Bobby Grant is a fictional character from British soap opera, Brookside played by Ricky Tomlinson. Bobby appeared in Brookside from the first episode in 1982 until the character's departure in 1988. Bobby was the first character in the series to have a spoken line after a milkman and then Annabelle Collins had silent appearances.

Character[link]

The Grant family originally consisted of Bobby Grant, Sheila Grant, Barry Grant, Karen Grant and Damon Grant. The whole family appeared in the first episode and were the first to move into the new houses on Brookside Close, moving into No. 5.

Prior to moving onto Brookside Close, the Grant family were from a run-down inner-city council estate, however through Bobby and Sheila's thrift and hard work had managed to move to the 'middle class' Brookside Close.

A fourth child, Claire, was born on 8 January 1985 - the very first baby to be born in the series, more than two years after its inception.^[1]

Bobby Grant could be a domineering man over his family, and throughout the series was shown to regularly hit his son Damon for minor misdemeanours. Bobby Grant's role as patriarch of the Grant family was tested in 1986 when wife Sheila was raped. The character was a longtime friend of Matty Nolan and also endured a difficult relationship with neighbour, Paul Collins.

Politics[link]

Bobby Grant was a politicised character, and throughout the early years of the soap was a committed socialist and trade union activist and the story lines reflected this. The stories of trade union activity were on the Zeitgeist of the early 1980s when unemployment was high - particularly in Liverpool - and there was considerable industrial unrest at the time. In the opening episodes, Bobby is asked to take a pay cut and from here the political beliefs of the character are set out.^[2]

Despite being an ardent socialist, Bobby is also a realist and a moderate. As a shop-steward he is seen to liase with his members, often defending management against false accusations. Many of Bobby's co-workers are somewhat more militant than he is but given Bobby's realistic appraisal of the world he realises that Fairbanks management look for any excuse to rid themselves of militants and so he refrains from making ill-considered accusations.

Trade union activities[link]

Bobby Grant was the trade union shop steward at the factory where he worked, and he was largely involved in the orchestrating of industrial action. In the course of his duties he was accused of abusing his position as a shop steward with regards to the allocation of overtime, in the belief that he was using his power to ensure his shift had all of the overtime. Bobby calls in the Health and Safety inspectors at Billinge Chemicals after he discovers many of the staff suffer from asbestosis. During a strike over unsafe working conditions in February 1987, Bobby loses authority of union members after he refuses to answer whether he is in the Militant Tendency.

Breakdown of marriage with Sheila[link]

After Sheila was raped in 1986 and the death of son Damon in 1987, Bobby and Sheila's marriage began to falter. The two started to attend marriage guidance and Sheila sought advice from her priest. The pair finally split in May 1988 with Bobby taking the decision to leave Sheila.^[3] Bobby left the soap, although Sheila remained in it until September 1990 later marrying Billy Corkhill, she also made several one-off appearances in the soap, the final one being in 1998.

References[link]

Ricky Tomlinson
Tomlinson in 2008.
Born	Eric Tomlinson (1939-09-26) 26 September 1939 (age 72) Bispham, Blackpool, England
Occupation	Actor, Comedian, Political activist
Years active	1982–present
Spouse	Marlene Tomlinson (1962–86) (divorced) Rita Cumiskey (2003–present)

Eric Tomlinson (born 26 September 1939), known by his stage name Ricky Tomlinson, is an English actor, comedian and activist best known for his roles as Bobby Grant in Brookside, DCI Charlie Wise in Cracker and Jim Royle in The Royle Family.

Early life[link]

Tomlinson was born Eric Tomlinson in Bispham, Blackpool, Lancashire, but has lived in Liverpool nearly all his life. Tomlinson was born in Bispham because his mother, Peggy, was evacuated there due to the Liverpool Blitz in World War II. On 22 March 1962 he married first wife Marlene; they had three children.^[1]

A gifted and qualified plasterer by trade, he worked on various building sites for many years becoming actively involved in politics (firstly with the far-right, then more predominantly with the far-left). In 1968 he joined the National Front in support of less immigration after Enoch Powell's Rivers of Blood speech.^[2] His views gradually changed over time and in 1972 he joined the flying pickets in a building workers' dispute in Shrewsbury. In 1973, Tomlinson was sentenced to two years in prison after being found guilty of 'conspiracy to intimidate' as one of the so-called Shrewsbury Two. After his release in 1975, he disrupted the TUC conference by shouting from the wings after he had been prevented from speaking from the stage. It was revealed in 2002 that MI5 had monitored him during the 1970s.

Personal life and career[link]

As an actor he has found considerable success, appearing as Bobby Grant in the soap opera Brookside between 1982 and 1988, as DCI Charlie Wise in Cracker and as Jim Royle in the sitcom The Royle Family. He also made a song called We're Gonna Win With Capello.

In 2002 Tomlinson starred in the BBC Series Nice Guy Eddie playing a Liverpool private investigator. Using down-to-earth cases - actually based upon real-life ones from Liverpool private investigator Tony Smith - the show also starred Tom Ellis and John Henshaw.

Tomlinson featured heavily in series two of Paul Abbott's series Clocking Off, in a BAFTA-nominated episode written by Danny Brocklehurst.

Tomlinson has also starred in several films, notably Mike Bassett: England Manager, Raining Stones and Hillsborough, a made-for-TV film about the families of the victims of the Hillsborough Stadium disaster, in which he portrayed John Glover - the father of victim Ian.

Tomlinson has fronted a series of television adverts for the utility company British Gas. In January 2010 he began to appear in a series of advertisements for the frozen food chain Farmfoods.

In 2003 he published an autobiography, entitled Ricky, which spent five weeks at the top of the UK best-selling new books chart. In the book, Tomlinson admitted to having a number of affairs as well as describing in detail his time in prison.

Tomlinson is also a keen banjo and harpsichord player, and has played the instruments in many episodes of The Royle Family. In 2001 he teamed up with fellow Brookside actor, Michael Starke and other friends for his own rendition of well-known folk songs including "It's A Long Way To Tipperary" and a cover of The Pogues' "Are You Lookin' At Me?". A CD album entitled Music My Arse was released the same year, it managed to peak at Number 127 in the UK Albums Chart. He released a single at Christmas 2006 entitled Christmas My Arse which reached #25 in the UK Singles Chart.

On 19 June 2006 Tomlinson made his debut as the guest celebrity in Dictionary Corner on the long-running UK Channel 4 game show Countdown. In the summer of 2006, Tomlinson toured at theatres across the UK with his show An Evening with Ricky Tomlinson where he was interviewed about his life by Elton Welsby. In December 2006 he presented a programme in Five's Disappearing Britain series entitled When Coal was King, in which he made controversial comments about Margaret Thatcher's potential death.

