CHARLOTTE, North Carolina(AP):

James Taylor will play five free concerts in North Carolina as he tours the state to support Democratic presidential can-didate Barack Obama.

Taylor has concerts scheduled in Charlotte, Ashe-ville, Chapel Hill, Raleigh and Wilmington, beginning on Sunday.

Taylor, who was raised in Chapel Hill, has at times used his musical celebrity to highl-ight political candidates in the state.

Encourages early voting

The Grammy winner will encourage Obama supporters to get out and vote early. One-stop voting began yesterday in North Carolina.

Obama has been heavily investing in North Carolina to try and swing a state that has not voted for a Democratic president since 1976.

Republican rival John McCain has been increasing his presence to defend the state.