Red Grammer

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Red Grammer
Red Grammer Childrens Singer Songwriter.jpg
Grammer in 2007
Background information
Birth nameRobert Crane Grammer [1]
Born (1952-11-28) November 28, 1952 (age 71)
East Orange, New Jersey, United States
Genres Children's, folk
Occupation(s)
  • Singer
  • songwriter
Instrument(s)Guitar
Years active1981–present
Labels
  • Smilin' Atcha Music
  • DBA Red Note Records
Spouse(s)Kathy Willoughby
Website redgrammer.com

Robert Crane "Red" Grammer (born November 28, 1952) [2] [3] is an American singer and songwriter.

Contents

Life and career

The East Orange, New Jersey native started college as a pre-med student at Rutgers, but he transferred to Beloit College in Wisconsin, where he received a Bachelor of Arts degree in music in 1975. After several years of performing as a solo artist, he became a member of the folk group The Limeliters, replacing Glenn Yarborough. He was the guitar-playing lead tenor with the group from 1981 to 1988. [4]

Grammer is best known for his music for children, having recorded songs made up for his young sons. His songs teach human values including truthfulness, gratitude, integrity, kindness, and fairness. His album Be Bop Your Best was nominated in the 2005 Grammy Awards for Best Musical Album for Children. cELLAbration: A Tribute to Ella Jenkins, won a Grammy Award on which Red was a featured performer. [5]

Teaching Peace, named by the All Music Guide as “one of the top five children's recordings of all time”, was the recipient of a rare Parents' Choice Classic Award. [6] Though it did not win any awards the year it was released, it is now considered one of Grammer's best albums. [7]

Other albums for children include: "Circle of Light: Songs for Bucket Fillers", Hello World, Down the Do-Re-Mi, Can You Sound Just Like Me? and "Red Grammer's Favorite Sing-along Songs." Albums for adults are Soul Man in a Techno World and Free Falling.

Grammer has performed in every state in the U.S. as well as in 22 other countries around the world, including China, Russia, Ukraine, and Israel.

He is often a keynote speaker and performer at national and regional educational conferences in the United States and Canada.

Grammer is a member of the Baháʼí Faith.

He met his first wife, Kathy, when they were students at Beloit College. They have two children, including pop singer Andy Grammer.

Discography

Children

Adult

Children's DVD

Books

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References

  1. "Rolling along, singing a song. By Robert Crane Grammer (Red Grammer) & Kathryn Willoughby Grammer".
  2. Biography at Yahoo! Music, undated, Access date: October 8, 2007
  3. Reprint of Wall Street Journal article: "Red Grammer: He's No Raffi Redux", published January 26, 2006, Access date: October 8, 2007
  4. The Limeliters – Their Musical Career, January 12, 2004. Retrieved October 19, 2012
  5. 48th Annual Grammy Awards Nominee List January 12, 2004, Access date: October 10, 2012
  6. iTunes Biography of Red Grammer, undated. Retrieved October 16, 2012
  7. P.F. Swift's Biography of Red Grammer, undated. Retrieved October 24, 2012
  8. Family Music Reviews by John Wood, undated, Access date: October 16, 2012