In March 2007, Tomlinson presented BBC's One Life: Guilty My Arse^[3], detailing his version of the Shrewsbury Two case, in which he compared his political activism as a trade unionist to the work of the suffragettes. In June 2007, Tomlinson Liverpool-based Royle Motors garage joined Good Garage Scheme (Forte), an online Forte Libricants association requiring its member garages to adhere to strict customer service guidelines.^[4] On 19 October 2007 Tomlinson had a major heart operation and underwent a quadruple heart bypass at Liverpool's Cardiothoracic Centre. Consultant cardiac surgeon Aung Oo said: "The operation went according to plan and he is now recovering within the hospital's critical care unit."^[5]

During 2008 and 2009 Tomlinson took his Laughter Show theatrical revue on tour of the United Kingdom with fellow comedians Tony Barton, Duncan Norvelle and Pauline Daniels.

In 2009 he had a leading role as the Head Judge in the "VMH Club Star Talent Trail", a local talent-based competition held at the VMH Club in Garston, Liverpool. A large number of North-West based performers entered the competition which was ultimately won by 14 year old Shaun Walsh from Liverpool.

In May 2010 Tomlinson opened his own cabaret club in Liverpool, The Green Room. The comic has teamed up with brothers Richard and Simon Wallace, from Liverpool production company Red Hot Media, to open the 250-seater cabaret lounge on Duke Street, Liverpool.

In March 2011 Tomlinson acted in an advertising campaign for furniture and furnishing store, The Range.

Politics[link]

Tomlinson is a friend of Arthur Scargill and often appears on party election broadcasts for Scargill's Socialist Labour Party, most recently for the 2009 European Parliament elections, being its most prominent celebrity supporter since its formation in 1996 following a split by left-wing Labour members in response to Tony Blair's re-writing of Clause IV which ended the party's commitment to nationalisation.

He has also shown his support for the Campaign for a New Workers' Party. A public meeting was hosted by the CNWP in Liverpool on Monday 12 February 2007 which was addressed by Ricky Tomlinson alongside Tommy Sheridan and Tony Mulhearn in which he used the slogan "New Labour my arse".

He is mentioned in the Chumbawamba song, "I'm not sorry, I was having fun", in reference to his support for the Socialist Labour Party.

On 5 February 2010, Tomlinson revealed his plan to stand as the Socialist Labour Party's candidate for the Liverpool Wavertree constituency at the 2010 General Election in protest at the selection of Luciana Berger, a 28-year old Londoner as the Labour Party candidate. However, Kim Singleton was ultimately selected for the seat. In a statement, the SLP said that he could not contest the election due to "personal and contractual commitments".^[6] Mr Tomlinson added: "I am disappointed not to be able to stand. But I am pleased to give the chosen candidate my wholehearted support."^[7] He has also commented that there is now "no difference between the Conservatives and New Labour".^[8]

Earlier in his life, Tomlinson was a member of the far right National Front. He now regrets this association.^[9] He is an outspoken critic of Margaret Thatcher (Conservative prime minister of the United Kingdom from 1979 to 1990),^[10] who was deeply unpopular on Tomlinson's native Merseyside as the area suffered from some of the United Kingdom's highest unemployment levels, as well as severe civil unrest, during her premiership.^[11]

Charity work[link]

In 2008, Tomlinson donated £200,000 as patron of the Human Milk Bank of Cheshire and North Wales.^[12] The charity provides babies on Special Care Baby Units with milk from donor mothers, significantly improving their chances of survival and long term development. He is quoted as saying: "Due to my own recent experiences with my health, I know how much hospitals and appeals appreciate help and assistance. This is such an important service which can help so many families and I'm very honoured to be the patron."

In November 2010 it was reported that Tomlinson had donated £1million to the Alder Hey Children's Hospital in Liverpool two years previously.^[13]

Filmography[link]

• Boys from the Blackstuff (1982)
• Brookside (TV series) (1982–1988)
• Riff-Raff (1990)
• Raining Stones (1993)
• Roughnecks (TV series) (1994–1995)
• Cracker (TV series) (1994–1996)
• Butterfly Kiss (1995)
• Bob's Weekend (1996)
• Hillsborough (1996)
• Das Leben ist eine Baustelle (1997)
• The Fix (1997)
• Preaching to the Perverted (1997)
• Mojo (1997)
• Playing the Field (TV series) (1998–2002)
• The Royle Family (TV series) (1998–present)
• Dockers (TV drama) (1999)
• The Greatest Store in the World (1999)
• Nasty Neighbours (2000)
• Mike Bassett: England Manager (2001)
• The 51st State (2001)
• Derek (feature film) (2001)
• Once Upon a Time in the Midlands (2002)
• Al's Lads (2002)
• The Virgin of Liverpool (2003)
• Mike Bassett: Manager (TV series) (2005)
• Stepdad (2007)
• Football My Arse (DVD 2007)
• Laughter Show- Live (DVD 2008)
• Nativity! (2009)
• Flutter (2010)

References[link]

External links[link]

• BBC profile, retrieved December 14, 2007
• "Ricky Tomlinson: Royle Rebel", BBC, 28 September 2001
• Ricky Tomlinson at the Internet Movie Database
• Detailed account of Ricky Tomlins
• Ricky Tomlinson's speech from the dock after being convicted for his part in the 1972 Builder's Strike.
• [1] The Green Room caberet club in Liverpool

Peter Cetera
Peter Cetera in 2004
Background information
Birth name	Peter Paul Cetera
Born	(1944-09-13) September 13, 1944 (age 67)
Origin	Chicago, Illinois, USA
Genres	Rock Adult contemporary
Instruments	Vocals Electric bass Guitar
Years active	1966–present
Labels	Warner Bros. Records River North Records
Associated acts	Chicago
Website	www.petercetera.com

Peter Paul Cetera ( /səˈtɛrə/ sə-TERR-ə; born September 13, 1944 in Chicago, Illinois) is an American singer, songwriter, bassist and producer best known for being an original member of the rock band Chicago, before launching a successful solo career.^[1] As a solo artist, Cetera has scored six Top 40 singles, including two that reached number 1 on Billboard's Hot 100 chart.

Early life[link]

Family[link]

Cetera was born and raised in the Morgan Park section of Chicago, Illinois, located on the far South Side.^[2] He was the second of six children and is of Polish descent. According to one source his father worked as a "machinist".^[3] Cetera's siblings include two brothers, Tim Cetera^[4][5] and Kenny Cetera,^[2] who are listed as contributing musicians on some of the recordings he made with Chicago and on some of his solo recordings.

