Earl Grant
Earl Grant was an American musician celebrated for his skills as a pianist, organist, and vocalist, achieving popularity during the 1950s and 1960s. Born on January 20, 1931, in Idabel, Oklahoma, Grant was the son of a Baptist minister and one of twelve children. He began playing the piano and organ at his father's church services at the age of four. He pursued music education, attending four music schools and eventually becoming a music teacher after graduating from the University of Southern California.
Grant's professional career took off after he joined the United States Army in 1953, where he was stationed at Fort Bliss, Texas. During his service, he performed in local clubs, gaining popularity. After his discharge in 1957, he signed with Decca Records and released his first single, "The End," which reached number seven on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1958. His most renowned hit, "Ebb Tide," released in 1961, sold over one million copies and earned gold disc status.
Throughout his career, Grant recorded 30 albums for Decca Records and produced numerous charting singles, including "Swingin' Gently," "House of Bamboo," and "Sweet Sixteen Bars." His work often featured collaborations with tenor saxophonist Plas Johnson. Grant also appeared in films and on television, including "Tender Is the Night" (1962), "Juke Box Rhythm" (1959), and "The Ed Sullivan Show."
Tragically, Earl Grant's life was cut short when he died in a car accident on June 10, 1970, in Lordsburg, New Mexico, at the age of 39. He was en route to a nightclub performance in Ciudad Juárez, Mexico, when his car ran off Interstate 10, resulting in his and his cousin Roosevelt Woods III's deaths. Despite his untimely passing, Grant's contributions to music, particularly in the genres of easy listening, vocal pop, and early R&B, left a lasting legacy.
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