James Taylor said he’d come back and he did. When he canceled his Huntsville concert a few months back due to vocal stress, his fans waited. And it was well worth the wait.

Fans, adult children of fans and grandchildren of fans packed the 8,000 capacity Orion Amphitheater on Tuesday night, filing into the arena with seat cushions, water bottles, and memories of their younger days, when James Taylor’s smooth sounds followed them—us—with songs about going to Carolina and rocking a child called “Sweet Baby James”.

Who hasn’t rocked a baby, James or otherwise? And who doesn’t have a favorite place to travel to, even if only in their mind?

With backup musicians from Los Angeles, Cuba, and Nashville, Taylor engaged the audience with funny banter and the usual back and forth about his playlist. When insistent fans yelled out requests, he said he’d get to that song—it was on his playlist. Imagine listening to fan demands for more than 50 years. But he did it with grace.

The crowd was an older one, mostly, and we knew the lyrics and could sing along. We also know the stamina it would take to go on the road and keep on singing and pleasing audiences for half a century.

The couple next to me were newlyweds, the man joked. They’d been married just 35 years. Another couple found vacant seats next to their grandchildren and sang the lyrics to “You Can Close Your Eyes” and got teary-eyed when they got to the part about “You can sing this song when I’m gone.” When you’re closer to being gone than staying here, a song takes on new meaning.

The first James Taylor concert I went to featured a young, thick-haired crooner on a small stage in his hometown of Chapel Hill, North Carolina. He was already famous but welcomed a host of teachers who’d known him in his school days.

When his soon-to-be wife Carly Simon made a surprise entry onto the stage, the small crowd clapped like crazy. It was a two-for-one concert that nobody expected. And at the performance Tuesday night, the only family members were Taylor’s son Henry, child of his marriage to Caroline Smedvig. Henry inherited his father’s gift of song.

Taylor used to be a young man struggling with addiction and depression. He’s now a balding gentleman of 74, traveling around the country and doing what he loves. His incredible talent keeps the fans—and now their children— coming back to hear that voice.

James Taylor knows his audience. At the Orion concert, he made old age jokes. When he took off his top shirt in the intense Alabama heat, he told the audience not to worry. He wouldn’t be taking out his teeth as well. He gave a glimpse into his past, like when the Beatles asked him to audition for their newly established Apple Records. You don’t say no to something like that.

And you don’t say no to 8,000 fans standing and clapping to keep you on the stage. Taylor performed three encores, then waved to the fans and left.

Old fans die hard. But not right now.

Contact Beth Thames at [email protected]