John Berkley Taylor was born June 20^th 1935 in Nassau Bahamas, he spent his early childhood trotting curiously about the areas of Nassau where music lived. Thanks to Paul Meeres Peanuts’ singing and dancing was given center stage at the tender age of four (Justilien, 2004). Taylor got his career started through Meeres, he recalls:

 “I started entertaining when I was 4 years old, with Paul Meeres.  And Paul Meeres opened his club in 1939 and it was called the Paul Meeres Club, and I started there” (Taylor, 2015)

He was walking by Paul Meeres’ club “Carbaret” where Meeres was rehearsing for an upcoming show, Peanuts shouted “I can sing and dance better than you!” and Meeres replied “A little peanut like you?” He asked peanuts to show him what he could do and at the moment a legend was born (Justilien, 2004). Peanuts reflected on his first performance:

“You have to remember that because in my first performance when I told Paul Meeres that I wanted to be a dancer and dance better than he can, and he told me why don’t I show him.  So he put me on the show and the people started throwing money, and instead of dancing I went and picked up the money. That was a good experience” (Taylor, 2015)

After that Taylor performed with Paul Meeres up until he was 19 years old at the many clubs that Meeres had around Nassau at the time. Initial Taylor was a singer and a dancer then he moved to the drums, he explained he doesn’t remember how he learned to play:

 “I don’t remember, I just picked up a drum and started playing.  But that’s not hard because we have Junkanoo and that is a lot of drumming. My first trip abroad was to Bermuda, I played at the Hotel in Bermuda” (Taylor, 2015).

When asked about the challenges of his career Taylor explained that:

“I never thought about challenges because it was a chance in those days just to work and be appreciated by the audience.  Don’t forget, when I started Nassau only operated three months a year a tourist spot.  The challenge was to be able, because I had to get an education.  I had a little deal with my grandmother, but if she allowed me to perform at the age of four, I would get a proper education.  So my challenge first of all was to be able to perform and also go to school to get a proper education.  So I went to school and graduated to be a teacher and then I found out I could not make any big money like I did in the entertainment industry. So after I worked as a teacher for a year” (Taylor, 2015)

Taylor’s career really took off in 1952 when he was asked by the Ministry of Tourism to travel the world and promote The Bahamas as a tourist destination. Taylor further explains that time:

“First of all I was hired by the Ministry of tourism to promote tourist to the Bahamas.  Because at that time he Bahamian tourist market only went from December to April, yeah from Christmas until April and then the whole town would close up, with nothing going on here no tourist, no people. We’d call it the winter season crowd. So the government at that time at me if I would go away and promote tourist to the Bahamas, because there desire was to make the Bahamas a year round Tourist destination.  So I went abroad, I went to Canada 5 times I went to the Middle East, Iran, and Turkey all over the place that area where they’re having all the problems now.  I went to Germany dozens of times because BOAC used to run between Nassau and London, and they had another airline called International Air Bahamas that used to run from Europe into Nassau, it was very very very cheap and we went abroad entertain in Germany and all over Europe, the people came to the Bahamas by way of international air Bahamas or BOAC” (Taylor, 2015)

From his travels he was exposed to the world which now became his stage, Taylor recalls some notable names from his career:

“And then I was introduced to Hollywood California where I got a job working at Quiro’s Hollywood California. I got a job to work there after leaving Bermuda, I went to Quiro’s in Hollywood and worked there about three or four months and performed with Nat King Cole, the Mills Brothers, that’s how I became famous”

His slight frame was captured hypnotically under the glare of lights in the following guest appearances throughout 1957: “The Steve Allen Show”, “The Jack Parr Show”, “The Ed Sullivan Show”, “The Johnny Carson Show” and “The I’ve Got A Secret Show” (Justilien, 2004).  He also performed for a whopping audience of 32,000 people in Earl’s Court, London which he described as his favorite performance:

“A benefit for the whole island, like the Bahamas, in London, Haynes Oval. And they built like an island, where they had sailboats and everything, and I went there, and also a sales promotion team for The Bahamas also played there” (Taylor, 2015)

Today Peanuts still performs today at Cultural Festivals and other events upon request, when asked if he retired he said:

“No. Entertainers don’t retire, if you say you are retired then you are just talking out of your head. As long as the people appreciate you, you won’t retire, it’s a beautiful life” (Taylor, 2015)