Donald's Encyclopedia of Popular Music

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GRANT, Gogi

(b Myrtle Audrey Arinsberg, 20 September 1924, Philadelphia PA; d 10 March 2016, Los Angeles) Pop singer with an accurate, appealing voice. The family moved to L.A. when she was 12. Influenced by Russ Colombo and Ruth Etting, she won a state-wide contest for teen singers, also TV talent shows; had several hits '55-6 on Era including a top ten 'Suddenly There's A Valley', then 'Wayward Wind' replaced Elvis Presley's 'Heartbreak Hotel' in the no. 1 spot. Co-written by the label owner, 'Wayward Wind' surprised everybody, recorded for a B side at the end of a session devoted to 'Who Are We', which only made no. 62. 'Wayward' made the top ten again when reissued '61. Meanwhile she switched to RCA and just made the Hot 100 with 'Strange Are The Ways Of Love' '58. She was backed throughout by the Buddy Bregman band.

She said that her managers took her stage name from Cary Grant and probably from a restaurant in New York called Gogi's LaRue. She also dubbed vocals for Ann Blyth in a film biography of Helen Morgan '57, and played a young singer in The Big Beat '58, which also featured Fats Domino and others. She retired in the mid-'60s to look after her family, returning to performing 20 years later.