Earl Grant (January 20, 1931 – June 10, 1970) was an American pianist,

organ Organ and organs may refer to: Biology * Organ (biology), a group of tissues organized to serve a common function * Organ system, a collection of organs that function together to carry out specific functions within the body. Musical instruments ...

ist, and vocalist popular in the 1950s and 1960s.

Career

Grant was born in

Idabel, Oklahoma Idabel is a city in and the county seat of McCurtain County, Oklahoma, McCurtain County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 6,961 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. It is in Oklahoma's southeast corner, a tourist region known ...

. Though he would be known later for his keyboards and vocals, Grant also played trumpet and drums. Grant attended four music schools, eventually becoming a music teacher. He augmented his income by performing in clubs during his

army An army, ground force or land force is an armed force that fights primarily on land. In the broadest sense, it is the land-based military branch, service branch or armed service of a nation or country. It may also include aviation assets by ...

service, throughout which he was stationed in

Fort Bliss Fort Bliss is a United States Army post in New Mexico and Texas, with its headquarters in El Paso, Texas. Established in 1848, the fort was renamed in 1854 to honor William Wallace Smith Bliss, Bvt.Lieut.Colonel William W.S. Bliss (1815–1853 ...

, Texas. Grant signed with

Decca Records Decca Records is a British record label established in 1929 by Edward Lewis (Decca), Edward Lewis after his acquisition of a gramophone manufacturer, The Decca Gramophone Company. It set up an American subsidiary under the Decca name, which bec ...

in 1957 and his first single "

The End The End may refer to: Film * The End (1953 film), ''The End'' (1953 film), a film by Christopher Maclaine * The End (1978 film), ''The End'' (1978 film), a comedy by Burt Reynolds * ''The End'' (1995 film), a List of Canadian films of 1995, Cana ...

" reached number 7 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100

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on October 13, 1958. The album ''Ebb Tide (And Other Instrumental Favorites)'' sold over one million copies, gaining

gold disc Music recording certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped, sold, or streamed a certain number of units. The threshold quantity varies by type (such as album, single, music video) and by nation or territory (see ...

status. He recorded six more singles that made the charts, including "Swingin' Gently" (from ''Beyond the Reef''), and six additional albums (on the Decca label) through 1968. He also recorded the album ''Yes Sirree!'' and the

instrumental An instrumental or instrumental song is music without any vocals, although it might include some inarticulate vocals, such as shouted backup vocals in a big band setting. Through Semantic change, semantic widening, a broader sense of the word s ...

album ''Trade Winds'', single-tracked on the

Hammond organ The Hammond organ is an electric organ invented by Laurens Hammond and John M. Hanert, first manufactured in 1935. Multiple models have been produced, most of which use sliding #Drawbars, drawbars to vary sounds. Until 1975, sound was created ...

and piano, featuring the love theme from the film ''

El Cid Rodrigo Díaz de Vivar ( – 10 July 1099) was a Castilian knight and ruler in medieval Spain. Fighting both with Christian and Muslim armies during his lifetime, he earned the Arabic honorific ("the Lord" or "the Master"), which would evolve i ...

'' and

Chaplin Chaplin may refer to: People * Charlie Chaplin (1889–1977), English comedy film actor and director * Chaplin (name), other people named Chaplin Films * ''Unknown Chaplin'' (1983) * Chaplin (film), ''Chaplin'' (film) (1992) * Chaplin (2011 fi ...

's " Eternally". This album featured some realistic-sounding "tropical bird calls" produced by his electric organ. "House of Bamboo" was another big-selling single. Grant recorded 30 albums for Decca, mostly on the Brunswick label, a subsidiary of Decca. Several of his albums featured tenor saxophonist

Plas Johnson Plas John Johnson Jr. () (born July 21, 1931) is an American soul-jazz and hard bop tenor saxophonist, probably most widely known as the tenor saxophone soloist on Henry Mancini’s " The Pink Panther Theme". He also performs on alto and bar ...

. Grant also made a few appearances in films and on television, including ''

Tender Is the Night ''Tender Is the Night'' is the fourth and final novel completed by American writer F. Scott Fitzgerald. Set in the French Riviera during the twilight of the Jazz Age, the 1934 novel chronicles the rise and fall of Dick Diver, a promising young ...

'' (1962), ''

Juke Box Rhythm ''Juke Box Rhythm'' is a 1959 American musical film starring Brian Donlevy and Jo Morrow. The film was released on a double bill with '' The Tingler'' (1959). Plot Preparing for her coronation, Princess Ann flies to New York City along with her ...

