Murray Grand
Murray Grand (born August 27, 1919 in Philadelphia , † March 7, 2007 in Santa Monica ) was an American pianist , composer and songwriter .
Grand began his career playing pianist in private clubs at the age of 15 during the Great Depression . During the Second World War, he found the opportunity in the US Army to accompany stars such as Betty Grable , Gypsy Rose Lee , Beatrice Lillie and Alberta Hunter as part of the USO troop support. After the end of the war he studied composition and piano at the Juilliard School . In the following four decades he worked as a pianist and entertainer in well-known New York nightclubs such as the Fireside Inn, Upstairs at the Downstairs, Bon Soir, Jack Delaney’s and the Village Green . He also worked as a songwriter; his best known song was Guess Who I Saw Today . Grand composed it for the Broadway revue New Faces of 1952 ; he was recorded by Eydie Gormé , Nancy Wilson , Julie London , Carmen McRae and Sarah Vaughan . Grand's song Thursday's Child was u. a. interpreted by Eartha Kitt and Barbara Lea . With Cy Coleman he wrote Sweet Pussycat . Other songs Grands were Hurry and Ev'rything You Want Is Here , den u. a. recorded the Maynard Ferguson Bigband. In the 1980s he moved to Fort Lauderdale , where he also ran a pet food business.
Web links
- Obituary New York Sun , March 12, 2007
- Murray Grand at Allmusic (English)
- Murray Grand at Discogs (English)
Individual evidence
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Grand, Murray |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | American pianist, composer and songwriter |
| DATE OF BIRTH | August 27, 1919 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Philadelphia |
| DATE OF DEATH | March 7, 2007 |
| Place of death | Santa Monica |