Formal education[link]

Cetera attended Mendel Catholic Prep High School, graduating in 1962, and is listed among the "Notable Alumni".^[6]

Musical beginnings[link]

Cetera's interest in music began at 11 years of age when his parents bought him an accordion instead of the guitar he wanted. When he was 15, some older students from his high school took him to a club to see a band called The Rebel Rockers, which led to his purchasing an acoustic guitar at Montgomery Ward.^[2]

He eventually took up the electric bass, and with some high school friends—a drummer, guitarist and saxophone player—Cetera began playing the local dance circuit, dividing lead vocals with the guitarist. Cetera played in several groups in the Chicago area, including a popular local rock band named The Exceptions, which toured the Midwest in the mid 1960s, releasing two albums and several singles.^[2][7] Cetera is quoted as saying, "By the time I was 18 I was making more money than my dad."^[2]

Professional music career[link]

Tenure in Chicago[link]

In December 1967, Cetera arrived early for a show to watch a band called The Big Thing. Impressed by their use of a horn section combined with rock and roll, Cetera left The Exceptions to join The Big Thing within two weeks. The Big Thing, which soon changed its name to The Chicago Transit Authority (and eventually shortened it to Chicago after complaints by the actual CTA), released their self-titled debut album The Chicago Transit Authority on Columbia Records in 1969. Cetera sang lead vocal on three of the eleven songs on the album, with his tenor voice complementing the baritone voices of the two other lead singers in the group, keyboardist Robert Lamm and guitarist Terry Kath.

His trademark singing style would develop as a result of having to sing for a period of time with a wired-shut jaw after getting into a brawl at a Los Angeles Dodgers game in 1969.^[8]

The follow-up album, Chicago, vaulted the band to popular status throughout the world. The song "25 or 6 to 4" was the first major hit single with Cetera singing lead vocals. Chicago is also notable for featuring Cetera's first songwriting effort, "Where Do We Go From Here?"

As the 1970s progressed, Cetera would become a more prolific songwriter for the group, contributing the hits "Wishing You Were Here" (#11) and "Happy Man" from the 1974 album Chicago VII. His biggest singing and songwriting accomplishment with Chicago came in 1976 with their first worldwide No. 1 single, the ballad "If You Leave Me Now." Cetera's next composition in 1977, "Baby, What A Big Surprise" (#4), also became a major hit and cemented the band's status in the late 1970s as a "ballad band."

By the end of the 1970s, with the rise of disco music, Chicago's popularity declined, culminating in the release of the band's poorest-selling album Chicago XIV (#71) in 1980. Columbia Records subsequently bought out the remainder of Chicago's contract.

In 1981, Cetera released his first solo album, Peter Cetera, on Warner Bros. Records, after personally buying the rights from his previous contract with Columbia Records, who would not release the project. The album was, subsequently, a commercial failure, which Cetera attributed to Warner Bros.' refusal to promote him as a solo artist out of fear that he would leave Chicago, who had only recently signed with the label.^[1]

In 1982, David Foster was brought in as producer and the resulting group effort was Chicago 16 (#9). The album represented a major comeback for Chicago, and leading the way was the hit single co-written (with Foster) and featured Cetera on lead vocals, "Hard to Say I'm Sorry," which went to #1 in the charts. The song also featured in the movie 'Summer Lovers' starring Daryl Hannah. The second single, "Love Me Tomorrow," was also co-written (again with Foster) and sung by Cetera, reaching No. 22 on the singles chart. The third single, "What You're Missing," was yet again sung by Cetera. In 1983, he took a break from his duties as Chicago frontman to add backing vocals on Paul Anka's final U.S. Top-40 hit Hold Me Til The Mornin' Comes, which debuted in the summer of that year.

When Chicago 17 was released in 1984, it became the veteran band's most successful selling album in their history, eventually going on to sell over 6 million copies in the United States alone. All four singles released from the album were sung by Cetera, including three which he co-wrote, and all of them charted in the top 20: "Stay the Night" (#16), "Hard Habit to Break" (#3), "You're the Inspiration" (#3) and "Along Comes a Woman" (#14).

With the advent of the music video and the growing popularity of MTV, Cetera became the 'face' and public leader of the longtime faceless band that was Chicago.^[9]

Departure from Chicago[link]

With his newfound popularity, Cetera was interested in recording another solo album. In addition, he had stated his lack of interest for the extensive touring schedule of the band, especially to promote Chicago 17. When the 17 Tour concluded in May 1985, Chicago's management, along with several members of the band, had expressed a desire to book another tour for that summer and start work on the next Chicago album. Cetera insisted that they take a break from touring so that he could concentrate on a solo album and spend more time with his family.

After the band rejected his offer to stay in the band while recording a solo album (similar to the arrangement between Phil Collins and Genesis at the time), it was announced that Cetera and Chicago would go their separate ways in July 1985.^[1]

Solo career[link]

Almost immediately, Cetera continued his streak of success. His first single, "Glory of Love" (the theme to the movie The Karate Kid, Part II), was a US No. 1 hit in 1986, and achieved similar success throughout the world.^[1] It went on to win an ASCAP Award for Most Performed Songs from Motion Pictures and a BMI Film & TV Award for Most Performed Song from a Film. It was also nominated for both an Academy Award and a Golden Globe in the category of Best Original Song, as well as a Grammy Award for Best Pop Vocal Performance by a Male Artist.^[10]

His album, Solitude/Solitaire, released in 1986, was also successful, selling over 1 million copies and producing another No. 1 hit single, "The Next Time I Fall," a duet with Amy Grant,^[11] which was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Pop Vocal Performance by a Duo or Group. In fact, Solitude/Solitaire outsold Chicago 18 (#35), the first Chicago album without him.

In 1988 he teamed up with producer Patrick Leonard and released his third solo album, One More Story, who contained the No. 4 hit single "One Good Woman" and "Save Me," the original opening theme for the television show Baywatch. Leonard co-wrote 8 of 10 songs, including the title song "One More Story", and he also played piano and synthesizers on the album. "Save Me" was co-written with David Foster, who also co-wrote the previous hit "Glory of Love".

The album also included another duet, "Sheherazade", this time with Madonna in cameo as 'Lulu Smith'. They were brought together by Patrick Leonard who had written and produced several of Madonna's hits.

In 1989, Cetera recorded another duet, this time with Cher, called "After All,"^[7] which was included on the soundtrack of the movie Chances Are. It reached #6 on the US charts..

