Singer-songwriter Chip Taylor, whose composition résumé included “Wild Thing” and “Angel of the Morning,” died on Monday. He was 86.

The death of Taylor, who was the younger brother of Academy Award-winning actor Jon Voight and uncle of actress Angelina Jolie, was reported in a social media post by his friend, Billy Vera, Variety reported. The singer said that Taylor died while in hospice care; no cause of death was given.

Taylor was born James Wesley Voight on March 21, 1940, in Yonkers, New York, according to the entertainment news website.

“My nickname in golfing was Chip, and so we tried that with a few last names,” he told The Journal News in a 2019 interview. “I don’t even remember why Taylor came up, but all of a sudden I was Chip Taylor.”

Taylor released numerous singles and albums during his career and was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2016.

His highest charting song as a recording artist was “Early Sunday Morning,” which climbed to No. 28 on the Billboard country chart in 1975, Variety reported.

But Taylor helped usher in the era of garage rock during the mid-1960s with “Wild Thing,” which peaked at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1966 for the British group The Troggs.

The song would be covered by several artists, including Jimi Hendrix, who famously lit his guitar while playing the song at the Monterey Pop Festival in 1967, Variety reported.

The song was later featured in the film “Major League.”

“‘Wild Thing’ still gives me the chills,” Taylot told The Guardian in a 2023 interview. “When I strike the chords and you know the spirit of it, it’s a nice feeling.”

“Angel of the Morning” was recorded by several artists but had its best run with Juice Newton’s 1981 version that peaked at No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100, Variety reported. The song also reached No. 1 on Billboard’s adult contemporary chart.

The song would also be recorded by Evie Sands, Merrilee Rush, Nina Simone, Olivia Newton-John and the Pretenders.

Newton’s version of the song was used in the opening scene of the 2016 film, “Deadpool,” according to Variety.

Taylor also co-wrote Janis Joplin’s 1969 song, “Try (Just A Little Bit Harder), USA Today reported.

In December 2022, Taylor canceled a Europewan tour after he was diagnosed with “treatable” throat cancer, according to the newspaper.

In a 2012 interview, Taylor called “Wild Thing” a therapeutic song.

“It lets you relax. And I think that’s the secret to it,” he said. “It’s simple and it feels good. It’s sweaty. Sweaty things are good.”

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