David Grant (singer)

David Beresford Grant MBE (born 8 August 1956 in Hackney, London) is a British pop singer, celebrity and vocal coach.

David Grant
MBE
Birth nameDavid Grant
Born (1956-08-08) 8 August 1956
Hackney, London, England
Occupation(s)Singer, vocal coach
InstrumentsVocals
Years active1980–present
LabelsChrysalis, Polydor, Fourth & Broadway
Associated actsLinx
Jaki Graham
WebsiteLink

Career

Grant became famous in the early 1980s as a member of UK soul/funk duo, Linx,[1] whose biggest hit was "Intuition" in 1981.[2] He began a solo career in 1983 with the Top 40 hit "Stop and Go". Further hits included "Watching You Watching Me" and two duets with Jaki Graham, "Could It Be I'm Falling in Love" which reached number five in 1985 and the Todd Rundgren-penned "'Mated" which made number 20 later that year.[1] He has also worked as a session singer for artists including Diana Ross, Rick Astley and Lighthouse Family.

Grant has become well known, along with his second wife Carrie Grant, as vocal coach on Pop Idol; judge and vocal coach on the BBC TV talent show Fame Academy; and its spin-off Comic Relief does Fame Academy. In addition he has worked with some of the UK’s top pop acts including The Spice Girls, Take That, S Club, and more recently Will Young, Atomic Kitten, Mel C, Lemar, Charlotte Church, Joss Stone, Geri Halliwell and Julian Perretta.

He also appears regularly as a panellist on the Five topical debate show, The Wright Stuff. In 2006, he appeared in the four part BBC television series The Sound of Musicals. In September 2006 he appeared on BBC's MasterChef programme. At the start of 2008 Grant sat as a judge on the BBC One talent show The One and Only, where once again he worked alongside Carrie Grant.

Soon after, Grant starred as the celebrity 'hider' in an episode of the CBBC show Hider in the House. He is so far the only celebrity to have been 'discovered' in the first day's filming of the show. This appearance was a precursor to Grant and Carrie branching out into children's television later in the year, when they hosted their own CBeebies show Carrie and David's Popshop.

Grant often presents episodes of the BBC religious programme Songs of Praise.

Personal life

Grant and his wife Carrie have four children: Olive, Talia, Imogen and an adopted son. Olive is an actress, having played Alice in the fifth series of The Story of Tracy Beaker, a small role in EastEnders and the part of Mia Stone in the CBBC show Half Moon Investigations. Talia joined the cast of the British soap opera, Hollyoaks, where she plays Brooke.

Grant was created a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) by Elizabeth II in the 2019 New Years Honours List.[3]

Discography

Albums
  • David Grant (1983) (UK #32)
  • Hopes and Dreams (1985) (UK #96)
  • Change (1987)
  • Anxious Edge (1990)
  • Watching and Waiting (1997) with Carrie Grant
  • Best of Jaki Graham & David Grant & Linx (2004) (consisted of 2001 recordings of the duo's old hits, plus one new duet, "Fragile")[4]

Singles
  • "Have Yourself a Merry Christmas" (1982)
  • "Stop and Go" (1983) (UK #19)
  • "Watching You Watching Me" (1983) (UK #10)
  • "Love will Find a Way" (1983) (UK #24)
  • "Rock the Midnight" (1983) (UK #46)
  • "Organise"/"Wrap Yourself Around Me" (1984) (UK #90)
  • "Could It Be I'm Falling in Love" (1985) (UK #5) (duet with Jaki Graham)
  • "Where Our Love Begins" (1985) (UK #80)
  • "Mated" (1985) (UK #20) (duet with Jaki Graham)
  • "Change" (1987) (UK #55)
  • "Before Too Long" (1987)
  • "Take Us Back" (1987)
  • "Intuition '88" (1988) (re-recording of the Linx hit)
  • "Life" (1989) (UK #86)
  • "Keep It Together" (1990) (UK #56)
  • "Life '90" (1990) (Norman Cook remix) (UK #98)
  • "Hurt" (1992)
  • "Shake" (1999) (credited to Foreal People – Joey Negro featuring David Grant)[4]

Filmography
YearFilmRoleNotes
2004MystiHimselfSeries 1 – one episode
2008Carrie and David's PopshopHimself30 episodes

References
  1. Colin Larkin, ed. (2003). The Virgin Encyclopedia of Eighties Music (Third ed.). Virgin Books. p. 224. ISBN 1-85227-969-9.
  2. Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 323. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
  3. "2019 New Year Honours List" (PDF). assets.publishing.service.gov.uk. 28 December 2018. Retrieved 3 January 2019.
  4. Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 234. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
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