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Soul Source

Gerri Granger

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Starting out at age 14 in Newark, NJ, Gerri Granger got an unlikely chance to sing at Teddy Powell’s Lounge on an amateur night. She won that night, but being a singer was not first and foremost for her. After graduating from Weequarhic Hugh School in Irvington, New Jersey, Gerri received an Art Scholarship to study Industrial Design and this led her to study at New York University. Her first record deal was with Big Top who put out "Castles In The Sky" in the summer of 1962. Her last outing on Big Top was in February 1962, this being the 'Giant / Baum / Kaye' song "Breakdown". Meanwhile she had begun to perform locally with Lloyd Price’s Big Band and then did a stint on the circuit in the Catskills of New York State as a singer and dancer. She had 45's released on Lloyd Price’s Double L label out of New York City ("You Must Be Doing Something Right" & “The Show Stopper”: 1965/66). Her talent caught the eye of the William Morris Agency, who would help launch her TV career. She would meet her mentor in entertainment, Sammy Davis Jr. during those times and went on to have a great career working with him lots of the time (she was a regular on his TV shows). The majority of the time she mainly focused on television work. Her TV credits include appearing on Ed Sullivan, Johnny Carson, Mike Douglas, Merv Griffin, David Frost, Dick Cavett, Allen Ludden, Steve Allen. Joey Bishop, Virginia Graham and Jonathan Winters. She was a regular on a weekly variety series “What’s It All About World” with Dean Jones, plus a TV Variety Special “The Singers” with Mel Torme and Jack Jones. She was with Bell Records in 1971 and had a New York cut album released by United Artists ('Add a Little Love') in 1972 which included the track "Til I Find You". She was then signed by 20th Century who put out her popular "Can't Take My Eyes Off You / Hot Ta Trot" on 12" in 1975. She had a good life back then, being involved in television work not only in the States, but in Europe as well (singing, acting and entertaining). Her most popular NS track was “I Go To Pieces” (Bell). She cut some of her tracks in New York based Oda Studios. The guys at the studio had this to say about her ....  “She projects her voice skillfully and easily, making particularly good use of the rich, lower areas of her range. She phrases perceptively, enunciates cleanly and does it all with a casual throwaway manner as she takes confident command of the stage”. After taking a hiatus from singing, she returned to the biz, going back into the studio to cut some new tracks and starting touring again. 
 
She gets introduced by Sammy Davis 50 secs into this video ..........
 

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Edited by Roburt

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Another clip of her doing 'cabaret material' ...........

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s460zBYwtmo

 

She appeared on 'Alan Ludden's Gallery' TV show and the backing band on that series was the H. B. Barnum Band ...........

.... https://www.tv.com/shows/allen-luddens-gallery/august-21-1969-1381971/

I guess her appearances on there would be the best chance to catch her singing more 'soul-styled' numbers.

Do any clips of the Gerri (or the other soul stars) who appeared on the show still exist ?? 

  • Author

SHOULD HAVE POSTED THIS THREAD IN 'All About The Soul' SECTION.

SHOULD BE MOVED !! 

Edited by Roburt

 

Starting out at age 14 in Newark, NJ, Gerri Granger got an unlikely chance to sing at Teddy Powell’s Lounge on an amateur night. She won that night, but being a singer was not first and foremost for her. After graduating from Weequarhic Hugh School in Irvington, New Jersey, Gerri received an Art Scholarship to study Industrial Design and this led her to study at New York University. Her first record deal was with Big Top who put out "Castles In The Sky" in the summer of 1962. Her last outing on Big Top was in February 1962, this being the 'Giant / Baum / Kaye' song "Breakdown". Meanwhile she had begun to perform locally with Lloyd Price’s Big Band and then did a stint on the circuit in the Catskills of New York State as a singer and dancer. She had 45's released on Lloyd Price’s Double L label out of New York City ("You Must Be Doing Something Right" & “The Show Stopper”: 1965/66). Her talent caught the eye of the William Morris Agency, who would help launch her TV career. She would meet her mentor in entertainment, Sammy Davis Jr. during those times and went on to have a great career working with him lots of the time (she was a regular on his TV shows). The majority of the time she mainly focused on television work. Her TV credits include appearing on Ed Sullivan, Johnny Carson, Mike Douglas, Merv Griffin, David Frost, Dick Cavett, Allen Ludden, Steve Allen. Joey Bishop, Virginia Graham and Jonathan Winters. She was a regular on a weekly variety series “What’s It All About World” with Dean Jones, plus a TV Variety Special “The Singers” with Mel Torme and Jack Jones. She was with Bell Records in 1971 and had a New York cut album released by United Artists ('Add a Little Love') in 1972 which included the track "Til I Find You". She was then signed by 20th Century who put out her popular "Can't Take My Eyes Off You / Hot Ta Trot" on 12" in 1975. She had a good life back then, being involved in television work not only in the States, but in Europe as well (singing, acting and entertaining). Her most popular NS track was “I Go To Pieces” (Bell). She cut some of her tracks in New York based Oda Studios. The guys at the studio had this to say about her ....  “She projects her voice skillfully and easily, making particularly good use of the rich, lower areas of her range. She phrases perceptively, enunciates cleanly and does it all with a casual throwaway manner as she takes confident command of the stage”. After taking a hiatus from singing, she returned to the biz, going back into the studio to cut some new tracks and starting touring again. 
 
She gets introduced by Sammy Davis 50 secs into this video ..........
 
 
Fascinating stuff Roburt, thanks for sharing :thumbsup:

 

  • Author

It would really be good if some of those 'Allen Ludden's Gallery' TV shows have survived.

Here's info on a few 'soul people' that he had on to chat & perform over a period of just one month  .............

 
September 12th 1969  Hosted by Allen Ludden, guests include singer Angeline Butler
September 11th 1969   Hosted by Allen Ludden, guests include singer  Lenny Welch
September 5th 1969  Hosted by Allen Ludden, guests include singer Nancy Ames
September 4th 1969  Hosted by Allen Ludden, guests include singer Thelma Houston
August 28th 1969  Hosted by Allen Ludden guests include singer Johnny Mathis & the Danny Cox Trio
August 25th 1969    Hosted by Allen Ludden, guests include singer-actress Sharon Cash with the Back Porch Majority.
August 21th 1969  Hosted by Allen Ludden, guests include singer Gerri Granger
August 20th 1969  Hosted by Allen Ludden, guests include singer Angeline Butler
August 19th 1969  Hosted by Allen Ludden, guests include singer Gerri Granger
August 15th 1969  Hosted by Allen Ludden, guests include singer Joe Williams
August 14th 1969  Hosted by Allen Ludden, guests include singer Jackie DeShannon
August 13th 1969      Hosted by Allen Ludden, guests include actor / singer Della Reese
....... H B Barnum & Band backed all the singers who appeared on the shows 

Edited by Roburt

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