When I was much younger, I was obsessed with James Taylor! One of the great American songwriters and performers. Angelic voice and reportedly a lovely man. James Taylor is still an extremely popular touring artist, even at the age of 77. Well, Taylor’s latest tour is taking him through California, and he performed in Santa Barbara this week. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex were there, and Meghan posted some lovely photos on her Instagram with the caption “in my concert era” and thanking James. Harry and Meghan got to meet him backstage too:
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry paid James Taylor a visit backstage on Tuesday, May 13. The Duchess of Sussex, 43, shared a series of photos taken backstage on Instagram on Wednesday, May 14, writing, “In my concert era ❤️🎶 Thanks James!” In the first photo, Taylor, 77, is seen signing copies of his pop-up lullaby children’s book Sweet Baby James, which was published in 2018. The book takes its name from Taylor’s 1970 breakthrough album of the same name.
The six-time Grammy winner previously revealed that the book and accompanying song, which he referred to as a “cowboy lullaby,” were inspired by his young nephew James, who was named after him. The sweet gesture may have been a surprise for some little readers, as Meghan and Harry, 40, are parents to Prince Archie, 6, and Princess Lilibet, 3.
Super-cute that she asked him to sign his children’s book. Meghan was likely wearing one of her favorite sweaters, the Brochu Walker cashmere sweater in navy. Her earrings are Bottega Veneta.
Also: Meghan has been active on As Ever’s Instagram this week as well. She posted two new photos, which I’m including below. The way she wears her wedding rings has inspired some discussion – I’ll admit, I usually see women wearing the band closest to the knuckle, then their engagement ring on top of their band. But Meghan wears her engagement ring first, then two bands on top. It could be that her engagement ring is a bit loose on her finger and she uses the bands to hold the diamond ring in place.
Photos courtesy of Meghan’s IG and As Ever’s IG.
Amazing he’s still touring.
Right? That’s my main takeaway here. I have loved James Taylor for pretty much all my life since he’s been recording long before I was born.
We saw him last summer and he was amazing. I’ve seen him at least 4 times over the last 40 years and he is always good.
WORD UP.
James Taylor is hype up. Enjoy Duchess.
Love James Taylor!
So glad to see Harry and James together. Was Diana ever photographed with James?
Concert era indeed. 🎶
Love James Taylor. So glad Meghan and Harry are living their best lives.
Side note: Harry looks like he is visiting the gym regularly. Meghan looks lovely, as usual.
For real. His chest!!
“I have to look good for you babe” 😍
His chest is ridiculous , Meghan is a very lucky lady!
He also seems to be wearing a lot of hats. I’m wondering if he had a hair transplant.
It’s cold at night in SoCal right now, he just looks like any other man who likes to be warm.
Right? Cali is looking good on him fr.
Love his look, very Cali surfer guy. lol at what Bill will do to try to copy it.
This is cute. It makes me happy that Harry and Meghan are enjoying life. As for her wedding ring stack, according to People Meghan wears in every different order. I just think she’s not specific about how or when she wears them, people are just weird about it. Maybe it has to do with who’s she’s married to.
I’ve never noticed before, but that People article does a deep dive on how HRH Meghan has varied the way she wears her rings over the years… which makes me roll my eyes a bit, but I read the whole piece, so I can’t complain.
She does vary the order quite a bit. It might sometimes have to do with her going up and down maybe a quarter ring size depending on various factors, so that sometimes the heavier engagement ring needs more support to feel secure.
Or it might just be playfulness, and why not? 💛😊
I always take my rings off at night, and in the morning when I slip them on I just grab em both and put em on. So it varies how I wear them. But I’m sure Meghan is a lot more conscientious in her look than I.
I wear mine the way Meghan does and there is no logic in it. It’s just the eay they feel comfortable for me. Shrugs
Such a happy story – James Taylor and H&M having fun.
I saw a few stories this morning about how Meghan stacks her rings – sometimes the band is on the bottom, sometimes on top, what does it mean, secret message, omg. It reminds me of David and his 4 silver rings on Schitt’s Creek – every day he wore them on different fingers depending on how he felt.
James Taylor is the concert that got away. I’ve seen many artists live but his concerts have never been in the cards for me. I’ve loved him since 1974.
It’s lovely to see H&M being fans like us “normals”. I hope they have a great summer enjoying the hell out of their lives!
Yeah I keep missing him. On the other side of the world but I’ve seen all the big names I’ve wanted to incl Bowie, Bruce (in a really small venue) but not him.
I had no idea who James Taylor is but I love how eclectic their music tastes are and also so nice to see them just living their life.
Also the ring stuff is ridiculous really lol.
What is it with checking a woman of colour’s jewellery? Kkkate was missington for months with a lie story about cancer which is now obviously false. She also was missing big blue for most of the last few years. Why is everyone policing Ms jewellery? It’s genuinely disgusting. Everyone with opinions about what a woman should do can really fuck right off.. It shouldn’t have been raised in this blog either. How rude.
Love seeing the sexy Sussexes out enjoying life. They both look so happy and relaxed.
