Fire & rain - Ian Halperin

Many musicians sing about heartache, despair and confusion, but few have experienced those feelings as intensely as James Taylor, who rose from a privileged childhood as the son of an affluent medical school dean to become a modern-day troubadour and pop superstar. When he was 17 years old, Taylor's personal demons led him to a Massachusetts mental institution, where he confronted them the only way he knew - by writing his first songs. More than three decades later, Taylor's songs continue to be among the most recognised and well-loved in the annals of music, but some of his demons are still with him.;"Fire and Rain" chronicles his turbulent rise to fame - from his ten-month stay in the exclusive private psychiatric institution where he finished high school, and through his early years as a songwriter mentored by Paul McCartney, to his current status as a pop folk icon. Taylor has battled throughout his life with drink and drug addiction and suffered frequent bouts of mental illness. Unlike many of his contemporaries facing similar struggles, he confronted and overcame his problems, emerging as an inspirational figure.;Featuring interviews with the man himself, as well as more than 100 musicians, family members and industry figures, "Fire and Rain" traces Taylor's remarkable journey, from his troubled marriage to pop star Carly Simon to the premature death of his brother due to alcoholism, and paints a detailed and sympathetic portrait of Taylor's incredible life and career to date.