In 1992, his final album on Warner Bros. Records, World Falling Down, was released. It featured the Adult Contemporary #1 hit, "Restless Heart", as well as two other successful singles: "Even a Fool Can See" and a duet with Chaka Khan, "Feels Like Heaven."

In 1995, Cetera released his first album for River North Records, One Clear Voice, and featured the hit single, "(I Wanna Take) Forever Tonight," a duet with actress Crystal Bernard. Following the release of the album, Cetera launched his first solo tour—accompanied by his River North labelmate, country singer Ronna Reeves – lasting into 1996.^[7]

1997 brought You're the Inspiration: A Collection, a collection of all his duets from over the years, along with three re-recorded songs he had written while a member of Chicago, and two brand new recordings.

2001 saw the release of Another Perfect World.^[7]

In 2002, Cetera performed a medley of four of his songs at The Concert for World Children's Day, backed by David Foster and an orchestra at Arie Crown Theater in Chicago. Subsequently, this led to his appearance, in 2003, with the Chicago Pops Orchestra on the PBS music program Soundstage, which was broadcast throughout the United States and released on DVD.

From 2003 until the summer of 2007, Cetera performed a very limited number of concerts each year with a 40 piece orchestra, playing re-arrangements of songs from throughout his career, including several from his tenure as a member of Chicago.

In 2004, Cetera released a collection of holiday classics, You Just Gotta Love Christmas, which featured background and duet vocals by his eldest daughter, Claire.

Cetera has sung "Take Me Out to the Ball Game" at Wrigley Field for a Chicago Cubs game at least three times: in 2003;^[12] on August 16, 2007, for a game that was televised on WGN-TV;^[12] and again on May 2, 2009 on Comcast Sports Net.

In December 2007, Cetera embarked on the You Just Gotta Love Christmas tour of the United States. It marked his return to a traditional rock band show, his first since 1996, featured songs from his 2004 Christmas album and from throughout his career.

Shortly after Cetera was featured in the cover story of the December 2007 issue of Bass Player magazine he saw Mike Huckabee, former governor of Arkansas, playing bass guitar on television. Cetera sent his compliments, along with an autographed copy of the issue, to Huckabee, who was at that time a presidential hopeful in the 2008 Republican primaries. Huckabee said, “I was totally awestruck to get a letter from Peter Cetera. …having one of the greatest bass players in my generation give me a compliment is like winning New Hampshire." ^[13]

Acting credits[link]

Cetera has appeared in two movies: Electra Glide in Blue, filmed in 1973, where he played the character of Bob Zemko; and Sidney Sheldon's Memories of Midnight, a 1991 television movie made for the USA Network, where he played the role of Larry Douglas. He appeared in the 2010 Adult Swim program Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job!.

Personal life[link]

In 1982, Cetera married Diane Nini, with whom he had his first daughter.^[14] Claire, born in 1983, graduated from the University of Southern California in 2006 and is currently an artist, actor, singer and producer living in Los Angeles. She was previously a competitive snowboarder.^[15] This was Cetera's second marriage. An earlier marriage to first wife Janice ended in divorce. Cetera and Nini divorced in 1991. For a period of time, Cetera was brother-in-law to bandmate Robert Lamm, who had married Diane's sister, Julie.^[3] They have since been divorced.

His second daughter, Senna, born in 1997 by an ex-girlfriend, Blythe Weber, who was an A&R executive for his former records label, River North Records/Platinum Entertainment. Senna lives in Nashville, where in 2006, she starred in the music video for country singer Josh Turner's song, "Would You Go with Me," which was a No. 1 hit on the Billboard Hot Country Songs Chart.

Cetera has lived in Sun Valley, Idaho, since the mid-1980s, where he routinely participates in numerous sports, including basketball, mountain biking, soccer, ice hockey and motorcycling.^[14][16]

Cetera was mentioned in an advertisement for Heineken beer. A young man at an assisted living home asked one of the residents why he liked Peter Cetera. The older resident replied that he didn't like Cetera, but the ladies did, "and if you like the ladies, then by default, you like Cetera."

Discography[link]

^[17]

• 1981 – Peter Cetera #143 US
• 1986 – Solitude/Solitaire #23 US (Platinum), #56 UK
• 1988 – One More Story #58 US
• 1992 – World Falling Down #163 US
• 1995 – One Clear Voice
• 1997 – You're the Inspiration: A Collection #134 US
• 2001 – Another Perfect World
• 2004 – You Just Gotta Love Christmas

Singles[link]

Featured singles[link]

Movie soundtracks[link]

• 1982 – Summer Lovers – "Hard to Say I'm Sorry"
• 1986 – The Karate Kid, Part II – "Glory of Love"
• 1987 – Princess from the Moon (jp) – "Stay With Me"
• 1987 – Three Men and a Baby – "Daddy's Girl"
• 1989 – Chances Are – "After All" (with Cher)
• 1990 – Pretty Woman – "No Explanation"

Television[link]

• 1990 – Baywatch – opening credits (original NBC Season 1 only) "Save Me"
• 2010 – Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job! – Greene Machine^[23]

Music videos[link]

Notes and references[link]

External links[link]

• Peter Cetera official website
• Peter Cetera at the Internet Movie Database
• Peter Cetera PBS Soundstage show
• All songs lyrics

Amy Grant
Grant performing in October 2008
Background information
Birth name	Amy Lee Grant
Born	(1960-11-25) November 25, 1960 (age 51) Augusta, Georgia, United States
Origin	Nashville, Tennessee
Genres	Contemporary Christian, pop rock, soft rock
Occupations	Singer-songwriter, musician, author, actress
Instruments	Vocals, guitar, piano/keyboard
Years active	1976–present
Labels	Myrrh, A&M, Word, Sparrow
Associated acts	Vince Gill, Gary Chapman, Michael W. Smith
Website	amygrant.com

Amy Lee Grant (born November 25, 1960) is an American singer-songwriter, musician, author, media personality and actress, best known for her Christian music. She has been referred to as "The Queen of Christian Pop". As of 2009, Grant remains the best-selling contemporary Christian music singer ever, having sold over 30 million units worldwide.

Grant made her debut as a teenager, and gained fame in Christian music during the 1980s with such hits as "Father's Eyes," "El Shaddai", and "Angels". In 1986, she scored her first Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 song in a duet with Peter Cetera The Next Time I Fall. During the 1980s and 1990s, she became one of the first gospel artists to cross over into mainstream pop on the heels of her successful albums Unguarded and Heart in Motion, the latter of which included the No. 1 single "Baby Baby."

Grant has won six Grammy Awards, 25 Gospel Music Association Dove Awards, and had the first Christian album ever to go Platinum.^[1] Heart in Motion is her highest-selling album, with over five million copies sold in the United States alone. She was honored with a star on Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2005 for her contributions to the entertainment industry.

