Happy birthday to Taylor Hanson, who turns 37 years old on Saturday.
More than 25 years after Isaac, Taylor and Zac Hanson’s first performance at Mayfest, they have seen the world, played “MMMBop” more times than they can fathom and built an enormous and fervent fanbase.
The creativity of the Tulsa-native brothers, so many years after they started their career as pre-teens, shows no signs of slowing.
Take a look back at photos of them through the years.
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The young Hanson boys (Isaac (left), Taylor and Zac) at their first performance, at Mayfest 1992. They mostly sang covers of ’50s rock songs.
(Photo from the book “Another Hot Oklahoma Night,” a history of Oklahoma rock ‘n’ roll put together by the Oklahoma History Center and Oklahoma Historical Society. Courtesy/Oklahoma History Center, from the library of Walker Hanson.)
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Hanson performs at Big Splash in July 1994. The brothers were still a few years away from “MMMBop” and a few more from national fame.
Stephen Pingry/Tulsa World file
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Hanson — Taylor (left), Zac and Isaac — stopped by the Tulsa World studio in March 1995. This was the year the brothers released their first album, “Boomerang.”
Tulsa World file
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Hanson performs at the Mabee Center in July 1998. In 1998, Hanson was nominated three Grammy awards, including Record of the Year, Best New Artist and Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group. This was part of a successful summer tour.
Tulsa World file
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Taylor (left), Zac and Isaac Hanson before the July 1998 concert at the Mabee Center.
Tulsa World file
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Isaac Hanson performs during the Hanson concert at the Mabee Center on Sept. 24, 1998. The band was nominated for three Grammy Awards in 1998, Record of the Year, Best New Artist, and Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal.
Tulsa World file
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Taylor Hanson performs at the Hanson concert at the Mabee Center in 1998.
Tulsa World file
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Zac Hanson performs live at the Tulsa Performing Arts Center on July 27, 2000. The band’s album, “This Time Around,” was released a couple months earlier. That year the band began having issues with it record label.
Tulsa World file
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Isaac Hanson performs at Cain’s Ballroom in 2004. The band’s first album since starting its own record label, 3CG Records, “Underneath” was released in April of that year.
Tulsa World file
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Zac Hanson plays his drums at Tulsa International Mayfest 2005. In the fall of 2005, Hanson toured the U.S. and Canada to promote The Best of Hanson: Live and Electric.
Tulsa World file
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Taylor Hanson (right) plays with Tulsa legends Leon Russell (left) and Steve Ripley at Tulsa International Mayfest in 2005.
Tulsa World File photo
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Taylor Hanson cheers on the crowd at Tulsa International Mayfest 2005.
Tulsa World file
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Hanson performs at the Edge 104.5 Hurricane relief concert at Cain’s Ballroom in 2005.
Tulsa World file
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Taylor (right) and Zac Hanson address a crowd before their HIV awareness walk in 2007. It was the year that the brothers started Take The Walk as a way to help those affected by extreme poverty and HIV/AIDS.
Stephen Pingry/Tulsa World file
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Isaac Hanson of Hanson performs “Great Divide” at Cain’s Ballroom in November 2007.
Tulsa World file
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Zac Hanson of Hanson performs “Great Divide” at Cain’s Ballroom in November 2007. Their album, “The Walk,” was released in July of that year.
Tulsa World file
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Taylor Hanson plays during the QuikTrip 50th anniversary festival at River West Festival Park in 2008.
Tulsa World file
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Zac Hanson performs during the QuikTrip 50th anniversary festival at River West Festival Park in 2008.
Tulsa World file
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Taylor Hanson mingles with fans during a lunch break from shooting a new Hanson video on the corner of Greenwood and Archer in Tulsa in 2010. The video was for “Thinking ‘Bout Somethin'” from their 2010 album, “Shout it Out.”
Tulsa World file
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Brothers Isaac (left), Taylor and Zac Hanson to perform before a hometown crowd at Cain’s Ballroom in 2010 to support “Shout it Out.”
JEREMY CHARLES/for the Tulsa World
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Brothers Zac (left), Isaac and Taylor Hanson prepare to perform before a hometown crowd at Cain’s Ballroom in 2010.
JEREMY CHARLES/for the Tulsa World
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Arlo Guthrie (second from right) performs with Hanson during the Woody Guthrie Centennial Concert at the Brady Theater in 2012. The band was still in heavy tour mode with “Shout it Out.”
Tulsa World file
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Hanson performs at the Hanson Day Members Only Concert in 2012.
MIKE SIMONS/Tulsa World file
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Hanson sings the National Anthem before the Texas League All-Star Game at ONEOK Field in 2012.
Tulsa World file
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Hanson poses for a publicity shot ahead of its latest album, “Anthem,” released in June 2013.
Courtesy/Jiro Schneider
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About a year after Hanson released Mmmhops Pale Ale with the Hanson Brothers Beer Co., they are busy organizing the first Hop Jam beer and music festival, set for May 18, 2014.
TOM GILBERT/Tulsa World file
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Hanson performs during The Hop Jam 2014.
Tulsa World File
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Taylor Hanson and his brothers perform during the second annual The Hop Jam in 2015.
TOM GILBERT/Tulsa World file
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Alex Ebert (left) of Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros joins Isaac and Zac Hanson on the Main Stage at the 2016 Hop Jam Beer and Music Festival in Tulsa.
IAN MAULE/Tulsa World file
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Jim Blair (left), executive director of the Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame, inducts Hanson into the Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame on the Main Stage at the fourth annual The Hop Jam Beer & Music Festival in 2017.
Tulsa World file
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Taylor Hanson performs during Hop Jam 2017. The Tulsa trio had recently released “Middle Of Everywhere — The Greatest Hits.”
TOM GILBERT/Tulsa World file
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Twenty years following the band’s last Christmas album “Snowed In” (which was produced shortly after the 1997 mega-success of the “Middle of Nowhere” album, also celebrating a 20th anniversary), Hanson released an album full of holiday classics (from older to newer, like “All I Want for Christmas” to “A Wonderful Christmas Time” by Paul McCartney), as well as new songs, including the title tune. You’ll hear children singing, too, and it’s the musicians’ kids on the album.
Courtesy/S-Curve Records
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University of Tulsa President Gerard Clancy (right) poses for a selfie with Taylor Hanson on the TU campus. Hanson will be the May 5, 2018, commencement speaker at TU. Photo provided
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(L-R) Zac, Taylor and Isaac Hanson with a mural near 221 N. Main Street. The brothers are looking forward to The Hop Jam in May 2018, their sixth music and craft beer festival in downtown Tulsa.
