Showbiz

Angelina Jolies Uncle Chip Taylor Dies at 86

Angelina Jolie's uncle Chip Taylor - who wrote the 1966 song Wild Thing - has died at the age of 86.The sad news was announced by Taylor's friend Billy Vera, wh...

Angelina Jolies Uncle Chip Taylor Dies at 86
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Bintano News

March 24, 2026

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's uncle Chip Taylor - who wrote the 1966 song Wild Thing - has died at the age of 86.

The sad news was announced by Taylor's friend Billy Vera, who took to Instagram on Tuesday with the update on the late songwriter.

'RIP: Chip Taylor, my friend and songwriting mentor, last night in hospice,' Vera, a Grammy-winning vocalist, wrote.

Taylor, whose real name was James Wesley Voight, was the brother of Jolie's father Jon Voight, and also uncle to her sibling James Haven.

He penned a number of other notable songs, including the 1960's hit Merrilee Rush tune Angel of the Morning.

The Daily Mail has reached out to representatives for Jolie and Voight for comment on the sad news.  

Angelina Jolie's uncle Chip Taylor - who wrote the 1966 song Wild Thing - has died at the age of 86. Pictured in LA in 2013

Jolie pictured in 2016 visiting a Syrian refugee camp in Azraq in northern Jordan 

Taylor also had a background as a performer in addition to a songwriter, as he put out albums during the 1970s, which included 1973's Chip Taylor's Last Chance and 1975's This Side of the Big River. 

In 2016, Taylor was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame, lauded for his decades of contributions to the music industry.

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Taylor had also heavily been involved in the business side of the music, having commandeered a number of record companies, including an independent label he got started in 2007 titled Train Wreck Records.

In addition to his musical efforts, he was also interested in gambling, with a passion for blackjack.

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