready to get on the phone and pursue his other passion, talking to all of you in the industry and writing about what’s going on in bars everywhere.
    Taylor so loved the outdoors that a few times he even brought the outdoors inside. In addition to his inclination toward boats and motorcycles, Taylor liked to see just how much mud his Jeep could traverse, and I recall at least a couple of times when he’d come into the office with mud not just covering his Jeep but encasing his boots and caked a foot up his pants legs.
    We remember his mischievous smile and his laugh. I can remember stepping outside with him on many a smoke break, even though I didn’t smoke, waxing about life and what life should be. A number of chapters in those discussions involved Taylor talking about his dreams and his wanderlust and all the things he wanted to do. But the common thread of everything that drove Taylor was friends and family.
    When we needed to take a deep breath and step away from the computer for a few minutes on a hectic day, more often than not, we’d look for Taylor, to share silly jokes for a few minutes. Ironically, right now would be the most fitting time ever for a smoke break with Taylor.                   NCB


Those wishing to honor the life of Taylor Rau may make donations to the Memorial Fund of Taylor Rau, c/o First Tennessee Bank, 1214 Murfreesboro Road, Suite 100, Franklin, TN 37064.