Biography[link]

Early years[link]

Grant (born in Augusta, Georgia) is the youngest of four sisters. She and her family settled in Nashville, Tennessee in 1967.^[2]

During 1976, Grant wrote her first song ("Mountain Man"), performed in public for the first time—at Harpeth Hall School—the all-girls school she attended, recorded a demo tape for her parents with church youth-leader Brown Bannister, then later when Bannister was dubbing a copy of the tape, Chris Christian, the owner of the recording studio, heard the demo and called Word Records. He played it over the phone, and she was offered a recording contract, five weeks before her 16th birthday. In 1977, she recorded her first album titled Amy Grant, produced by Brown Bannister (who would also produce her next 11 albums). It was released in the Spring of 1978, one month before her high school graduation. That fall she performed her first ticketed concert—in Fort Worth, Texas—after beginning her freshman year at Furman University. In May 1979, while at the album release party for her second album, My Father's Eyes, Grant met Gary Chapman, writer of the title track (and future husband). Grant & Chapman toured together the summer of 1979. In the fall of 1980, she transferred to Vanderbilt University, where she was a member of the sorority Kappa Alpha Theta.^[2] Grant then made a few more albums before dropping out of college to pursue a career in music—Never Alone, followed by a pair of live albums in 1981 (In Concert and In Concert Volume Two), both backed by an augmented edition of the DeGarmo & Key band. It was during these early shows that Grant also established one of her concert trademarks: performing barefoot. To date, Grant continues to take off her shoes midway through performances, as she has said "it is just more comfortable."^[3][4]

1982 saw the release of her breakthrough album Age to Age. The album contains the signature track, "El Shaddai" (written by Michael Card) and the Grant-Chapman penned song, "In a Little While". "El Shaddai" was later awarded one of the "Songs of the Century" by the RIAA in 2001. Grant received her first Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Gospel Performance, as well as two GMA Dove Awards for Gospel Artist of the Year and Pop/Contemporary Album of the Year. Age to Age became the first Christian album by a solo artist to be certified gold (1983) and the first Christian album to be certified platinum (1985).^[1]

In the mid-1980s, Grant began touring and recording with young up-and-coming songwriter Michael W. Smith. Grant and Smith continue to have a strong friendship and creative relationship, often writing songs for or contributing vocals to each other's albums. During the 1980s, Grant was also a backup singer for Bill Gaither.^[5]

Grant followed up this album with the first of her Christmas albums—albums that later would be the basis for her holiday shows. In 1984, she released another pop-oriented Christian hit, Straight Ahead, earning Grant her first appearance at the Grammy Awards show in 1985. The head of NBC took notice of Grant's performance and called her manager to book her for her own Christmas special.^[2]

Widening audience[link]

Hardly had Grant established herself as the "Queen of Christian Pop" when she changed directions to widen her fan base (and hence her musical message). Her goal was to become the first Christian singer-songwriter who was also successful as a contemporary pop singer.^[6] Unguarded (1985) surprised some fans for its very mainstream sound (and Grant's leopard-print jacket, in four poses for four different covers). "Find a Way", from Unguarded, became the first Christian song to hit Billboard's Top 40 list, also reaching No. 7 on the Adult Contemporary chart. Amy Grant scored her first Billboard No. 1 song in 1986 with "The Next Time I Fall", a duet with former Chicago singer/bassist Peter Cetera. That year, she also recorded a duet with singer Randy Stonehill for his Love Beyond Reason album, entitled "I Could Never Say Goodbye", and recorded The Animals' Christmas with Art Garfunkel.

Lead Me On (1988) contained many songs that were about Christianity and love relationships, but some interpreted it as not being an obviously "Christian" record. Years later, Lead Me On would be chosen as the greatest Contemporary Christian album of all time by CCM Magazine. The mainstream song "Saved by Love" was a minor hit, receiving airplay on radio stations featuring the newly emerging Adult Contemporary format. The album's title song received some pop radio airplay and crossed over to No. 96 on the Billboard Hot 100, and "1974 (We Were Young)" and "Saved By Love" also charted as Adult Contemporary songs. In 1989 she appeared in a Target ad campaign, performing songs off the album.^[7]

In the mainstream[link]

Grant during her Behind the Eyes tour in 1998.

When Heart in Motion was released in 1991, many fans were surprised that the album was so clearly one of contemporary pop music. Grant's desire to widen her audience was frowned upon by the confines of the popular definitions of ministry at the time.^[8] The track "Baby Baby" (written for Grant's newborn daughter, Millie, whose "six-week-old face was my inspiration,") became a pop hit (hitting No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100), and Grant was established as a name in the mainstream music world. "Baby Baby" received Grammy nominations for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance, and Record and Song of the Year (although it failed to win in any of those categories). Four other hits from the album made the Pop top 20: "Every Heartbeat" (No. 2), "That's What Love Is For" (No. 7), "Good For Me" (No. 8), and "I Will Remember You" (No. 20). On the Adult Contemporary chart, all five songs were top 10 hits, with two of the five ("Baby Baby" and "That's What Love Is For") reaching No. 1. Many Christian fans remained loyal, putting the album atop Billboard's Contemporary Christian Chart for 32 weeks. Heart in Motion is Grant's best-selling album, having sold over 5 million copies according to the RIAA.^[9] Grant followed the album with her second Christmas album, Home For Christmas in 1992, which included the song "Breath of Heaven (Mary's Song)", written by Chris Eaton and Grant, and would later be covered by many artists, including Donna Summer, Jessica Simpson (who acknowledged Grant as one of her favorite artists), Vince Gill, Sara Groves, Point of Grace, and Broadway star Barbara Cook.

House of Love in 1994 continued in the same vein, boasting catchy pop songs mingled with spiritual lyrics. The album was a multi-platinum success and produced the pop hit "Lucky One" (No. 18 pop and No. 2 AC; No. 1 on Radio & Records) as well as the title track (a duet with country music star and future husband Vince Gill) (No. 37 pop) and a cover of Joni Mitchell's frequently covered "Big Yellow Taxi" (No. 67 pop) (in which she changed the line "And they charged the people a dollar and a half just to see em" to "And then they charged the people 25 bucks just to see em").

Grant participated in Lifetime's 1st Annual "Girls & Guitars" benefit, singing numerous songs, including a duet with Melissa Etheridge on "You Can Sleep While I Drive".

