Fa'anana Jerome Grey (born March 23, 1947) is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and composer.

Early life and education

Grey was educated at Chanel College in Apia.

Career

Jerome Grey is a Samoan musician based in

California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...

. His song "We Are Samoa" was popular and became an unofficial anthem for the country. Among the musicians he has worked with are Seminary Uesele and Harry Sinapi, collectively known as the Samoan Three. He released recordings on New Zealand-based

Hibiscus Records Reed Publishing (NZ) Ltd (formerly A. H. Reed Ltd and A. H. and A. W. Reed Ltd) was one of the leading publishers in New Zealand. It was founded by Alfred Hamish Reed and his wife Isabel in 1907. Reed's nephew Alexander Wyclif Reed joined the ...

. His first single was "Olaga O Samoa". The Samoa Three, the group he started in 1971 was a popular trio who played contemporary, oldies and ballads including covers of

Frank Sinatra Francis Albert Sinatra (; December 12, 1915 – May 14, 1998) was an American singer and actor. Honorific nicknames in popular music, Nicknamed the "Chairman of the Board" and "Ol' Blue Eyes", he is regarded as one of the Time 100: The Most I ...

Tony Bennett Anthony Dominick Benedetto (August 3, 1926 – July 21, 2023), known professionally as Tony Bennett, was an American jazz and traditional pop singer. He received many accolades, including 20 Grammy Awards, a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, ...

Nat King Cole Nathaniel Adams Coles (March 17, 1919 – February 15, 1965), known professionally as Nat King Cole, alternatively billed as Nat "King" Cole, was an American singer, jazz pianist, and actor. Cole's career as a jazz and Traditional pop, pop ...

and Sammy Davis. They were best known for their versatility in cultural songs, from Spanish to Latin, Hawaiian, Tahitian and Fijian. He raised the house with his rendition of the

Hava Nagila "Hava Nagila" (, ''Hāvā Nāgīlā'', "Let us rejoice") is a Jewish folk song. It is traditionally sung at celebrations, such as weddings, Bar and bat mitzvahs, and other Jewish holidays among the Jewish community. Written in 1918, it quickly ...

. Grey enjoyed covering

Johnny Cash John R. Cash (born J. R. Cash; February 26, 1932 – September 12, 2003) was an American singer-songwriter. Most of his music contains themes of sorrow, moral tribulation, and redemption, especially songs from the later stages of his career. ...

George Strait George Harvey Strait Sr. (born May 18, 1952) is an American country music singer, songwriter, actor, and music producer. Strait has sold over 120 million records worldwide, making him one of the best-selling music artists of all time. He holds ...

Kenny Rogers Kenneth Ray Rogers (born Kenneth Donald Rogers) (August 21, 1938 – March 20, 2020) was an American singer and songwriter. He was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, Country Music Hall of Fame in 2013. Rogers was particul ...

and

Glen Campbell Glen Travis Campbell (April 22, 1936 – August 8, 2017) was an American country musician and actor. He was best known for a series of hit songs in the 1960s and 1970s, and for hosting ''The Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour'' on CBS television from ...

. With Aleki Fuimaono and Harry Miller as The Ava Band, the ''Ava'' LP was released in 1979 on Bluewater Records, produced by Frank Day and executive producer Tom Moffatt. The LP ''We Are Samoa'' followed in 1980, recorded in Hawaii and in Hollywood at Conway Records. In 1973 he was awarded the matai title of Fepuleai. In January 2007 Grey suffered a mild stroke while working at Mai Tai in

Long Beach, California Long Beach is a coastal city in southeastern Los Angeles County, California, United States. It is the list of United States cities by population, 44th-most populous city in the United States, with a population of 451,307 as of 2022. A charter ci ...

. After four months he was back to work, slowly improving. In August 2021 he was named as "Polynesia’s Artist of the Decade" by the Asia Pacific Cultural Center in

Tacoma Tacoma ( ) is the county seat of Pierce County, Washington, United States. A port city, it is situated along Washington's Puget Sound, southwest of Seattle, southwest of Bellevue, northeast of the state capital, Olympia, northwest of Mount ...

, Washington. In July 2022 the

Pacific Music Awards The Pacific Music Awards are an annual New Zealand music award ceremony since 2005 that honours excellence in Pacific music in New Zealand. The awards honour musicians who primarily work in the Pacific Island style of music from the Music of the ...

announced that he would receive their 2022 lifetime achievement award.

Personal life

His eldest son, Tinifu Loa Grey, is a singer, composer, and musician. His youngest son, Taumata, is a songwriter and lead guitarist for

Common Kings Common Kings is an American, Hawaiian, and Samoan reggae rock/pop band from Orange County, California. The band's debut album, ''Lost in Paradise'', was nominated for a Grammy Award. History Formation (2011) Born in the South Pacific and raised ...

. His daughter, Sisa Grey, is an actress.

Discography

45 RPM EP

* ''Jerome Grey at the Intercontinental, Songs of Samoa'' – Hisbiscus Records HE.6

Albums

* ''We Are Samoa'' – Jerome Grey Productions / Reminisce Music Publishing (1980)Island Beat
Jerome Grey We Are Samoa
/ref> * ''Footprints (''compact disc) * ''Coconut Woman'' – Jerome Grey Productions / Reminisce Music Publishing (1989)

The Ava Band

* ''Ava'' – Bluewater Records SLP 633 (1979) * ''We Are Samoa'' – Bluewater Records SLP 733 (1980)

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Grey, Jerome 1947 births Living people American musicians Hibiscus Records artists People from Apia Samoan emigrants to the United States Music of Samoa