Altered Five Blues Band Frontman Jeff Taylor Passes Away at 64
Milwaukee blues singer and educator leaves behind a remarkable legacy
MILWAUKEE, WI — Blind Pig Records and Altered Five Blues Band announce with deep sadness the passing of Jeffery Taylor, the singer and frontman of the Milwaukee-based blues band Altered Five. Taylor passed away unexpectedly, but peacefully, in his sleep on April 30, 2026, at his home in West Allis, Wisconsin. He was 64 years old.
DEVOTED FOLLOWING
Taylor was a founding member of Altered Five Blues Band, which he helped establish in Milwaukee in 2002. Over the course of more than two decades, the band released eight albums, performed in 13 countries, and earned a devoted following both in the United States and internationally. The band’s five most recent releases, beginning with Charmed & Dangerous in 2017, were released on Blind Pig Records. Their most recent album, Hammer & Chisel, was released on February 27, 2026.
A powerful and distinctive vocalist, Taylor drew frequent comparisons to the giants of blues history. Downbeat magazine recently declared that “of all the voices in the modern blues arena, one of the finest belongs to Jeff Taylor.” Blues Blast raved that Taylor possessed a “smooth, warm-toned voice as monumental and undeniable as Howlin’ Wolf with the finish and flourish of B.B. King.”
MUSIC
Among the band’s most popular songs are “Great Minds Drink Alike,” “Holler If You Hear Me,” “Charmed & Dangerous,” “Don’t Tell Me I Can’t,” “Right On, Right On,” and “I Got It Good,” one of the band’s most recent singles.
Altered Five received multiple Blues Music Award nominations and earned recognition from the Blues Foundation, which honored the band’s 2014 album Cryin’ Mercy as Best Self-Released Album at the International Blues Challenge. Multiple albums have charted on the Billboard Blues Chart, and the band has received additional honors both nationally and regionally throughout their career.
AND MORE…
Beyond music, Taylor also devoted many years to education, serving as principal of West Allis Central High School and previously as principal of West Milwaukee Intermediate School. He was known to those around him as a man of great warmth and generosity, as dedicated to the people in his community as he was to the music.
Earlier this year, the band performed in India, returned home for a run of local shows, and released Hammer & Chisel to an enthusiastic reception. He was, by every measure, a creative life still at full stride.
HEARTBROKEN
In a collective statement, the band shared: “We are heartbroken by the loss of our friend and bandmate Jeff Taylor. For more than two decades he brought this music to life in a way no one else could. His voice, his spirit, and his enormous heart will stay with us always—as will the music we made together.”
Taylor leaves behind his wife, Kristen, and many loved ones whose lives he touched deeply. Funeral arrangements will be announced as information becomes available.
Media Contact: media@blindpigrecords.com
345 West Saint Paul Avenue PO Box 1819 Milwaukee, WI, USA