After she covered the 10cc song "The Things We Do For Love" for the Mr. Wrong soundtrack, Behind the Eyes was released in September 1997. The album struck a much darker note, leaning more towards downtempo, acoustic soft-rock songs, with more mature (yet still optimistic) lyrics. She called it her "razor blades and Prozac" album.^[10] Although "Takes A Little Time" was a moderate hit single, the album failed to sell like the previous two albums, which had both gone multi-platinum. Behind The Eyes was eventually certified Gold by the RIAA. The video for "Takes A Little Time" was a new direction for Grant; with a blue light filter, acoustic guitar, the streets and characters of New York City, and a plot, Grant was re-cast as an adult light rocker. She followed up "Behind The Eyes" with A Christmas To Remember, her third Christmas album, in 1999. The album was certified Gold in 2000.

In 2001, Grant sang God Bless America in front of a sellout crowd at the Owen County Fair Grounds in Spencer, Indiana. She dedicated her performance to the victims of 9/11, and officially started the Demolition Derby. Following the 9/11 attacks, Grant's "I Will Remember You" saw a resurgence in popularity as many radio DJs mixed a special tribute version of the song. That same year, Grant won $125,000 for charity on the "Rock Star Edition" of "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire".^[11]

Return to gospel[link]

Grant returned to her gospel music roots with the 2002 release of Legacy... Hymns and Faith. The album featured a Vince Gill-influenced mix of bluegrass and gospel and marked Grant's 25th anniversary in the music industry. Grant followed this up with the pop release Simple Things in 2003. The album did not have the success of her previous pop or gospel efforts. However, soon after Simple Things, Grant and Interscope/A&M parted ways. The same year, Grant was inducted into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame by the Gospel Music Association, an industry trade organization of which she is a longstanding member, in her first year of eligibility. Grant released a sequel to her hymns collection in 2005 titled Rock of Ages... Hymns & Faith.

Looking ahead[link]

Although neither of her latest hymn releases have captured the popularity of her previous gospel career, Grant still remains a popular concert draw and enjoys popularity amongst both fan bases. For years in the 1990s and early 2000s, she toured in November and December for her Christmas and holiday tours. Often her husband and many special guests performed along with her on stage.

Grant joined the reality television phenomenon by hosting Three Wishes, a show in which she and a team of helpers make wishes come true for small-town residents.^[12] The show debuted on NBC in the fall of 2005 and was canceled at the end of its first season because of high production costs. After Three Wishes was canceled, Grant won her 6th Grammy Award for Rock of Ages... Hymns & Faith. In a February 2006 webchat, Amy stated she believes her "best music is still ahead".

In April 2006, a live CD/DVD entitled Time Again...Amy Grant Live was recorded in Fort Worth, Texas, at Bass Performance Hall. (Grant's first paid public performance was at the Will Rogers Auditorium in Fort Worth, TX.) The concert was released on September 26, 2006. In addition to receiving a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, media appearances included write-ups in CCM Magazine, and a performance on The View.

In a February 2007 web chat on her web site, Amy discussed a book she was working on entitled Mosaic: Pieces of My Life So Far: "It's not an autobiography, but more a collection of memories, song lyrics, poetry and a few pictures." The book was released on October 16, 2007. In November, it debuted at No. 35 on the New York Times Best Seller list.^[13] In the same web chat, Amy noted that she is "anxious to get back in the studio after the book is finished, and reinvent myself as an almost-50 performing woman."

2007 was Grant's 30th year in music. She left Word/Warner, and contracted with EMI CMG who re-released her regular studio albums as remastered versions on August 14, 2007. Marking the start of Grant's new contract is a career-spanning greatest hits album, with all the songs digitally remastered. The album was released as both a single-disc CD edition, and a 2-Disc CD/DVD Special Edition, the DVD featuring music videos and interviews.^[14]

Grant appeared with Gill on The Oprah Winfrey Show for a holiday special in December 2007.^[15] Grant has plans to appear on CMT, a Food Network special, the Gospel Music Channel, and The Hour of Power.^[16]

In February 2008, Grant joined the writing team from Compassionart as a guest vocalist at the Abbey Road studios, London, to record a song called "Highly Favoured", which was included on the album CompassionArt.

On June 24, 2008, Grant re-released her 1988 album, Lead Me On, in honor of its 20th anniversary. The two-disc release includes the original album and a second disc with new acoustic recordings, live performances from 1989, and interviews with Amy. Grant recreated the Lead Me On tour in the fall of 2008.

On June 27, 2008, Grant surprised everyone at the Creation Northeast Festival by being the special guest. She performed "Lead Me On" and a few other songs backed with the Hawk Nelson band. At the end of the concert, Grant returned to the stage and sang "Thy Word". She appeared on the 2008 album Anne Murray Duets: Friends & Legends singing "Could I Have This Dance".

In May 2009 for Mother's Day, Amy released an EP on iTunes containing two new songs, "She Colors My Day," and "Unafraid," as well as the older songs "Baby Baby" and "Oh How The Years Go By."

During Disney's D23 Expo in September 2009, Imagineer Steven Davison announced Amy Grant as the "signature voice" for the World of Color hydrotechnic show at Disney's California Adventure theme park.

In 2010, Grant released Somewhere Down the Road, featuring the hit single "Better Than a Hallelujah", which peaked at No. 8 on Billboard's Top Christian Songs chart. When asked about the new album during an interview with CBN.com, Grant says, "...my hope is just for those songs to provide companionship, remind myself and whoever else is listening what’s important. I feel like songs have the ability to connect us to ourselves and to each other, and to our faith, to the love of Jesus, in a way that conversation doesn’t do. Songs kind of slip in and move you before you realize it."^[17]

Personal life[link]

Grant married fellow Christian musician Gary Chapman on June 19, 1982. Their marriage produced three children: Matthew Garrison Chapman (born 1987), Gloria Mills Chapman (called "Millie", born 1989), and Sarah Cannon Chapman (born 1992), who was named after country legend Minnie Pearl, a family friend. (Pearl's real name was Sarah Ophelia Colley Cannon.)^[18] Citing "irreconcilable differences", Grant filed for divorce from Chapman in March 1999, and the divorce was final in June 1999.^[18]

On March 10, 2000, Grant married Vince Gill, who had been previously married to country singer Janis Oliver of Sweethearts of the Rodeo.^[19] Grant and Gill have a daughter together, Corinna Grant Gill, born March 12, 2001.^[20]

In the December 1999 Baptist Standard, Grant explained why she left Chapman and married Gill:

"I didn't get a divorce because I had a great marriage and then along came Vince Gill. Gary and I had a rocky road from day one. I think what was so hard—and this is (what) one of our counselors said—sometimes an innocent party can come into a situation, and they're like a big spotlight. What they do is reveal, by comparison, the painful dynamics that are already in existence."^[21]

