James Taylor Stole Carole King's Hit | Music News

Music News Today | 2 Min News | The Daily News Now! · Jul 31, 2026 · 1m

James Taylor’s number one hit “You’ve Got a Friend” was actually written by his friend Carole King, who drew inspiration from Taylor’s own song “Fire and Rain.” Initially hesitant to perform it, King agreed after Taylor asked her to open for him. She penned the track on the spot, and Taylor—without asking permission—recorded it himself for his album, even though she’d planned to record it for her own Grammy-winning “Tapestry.” Both versions were recorded around the same time with overlapping musicians, including Joni Mitchell backing Taylor. Despite the surprise move, King graciously gave him…