She seems to wear the rings in different orders so I don’t think there is any meaning to be read into it. Other photos show the wedding band first (‘closer to the heart’ is what I was told when we were buying mine) and then her engagement ring and then the diamond band. 🤷🏽♀️
Aw. I too had a big James Taylor moment when I was younger. Love seeing them there. And listen, I just want the jam and flower sprinkles restocked. I want to get enough jam to try making the cake and still having a bunch of jam left over. I’m not a huge tea person. Is she teasing tea? I can’t tell.
I’m with you, Jais.
Dear HRH Meghan, *please* restock the Raspberry Fruit Spread!!
I’m being patient, I swear, but I missed the drop by an hour and I *need* some yummy goodies. 😭
In fairness, it’s really easy to make at home. She cares about not too much sugar (why it’s not jam) and sounds like some lemon as well? I make this kind of thing but when I can buy her stuff in my country I will
I look forward to posts from Meghan on her Instagram accounts. I love seeing her thrive. It fills my heart.
Good for them getting out and going to concerts!! The “I’m in my concert era” is sure to bring some backlash from the British gutter rats lol.
I am such a James Taylor fan. I have gone to many of his concerts, even traveling to do so. Caught him in my hometown about 3 years ago. Amazing concert. Even bought the Life Magazine a few years ago where he was on the cover and they gave more of his back story. Happy to see the Sussexes enjoying their best lives
Omg! I’m so weird but I love the discussion around the order of the rings. I do think Meghan just puts them on however she pleases from day to day based on her mood and maybe how they’re fitting at any given time but generally I have always always always sort of wondered why the wedding ring is usually put on first. I get the whole “nearest to the heart” but my brain very much goes “but you get the engagement ring first then the wedding so that’s the order you should wear them in!” If it ever happens for me that’s the order I’ll wear them in lol. I personally love this type of harmless gossip (when it genuinely is harmless and not an underhanded way to question their marriage)
A lot of people choose not to take their wedding ring off, so putting it on first makes it is easier to take the engagement ring off for dirty tasks,
All this drama in the UK press and the Sussexes are just going out and doing fun stuff like concerts and meeting James Taylor. Love it! They look relaxed and probably just going about their schedule wondering whet all the fuss over there is about.
My cardio fit instructor likes to play Sweet Baby James for our stretch at the end of class.
Love that beautiful voice.
H&M are thriving and hurray for them! I love James Taylor, too, but haven’t seen him in concert. Off to check to see if he’s coming to the East Coast …
James Taylor slept in my bed. I was at university in 1969. Taylor had a friend whose younger sister was in my dorm, an all female sanctuary back then. I had a window directly at the back yard of the Dorm, and the window could be easily climbed into then with its broad, wide panes.
I went off to spend the night with my boyfriend–now my husband of 53 years. The next day the only sign that Taylor had slept there was a small, neat roach in my ashtray and a scrawled “Thanks” on a copy of the campus newspaper. He even made the bed.
👍
Haha – awesome story. I live in CH and our house is just down the street from where he lived for a few years while his dad was at the UNC Medical School. I’ve loved James Taylor for half a century!
😊 Lovely story! Lovely memory!
That’s amazing!
Mr. TigerMcQ has a relative who has worked for JT for years. By all accounts, he is a great person and employer. We see said relative at family events every few years or so, and I have so much JT merch we’ve been given during that time. I love it because I’ve always loved him and his music!
So cool
I never got to see Sweet Baby James in a concert, but I did see his brother Livingston give a concert in North Carolina (which I think is where they’re from?)
I had never been told that there was a correct order for wedding and engagement rings, and so I wear mine in the “wrong” order. It wasn’t until, like, a year ago that someone pointed it out to me, but I’m used to it this way and I’m not changing it now!
Ironically, the woman who told me my rings were wrong went through a spectacularly messy divorce soon after, so maybe she was projecting a bit…
Weird the things Meghan gets nitpicked for.
Yeah. It is. The racists really can’t stand that she has nice things, works, happily married and isn’t living in a gutter. It is telling that the rota never really covered the disappearance of Diana’s cursed ring or the specific cost of each item of Keener’s clothes, wiglets, jewelry and accessories. The double standards should be actively pointed out. Meghan works for a living and buys her own things with money she earned and isn’t a workshy sycophant mooching off tax payers.
I never realized that people stack the ring with the band on top of the engagement ring. I don’t know why, but I never even considered it.
Meghan may call it her concert era but I’ll call it her season of joy lol she’s glowing.
Where did you hear he was a lovely man? He used his wife Carly Simon to advance his fame. She energized the crowds while he just stood there. He was a drug addict their entire marriage. He used his second wife to get him off drugs. And who knows if he’s using his third wife’s career to get him music gigs… He stole and performed a beautiful song by Carole King called You’ve Got A Friend before she had a chance to debut it. She was at the venue with all the other musicians and she heard him singing the song she was going to perform. She forgave him but still… not a lovely man, IMO.
keeping everything in a mellow mood with peace-they deserve to relax and enjoy life-everybody needs a littles R and R-James Taylor has a nice voice and easygoing manner.