Public views and perception[link]

Among praise for her contributions to the Contemporary Christian genre, Amy Grant has also generated controversy within the Christian community, from "complaints that she was too worldly and too sexy" to a "barrage of condemnation" following her divorce and remarriage.^[22]

In an interview early in her career, Grant stated, "I have a healthy sense of right and wrong, but sometimes, for example, using foul, exclamation-point words among friends can be good for a laugh." Within the same article, Grant expressed an opinion that those most opposed to premarital sex and rock music often base their views in part on having experienced emotional distress. "'It seems to me,' she says as an after-thought, 'that people who are most adamantly against premarital sex have experienced some kind of pain in their own lives. Like the people who say absolutely no to rock 'n' roll. Chances are it has something to do with a past sadness."^[23]

Discography[link]

Studio Albums[link]

• 1977: Amy Grant
• 1979: My Father's Eyes
• 1980: Never Alone
• 1982: Age to Age
• 1984: Straight Ahead
• 1985: Unguarded
• 1988: Lead Me On
• 1991: Heart in Motion
• 1994: House of Love
• 1997: Behind the Eyes
• 2002: Legacy...Hymns and Faith
• 2003: Simple Things
• 2005: Rock of Ages...Hymns and Faith
• 2010: Somewhere Down The Road

Holiday Albums[link]

• 1983: A Christmas Album
• 1992: Home for Christmas
• 1999: A Christmas to Remember
• 2008: The Christmas Collection

Bibliography[link]

Grant is the author of several books, including a memoir, Mosaic: Pieces of My Life So Far, and a book based on the popular Christmas song Breath of Heaven (Mary's Song).

Awards and achievements[link]

Grammy Awards[link]

Wins[link]

• 1982: Best Gospel Performance, Contemporary or Inspirational – Age to Age^[24]
• 1983: Best Gospel Performance, Female – "Ageless Medley"
• 1984: Best Gospel Performance, Female – "Angels"
• 1985: Best Gospel Performance, Female – Unguarded
• 1988: Best Gospel Performance, Female – Lead Me On
• 2006: Best Southern, Country, or Bluegrass Gospel Album – Rock of Ages…Hymns & Faith

Nominations[link]

• 1979: Best Gospel Performance, Contemporary or Inspirational – My Father's Eyes
• 1980: Best Gospel Performance, Contemporary or Inspirational – Never Alone
• 1981: Best Gospel Performance, Contemporary or Inspirational – Amy Grant In Concert
• 1990: Best Gospel Vocal Performance, Female – "'Tis So Sweet to Trust in Jesus"
• 1992: Album of the Year – Heart in Motion^[25] (lost to Unforgettable... with Love by Natalie Cole)
• 1992: Song of the Year – "Baby Baby"^[25]
• 1992: Record of the Year – "Baby Baby"^[25] (both lost to "Unforgettable" by Natalie Cole with Nat King Cole)
• 1992: Pop Performance Female – "Baby Baby"^[25] (lost to "Something to Talk About" by Bonnie Raitt)
• 1994: Children Spoken Word – Lion & the Lamb^[25]
• 2011: Best Gospel Song – "Better Than a Hallelujah"^[26]
• 2012: Best Country Song – "Threaten Me with Heaven"^[27]

GMA Dove Awards[link]

*Inducted into the GMA Gospel Music Hall of Fame in 2003

• 1983: Artist of the Year
• 1983: Pop/Contemporary Album of the Year – Age to Age
• 1983: Recorded Music Packaging – Age to Age
• 1984: Recorded Music Packaging – A Christmas Album
• 1985: Pop/Contemporary Album of the Year – Straight Ahead
• 1986: Artist of the Year
• 1986: Recorded Music Packaging – Unguarded
• 1988: Short Form Music Video of the Year – "Stay For a While"
• 1989: Artist of the Year
• 1989: Pop/Contemporary Album of the Year – Lead Me On
• 1989: Short Form Music Video of the Year – "Lead Me On"
• 1990: Country Song of the Year – "Tis So Sweet to Trust in Jesus"
• 1992: Song of the Year – "Place in This World"
• 1992: Artist of the Year
• 1994: Praise and Worship Album of the Year – Songs from the Loft
• 1996: Special Event Album of the Year – My Utmost for His Highest
• 1998: Pop/Contemporary Album of the Year – Behind the Eyes
• 2000: Special Event Album of the Year – Streams
• 2003: Inspirational Album of the Year – Legacy...Hymns & Faith
• 2003: Song of the Year – "The River's Gonna Keep On Rolling"
• 2006: Inspirational Album of the Year – Rock of Ages...Hymns & Faith
• 2007: Long Form Music Video of the Year – Time Again...Amy Grant Live

Special awards and recognitions[link]

• 1992: Junior Chamber of Commerce Young Tennessean of the Year
• 1994: St. John University Pax Christi Award
• 1994: Nashville Symphony Harmony Award
• 1996: Sarah Cannon Humanitarian Award – TNN Awards
• 1996: Minnie Pearl Humanitarian Award – Columbia Hospital
• 1996: Voice of America Award – ASCAP
• 1996: Academy of Achievement Golden Plate Award
• 1999: “An Evening with the Arts” Honor – The Nashville Chamber of Commerce, Nashville Symphony and Tennessee Performing Arts Center
• 1999: The Amy Grant Room for Music and Entertainment – The Target House at St. Jude's Children's Hospital
• 2001: Easter Seals Nashvillian of the Year Award
• 2003: Summit Award – Seminar in the Rockies
• 2005: Hollywood walk of fame induction
• 2006: Amy Grant Performance Platform – Nashville Schermerhorn Symphony Center
• 2007: Charter member of Tiffany Circle – Red Cross
• 2007: Inducted into the Christian Music Hall of Fame^[28]
• 2012: Honorary Doctorate Degree of Music and Performance – Grand Canyon University

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Amy Grant

• Official Amy Grant website
• Amy Grant at the Internet Movie Database
• Amy Grant at Allmusic
• Amy Grant Media Gallery
• Amy Grant Partners with Compassion International
• Amy Grant, "Somewhere Down the Road" by Billboard

This biographical article needs additional citations for verification. Please help by adding reliable sources. Contentious material about living persons that is unsourced or poorly sourced must be removed immediately, especially if potentially libelous or harmful. (January 2011)

Grant Nelson (born 27 April 1971, London, England), also known as Wishdokta, Bump & Flex and N'n'G, is a DJ, producer and remix artist.^[1]

Grant is heralded as one of the godfathers of UK Garage due to his numerous club hits on his Nice 'n' Ripe record label in the early 90's. It was his sound along with a few others that gave birth to the then known as 'Sunday Scene' which evolved into UK Garage.

