MILWAUKEE — Bill Taylor, a long-time reporter and anchor for TMJ4 and the creator of the popular series Positively Milwaukee, passed away at age 79 with family by his side.
Taylor worked for TMJ4 for nearly three decades. One of the colleagues who traveled with Bill to tell those stories was longtime TMJ4 photojournalist Clayborn Benson.
Benson & Taylor's longtime friendship
Benson, executive director & founder of the Wisconsin Black Historical Society, joined Milwaukee Tonight to remember his longtime colleague and friend.
"I feel the pain every day," Benson said. "I didn't realize it would hurt so much, but it does hurt."
Benson and Taylor were also neighbors, living just around the corner from each other.
"He was a very positive person. He believed in working hard and doing positive kinds of stories. That's why he was able to come up with this slogan Positive Milwaukee," Benson recalled. "He wanted to generate real love. He wanted every little story to be told as he's able to make a story out of nothing."
Taylor's impact on Benson's love for history
Benson has had a longtime love for history, thanks to his father. However, Benson said Bill helped give life to it.
"Obviously it started with my dad first, but Bill gave life to it," Benson boasted. "Man, we would be listening to music in the car loudly, as well as talking about historical people and their significance."
Benson also says he learned about Kwanzaa from Bill, declaring that Milwaukee has the largest Kwanzaa celebration in the state today because of Bill.
"I learned about African-centered thinking through Bill. He was a great reader," Benson recalled. "If you ask me what's Bill gonna do today, he's gonna come in with a suit that his wife made, and he typed with one finger faster than most people with all of their fingers. He could make a story out of nothing. He clearly was a true reporter from the Chicago area."
A community-minded person
Benson said Bill's love of the community, and his sheer presence made him a force to be reckoned with.
"He was a community-minded person. He got along with everybody," Benson said. "When he showed up to the scene, the scene evolved around him."
Taylor traveled the world to bring high-impact stories to audiences here in Milwaukee. He covered Wisconsin-related stories in Somalia, Israel, and Germany. He also traveled to Ghana and Kenya to report.
Taylor's impressive achievements
Taylor won a number of awards, including the Founders Award for the first-ever Positively Milwaukee Awards dinner. He was inducted into the Silver Circle for his years of service by the National Academy of Arts & Science Chicago/Midwest chapter.
He was also inducted into the Milwaukee Press Club Hall of Fame in 2001. He retired shortly after in June.
A memorial celebration of life will be announced at a later date.
Read the statement from Taylor's family below:
"We are deeply saddened by the passing of our father, grandfather, husband, and friend William A. Taylor, also known as Bill Taylor. Our hearts are heavy as we mourn the legacy of this Vietnam veteran, news giant, 29-year journalist, radio personality, historian, speaker, community activist, and Pan-Africanist. After battling a range of health issues, he succumbed to pneumonia."
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