Ron Taylor

Ron Taylor began his acting career in 1983, cast as a "Big Black Guy" in the Eddie Murphy and Dan Aykroyd comedy "Trading Places." Beyond his physical stature, Taylor possessed a sumptuous singing voice, earning several memorable voiceover roles. His career started slowly, with bit parts in the Denzel Washington action flick "The Mighty Quinn" and on the popular cop drama "Miami Vice." His first recurring role was on the mob drama "Wiseguy," followed by four episodes of the legal drama "Matlock." In the late '80s and early '90s Taylor's film work increased with small roles in B films such as the action comedies "Downtown," starring Anthony Edwards and Forest Whitaker, and "Heart Condition" starring Washington as the ghost of a lawyer haunting a racist cop. He again appeared onscreen with Whitaker as Hank in the crime comedy "A Rage in Harlem," about a beautiful girl on the run from gangsters, and in the TV movie "Lush Life." While he worked steadily in the '90s, cast in TV movies and popular series, a true breakthrough role eluded him. By far his most memorable role was as Bleeding Gums Murphy, the hobo sax man who inspires Lisa, on the cult phenomenon "The Simpsons." Off-screen Taylor enjoyed a career as a blues musician and Tony-nominated stage actor, including voicing the homicidal plant in the original production of the comedy "Little Shop of Horrors." Taylor passed away from a heart attack at age 49.