Gogi Grant, The Queen of “The Wayward Wind,” Has Passed Away
Gogi Grant, best known for recording the classic American standard “The Wayward Wind,” has passed away according to her son Joshua Beckett. She was 91-years-old.
Gogi Grant was an Americana popular singer who was born in Philadelphia and moved to Los Angeles when she was 12-years-old. Though she would record numerous hit songs during the 1950’s, including her first Top 10 hit “Suddenly There’s A Valley” in 1955, and “When The Tide Is High,” “Who Are We,” and “You’re In Love” in 1956, it was her performance of “The Wayward Wind” written by Stanley Lebowski and Herb Newman that turned the song into an iconic American song.
After releasing “The Wayward Wind” and hitting #1 with it in 1956, the song went on to be covered by an incredible list of American country and pop artists, including:
”Tex Ritter ”Patsy Cline ”The Beatles ”Gene Vincent ”The Wilburn Brothers ”Sam Cooke ”The Everly Brothers ”Eddy Arnold ”Slim Whitman ”The Browns ”Connie Smith ”Crystal Gayle ”Lynn Anderson ”Anne Murray ”Neil Young ”Others
When “The Wayward Wind” took Billboard‘s #1 spot, it remained there for eight weeks, which was a record at the time. It went on to sell over a million copies, and Gogi was voted as the most popular female vocalist by Billboard. Grant’s version of the song also returned to the Billboard 100 in 1961. The song was also a hit in the U.K.
Born Myrtle Audrey Arinsberg on September 20, 1924, she attended Venice High School in California. She was working as an automobile salesman in the early 50’s when she began recording music, performing under the names “Audrey Brown” and “Audrey Grant” at the beginning, but then changing her name at the behest of Dave Kapp of RCA Records, who apparently enjoyed eating at a restaurant called “Gogi’s LaRue.”
After achieving numerous hits in 1956, Gogi began working in the film industry as well, supplying the vocals for The Helen Morgan Story, and starring in The Big Beat from 1957. Grant also married lawyer Robert Rifkind in 1959. Though she continued to record and release singles throughout the 60’s, Grant’s popularity decline. Her last charting single was “The Sea” in 1967. She would occasionally perform on PBS specials highlighting 50’s pop music, singing “The Wayward Wind.”
Gogi Grant’s impact on American music was short, but it was deep. She came from a time when one song would reverberate throughout American culture and beyond, and “The Wayward Wind” is still a favorite of classic country and pop bands and artists today.
March 11, 2016 @ 10:42 am
Tnx for tossing in some depth to this sad news; nicely turned. Wayward Wind was one of my first faves. Still resident in my iPhone, as a matter of fact.
March 11, 2016 @ 11:35 am
Cute looking lady I must say.
March 11, 2016 @ 12:23 pm
I’m probably most familiar with Patsy Cline’s version, but what a great song. 🙂
RIP Gogi. 🙁
March 11, 2016 @ 2:08 pm
Absolutely wonderful…
March 11, 2016 @ 5:09 pm
Thank you.
March 12, 2016 @ 10:14 am
not directly related to the article, (thanks for this, she was a great singer)
“the song went on to be covered by an incredible list of American country and pop artists”…..
you could add “And continued making money for the owners of the song for years.”
This happens with good songs. It doesn’t happen with bad songs.
This is the financial part of the low quality, group written, content free tunes being released now, that business side of music is missing completely.
Nobody is going to cover any of the crapola tunes that are being put out now.
That’s a very large loss of money that they would have made, just by putting out decent songs. Far more, than off just the original hit.
dumb.
March 16, 2016 @ 9:12 am
example of what they are missing
“Michael Jackson’s estate has agreed to sell its remaining stake in a lucrative music catalogue to Sony Corp. for $750 million US, the entities announced Monday.
The agreement for Jackson’s half-share of the Sony/ATV Music Publishing catalogue will give the company sole ownership of works by The Beatles, Bob Dylan and other hit making musicians, including Eminem and Taylor Swift.”
Probably many of these songs were written fifty years ago… still worth a fortune.
March 12, 2016 @ 5:19 pm
Wow.
I had no idea Miss Grant was still alive.
I heard Tex Ritter’s version when I was young.
I thought he sang “I was born a mixed-up kid…”
Years later, I heard it again and realized that he sang “I was born the next of kin/
The next of kin to the Wayward wind.”
March 12, 2016 @ 5:27 pm
I was wondering why I missed this on the “real” news sites. So I went and Googled “Gogi Grant.” On regular Google there’s nothing about her death. And on “Google News” there’s a link to one story–this one, on “Saving Country Music.”
Good thing you caught it, Trig, or few people would know.
March 13, 2016 @ 9:47 am
I just happened to see Gogi Grant’s obit (looks like the kind someone had to pay for to get it in the paper) this morning in the L A Times. Many people in the music world dropped the ball on giving this angelicly voiced lady a fitting tribute on her passing. (Obviously not Saving Country Music.Com!) Gogi’s Wayward Wind was #1 for 8 weeks, replacing Elvis Presley’s “Don’t Be Ctuel”, and was knocked out of thr top spot by Elvis’ “I want you, I need you, I love You” RIP Miss Gogi,
June 9, 2016 @ 8:50 pm
I regret that I never saw her perform. Yes – The Wayward Wind was a very good recording, but it was several of the songs she sang for the movie of The Helen Morgan Story that really impressed me, especially The Man I Love and Bill. Her phrasing,her vibrato on deep notes, and more than anything her beautiful sotto voce on Bill: “I don’t know,” a wonderfully vulnerable aside and commentary on the lyrics.
November 20, 2016 @ 3:51 pm
After amassing all her recordings, and of course, having to transcribe most to CD format, it was always my intent to attempt to let her know of my continued devotion to her flexibility in phraseology, emotion, and particularly her ability to soar as few others can [witness: Summertime]. Sadly, I can no longer do this, but at least this expression of admiration gives me some solace. R.I.P. Gogi…
November 7, 2017 @ 1:13 pm
Every time I listen to this song I’m 12 years old again. Oh God, to be able to return to that time in my life.