In 1964, after several visits to see Cliff Maidment, the 'Big Fella' moved to the Island. Tom was soon in the midst of Island music. With Elizabeth Davies-Eales, Tom's first wife, Cas Caswell and Martin Cave he began the Isle of Wight Folk Club in the back bar of the Castle Inn at Newport. Tom appeared as Tom McMillan-Peacock-Smythe. The club was the forerunner of the influential Sloop Folk Club where everyone from Billy Connolly to Ewan McColl would play.
Tom's gregarious nature and girth was everywhere. Placing an advert in the County Press 'Band wanted for Summer Season' enabled Tom to find out about the Island's music fraternity. He played guitar for the Escorts setting Island dancehalls rocking to Beatles and Stones covers. Switching to bass, Tom joined Wightlander playing alongside Brian Munro for a six nights a week residency at the Gurnard Pines. Wightlander evolved into Union Pacific, a band that put the country into the Ponda Rosa.
The band played Ascot Racecourse, Army bases and recorded material for an album in London. An experience recorded by Brian Munro in his song "I Want To Sing"
While the 1970 festival raged at Afton Union Pacific were playing a regular gig for Eric Snowbell at the Clarendon, Shanklin. Eric let the band off at midnight to allow Kris Kristofferson and his band the stage. As Rita Coolidge looked on Tom sat in with some the greatest country pickers ever to come down the pike including guitarist Norman Blake. The set full of Kristofferson originals "Me and Bobby McGee", "Help Me Make It Through The Night" and "For The Good Times". As Brian Munro remembers Kristofferson announced from a stool "I maybe too drunk to stand up but I'm not too drunk to play . . ."
Recounting tales to Island music archivist Vic King twenty five years after the Wootton festival Tom Taylor would recall: "I was booking accommodation for people from my cottage in Shide. My phone number was given out to agents, worldwide, and I sat by the phone from nine to five taking bookings. I was also gigging at this time. The phone rang all hours. I covered it up with cushions at night."
Tom Taylor not only played but he taught music all over the Island including the prisons. Mark King took some of his earliest guitar lessons from Tom. He was 12 years old. As Tom once recalled to Vic King "I met Mark on a sunny day walking along Medina Avenue. I was driving into Newport in my JT ex-Army mini-bus. He was carrying a brand new Strat, no case. 'Where are you going?' I asked him. 'I'm coming to see you Mr. Taylor,' he said." Tom also gave Mark King's former Level 42 drummer Phil Gould his first professional job in the Ponda Rosa Four. "The wages were sixty pounds per week, but Phil lost his first wages on the top deck of a bus" Tom had remembered.
A four and a half year dispute with the Council saw Tom's Bridge Cottage in Shide demolished and had him establish his Peacock Sound Studios in Medina Avenue. Brian Sharpe and the late Graham Betchley, who died after a long illness in March, recorded the Eagles "Peaceful Easy Feeling" and Poco's "Here We Go Again" at Peacock Studios. Peacock Records produced two albums on its own label: "Brian Munro Sings Country Songs" and the "Country Sound of Ian Attrill". Also two singles Neon Rainbow's "Steppin' and Stridin'/Moon Goddess" and Wightsound's "Dance Apache/Jelly".
Anthony Minghella was amongst the many artists who would use Peacock Sound Studios. On 20th July, 1974 the teenage Islander recorded a batch of songs: Tell Me That I'm Wrong, Every Child, Dancer, House Song 4, Ballad of Macnulty's Wife, 10 Past Sometime, Yesterday (It was only!) Dream of Fair Women, Telegram. Cost of the session £13.00 + VAT. (Total £14.30).
From Peacock Studios, Shide Tom ventured to Sandown to open a music shop. Tom Taylor Music was opened in 1977 by Doug Watson, Tim Marshall, Andy Skelton alias Kite who won ITV's New Faces talent show and recorded at Peacock Studios.
Although suffering from arthritis Tom Taylor continued to direct his energies towards music both for the local Musicians Union and to teaching. He taught at the Riverside Centre where he organised a music day for disabled children in 1994. A memorable event of performances and have-a-go sessions. In 1995 Tom Taylor added backing vocals to Tony Malo's "Where Geronimo Died" released on the Tony Malo/SG CD "On The Rock".
Tom Taylor's funeral followed that of another Island musical stalwart saxophonist Pete Cotton. Less than a month after Cherokee Graham Betchley's death. Tom's funeral, like his life, was a musical one. "The service books stayed on the shelf," said Vic King, "There were three pieces of music played, chosen by Brian Munro. The first was 'I'm Going To Be A Country Boy Again'. There was an jazz instrumental which sounded like Django Rheinhardt and the last song was a country tune called 'Ants On A Log'. At the end the lay person who took the service invited the congregation to the Riverside Centre to 'celebrate the life of Tom Taylor'."