He also produced under the name Wishdokta from 1990-1993 when he was making Hardcore / Drum 'n' Bass for the legendary London label Kickin Records. In 1993 Wishdokta teamed up with DJ Vibes and together they delivered some of Happy Hardcore's biggest anthems on Vibes' Asylum Music Inc & other labels including Happy Trax.

In 1997 he started using the alter-ego Bump & Flex and began to produce UK 2 Step. He delivered some of the scenes biggest records including "Funk On Ah Roll" by James Brown.

Nelson has always remained a house head since his early Nice 'n' Ripe days and continues to do so to the present with his Swing City Records label that consistently delivers top drawer house music.

Some of the artists Grant has remixed & worked with include ;

Kelis, Jodeci, Mis-Teeq, Aaliyah, James Brown, The Artful Dodger, Jamiroquai, Lutricia McNeal, Thelma Houston, Another Level, Goldie, Roy Ayers, Guy, Rosie Gaines, Juliet Roberts, Liberty X, Towa Tei, Evelyn 'Champagne' King, Bebel Gilberto, Negrocan, Beverly Knight, The Brand New Heavies, Faithless, Simply Red, Frankie Knuckles, Agnes.

Main Pseudonym's Timeline :

1990-1995 Wishdokta
1993-1996 24 Hour Experience (With Simon Firmin)
1997-2003 Bump & Flex
1998-2001 N'n'G (With Norris 'da boss' Windross)

Sample Libraries & Software[link]

Nelson has produced several sample libraries that contain musical parts and drum loops. The Studio Essentials series (Volumes 1, 2 & 3) have been extremely popular and are highly regarded amongst aspiring producers. Sample's from these libraries have featured on numerous commercial recordings.

Nelson also released his "Chordworx" software in 2009 which was another major success for him. It aids people with little or no keyboard knowledge to produce very intricate jazz style chord progressions which are much sought after in the soulful / deep house genre's of music.

Synthesizer Sound Programming[link]

In 2000 Grant was commissioned by Korg to work on programming preset sound banks for the Electribe & MS2000 synthesizers. Although his sounds aren't credited in the operating manuals you can pick some of them out by the names he gave them that reference some of his artist names and record labels. To coincide with the release of the machines to market there was a promotional CD given away with industry music magazines and at trade fairs that included an audio demonstration by Grant of the Korg Electribe synthesizer.

Grant Nelson's Housecall (Radio Show)[link]

In 2009 Nelson began presenting his own bi-weekly dance music radio show called Housecall on www.ssradio.com out of the UK. It is also syndicated to various radio radio stations around the world and has quickly become one of the most popular shows of its genre. The show features exclusive snippets of forthcoming music yet to be released, regular guest mixes from some of the most legendary house music dj's and plenty of features which make the show feel more like a mainstream radio programme but with real house music.

Guests to date have included : ATFC, Christian Alvarez, CJ Macintosh, DeepCitySoul, DJ Meme, Eric Kupper, Groove Assassin, Jamie Lewis, Jask, Jazztronik, Joey Negro, Kiko Navarro, Lovebirds, MK, Ralf Gum, Richard Earnshaw, Scott Wozniak, Soulmagic, Soul Purpose, Steve "Silk" Hurley & Yass.

Selected discography[link]

Releases[link]

• "Step 2 Me" - Grant Nelson feat. Jean McClain Virgin Records
• "In My Soul" - Grant Nelson Nice 'n' Ripe
• "Right Before My Eyes" - N'n'G feat. Kallaghan Heat Recordings
• "Together" - 24hr Experience Nice 'n' Ripe
• "Free / Switch" - Grant Nelson Swing City Records
• "So Special" - Grant Nelson Swing City Records
• "Liferide" - N'n'G feat Rose Windross & Creed Swing City Records
• "Long Time Coming" - Bump & Flex Urban Heat
• "Babylon (Into A Groove)" - Nu Rhythmix Swing City Records
• "Evil Surrounds Us" - Wishdokta Kickin' Records
• "Motorway Madness" - Vibes & Wishdokta Rogue Trooper
• Ethnicity Ep's 1-3 - "Grant Nelson" Swing City
• Feel The Music - "Grant Nelson" Swing City
• The Only Way - Soul City Experience (Co-produced with Brian Tappert from Soulfuric Records)
• Bodyswerve - "M-Gee" (Co-produced with Matt Schwartz from Deepest Blue) Swing City
• Black Water - "Grant Nelson feat. Cathy Battistessa" - Swing City

Remixes[link]

• Alexander O'Neil - Saturday Love Stateside
• Aaliyah - More Than Woman - Virgin
• Chanel - My Life Hed Kandi
• Negrocan - Cada Vez Swing City
• Gaelle - Give It Back Boss
• Simply Red - Stay Simply Red
• Solu Music & Kimblee - Fade Hed Kandi
• Sunkids & Chance - Rise Up Boss
• Brand New Heavies - Surrender Hed Kandi
• Gat Decor - Passion - Big Life
• Sound Of Eden - Everytime (I See Her) Positiva
• Bebel Gilberto - The River Song EMI
• Jamiroquai - Runaway Sony
• Ann Nesby - Praisin' His Name basement Boys
• Mj Cole - Wondering Why (M-Gee mix. Co-mixed with Matt Shwartz) Talkin' Loud
• Todd Edwards - Saved My Life I Records
• Liberty X - Just A Little - V2
• Heller & Farley - Ultra Flava AM:PM
• Nush - U Girls (Look So Sexy) - Blunted
• Indo - R U Sleepin' - Satellite
• Roy Ayers - Dangerous Vibes - Peppermint Jam
• Jodeci - Get On Up MCA
• GUY - Dancin' MCA
• Timmy Vegas & The Universe Band - Can't Make It Thru Another Day - Mn2s
• Agnes - Need You Now 3Beat

Unofficial Edits & Mixes[link]

• Gill Scoot - Golden
• Jamiroquai - Too Young To Die
• Martin Solveig - Rockin' Music
• James Ingram & Michael McDonald - Yah Mo B There
• Sister Sledge - Thinking Of You
• Grant has done many more personal mixes and edits, but now restricts their distribution because of copies being bootlegged by 3rd parties.

As Wishdokta[link]

References[link]

External links[link]

• grantnelson.net Grant Nelson official website.
• Discogs Grant Nelson discography & remixography.
• Swing City Records Record label co-owned by Grant Nelson.
• Wyze.com Production company co-owned by Grant Nelson.
• Grant Nelson's Housecall Website for Grant's bi-weekly radio show "Housecall".