'' (1959), '' It Takes a Thief'' (1969) and ''

The Ed Sullivan Show ''The Ed Sullivan Show'' is an American television variety show that ran on CBS from June 20, 1948, to March 28, 1971, and was hosted by New York City, New York entertainment columnist Ed Sullivan. It was replaced in September 1971 by the ''CB ...

'' (1960, 1961, & 1962). Grant sang the title theme for the 1959 film '' Imitation of Life''. He died instantly in a car accident in

Lordsburg, New Mexico Lordsburg is a city in and the county seat of Hidalgo County, New Mexico, United States. Hidalgo County includes the southern "bootheel" of New Mexico, along the Arizona border. The population was 2,335 at the 2020 census. History Lordsburg w ...

, at the age of 39 when the car he was driving ran off

Interstate 10 Interstate 10 (I-10) is the southernmost transcontinental highway in the Interstate Highway System of the United States. It is the fourth-longest Interstate in the country at , following I-90, I-80, and I-40. It was part of the origina ...

. He was driving from Los Angeles to an intended destination in

Ciudad Juárez Ciudad Juárez ( , ; "Juárez City"), commonly referred to as just Juárez (Lipan language, Lipan: ''Tsé Táhú'ayá''), is the most populous city in the Administrative divisions of Mexico, Mexican state of Chihuahua (state), Chihuahua. It was k ...

, Mexico, for an appearance at the La Fiesta nightclub. His 17-year-old cousin, Roosevelt Woods III, was also killed in the accident.

Discography

* ''The Versatile Earl Grant'' (

Decca Decca may refer to: Music * Decca Records or Decca Music Group, record label * Decca Gold, classical music record label owned by Universal Music Group * Decca Broadway, musical theater record label * Decca Studios, recording facility in West ...

DL-8672, 1958) * ''The End'' (Decca DL-8830, 1958) * ''Midnight Earl'' (Decca DL-9201, 1958) * ''Grant Takes Rhythm'' (Decca DL-8905, 1959) * ''Nothin' But The Blues'' (Decca DL-8916, 1959) * ''Paris Is My Beat'' (Decca DL-8935, 1959) * ''The Magic of Earl Grant'' (Decca DL-74044, 1960) * ''Ebb Tide (And Other Instrumental Favorites)'' (Decca DL-74165, 1961) * ''Earl After Dark'' (Decca DL-74188, 1961) * ''Beyond The Reef (And Other Instrumental Favorites)'' (Decca DL-74231, 1962) * ''At Basin Street East'' (Decca DL-74299, 1962) * ''Midnight Sun'' (Decca DL-74338, 1962) * ''Yes Sirree!'' (Decca DL-74405, 1963) * ''Fly Me To The Moon'' (Decca DL-74454, 1963) * ''Just For A Thrill'' (Decca DL-74506, 1964) * ''Just One More Time (And Other Instrumental Favorites)'' (Decca DL-74576, 1964) * ''Trade Winds'' (Decca DL-74623, 1965) * ''Spotlight on Earl Grant'' (Decca DL-74624, 1965) * ''Winter Wonderland'' (Decca DL-74677, 1965) * ''Sings and Plays Songs Made Famous By Nat Cole'' (Decca DL-74729, 1966) * ''Stand By Me'' (Decca DL-74738, 1966) * ''Bali Ha'i'' (Decca DL-74806, 1966) * ''A Closer Walk With Thee'' (Decca DL-74811, 1966) * ''Earl Grant's Greatest Hits'' (Decca DL-74813, 1967) * ''Gently Swingin' '' (Decca DL-74937, 1968) * ''Spanish Eyes'' (Decca DL-74974, 1968) * ''In Motion!'' (Decca DL-75052, 1968) * ''This Magic Moment'' (Decca DL-75108, 1969) * ''A Time For Us'' (Decca DL-75158, 1969) * ''Earl Grant'' (Decca DL-75223, 1970) * ''The Best Of Earl Grant Singin' And Swingin (CD) (MCA 008811183820, 1998)

Charted albums

Charted singles

Notes

References

External links

* * 1931 births 1970 deaths People from Idabel, Oklahoma African-American pianists American male organists Musicians from Oklahoma Decca Records artists Road incident deaths in New Mexico Burials at Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Hollywood Hills) 20th-century American pianists 20th-century American organists American male pianists 20th-century male pianists 20th-century American male musicians 20th-century African-American musicians {{Oklahoma-stub