Bill Grant and Delia Bell facts for kids

Bill Grant and Delia Bell were a famous music duo from Oklahoma. They played a type of music called bluegrass. A famous singer named Emmylou Harris once said that Delia Bell's voice was so special, it sounded like the daughter of two legendary country singers, Hank Williams and Kitty Wells. Bill Grant was even called the "Ambassador of Bluegrass Music" by three different governors in Oklahoma!

About Bill and Delia

Their Early Lives

Delia Bell was born Francis Leona Nowell on April 16, 1935, in Bonham, Texas. She moved to Hugo, Oklahoma, when she was a child. Delia started playing music with her sisters and brother. She began singing when she was a teenager. In 1959, she married Bobby Bell.

Bill Grant was born Billy Joe Grant on May 9, 1930. He was a member of the Choctaw tribe. Bill grew up on a ranch near Hugo, Oklahoma. He loved the music of Bill Monroe, so he learned to play the mandolin.

Starting Their Music Together

In 1959, Delia Bell started singing with Bill Grant. Delia played the guitar, and Bill played the mandolin. Delia sang the higher harmony part, and Bill sang the main melody.

By 1960, Bill and Delia were regular performers. They were on a radio show called the Little Dixie Hayride. This show was on KIHN radio.

A very famous bluegrass musician, Bill Monroe, heard them play. He was so impressed that he invited them to perform at his music festivals. These festivals were held in Bean Blossom, Indiana. This helped Bill and Delia become known to many more people.

Their Performing and Recording Career

In the late 1960s, Bill Grant and Delia Bell formed a band. They called their band the Kiamichi Mountain Boys. The name came from the Kiamichi Mountains near their home.

They recorded many albums. Some were on their own label, Kiamichi Records. They also recorded for bigger labels like County Records, Rebel Records, Rounder Records, and Warner Brothers. During the 1970s, they traveled to England and Ireland 11 times to perform.

The Kiamichi Mountain Boys band stopped playing together in 1980. After that, Bill and Delia often performed as a duo. Sometimes, they played with another band called the Johnson Mountain Boys.

Emmylou Harris discovered Delia Bell's solo album, Bluer Than Midnight. She found it in a record shop in California. Emmylou loved Delia's song "Roses In The Snow." So, Emmylou recorded it as the title song for her own bluegrass album in 1980.

In 1982, Emmylou Harris helped Delia Bell make her own solo album. This album was released by Warner Bros. Records. One song on the album, "Flame in My Heart," was a duet with John Anderson. The album did well, reaching #35 on the music charts. However, Warner Bros. later stopped working with Delia and other artists.

During the 1980s, Delia and Bill recorded three more albums for Rounder Records. These albums included music and harmonies from members of the Johnson Mountain Boys and Del McCoury. Their 1989 album, Dreaming, was a collection of songs from their Rounder albums.

Bill and Delia continued to perform together until 2006. Their partnership ended that year. Bill Grant had a brain tumor, but it was successfully removed, and he got better. In 2007, Bill started singing again with his stepdaughter, Amy Patrick.

Awards and Recognition

In 2006, Bill Grant received a special award. It was the Distinguished Achievement award from the International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA).

Both Bill Grant and Delia Bell have been honored. They are recognized as Pioneers of Bluegrass Music. This recognition comes from the International Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame and Museum. It is located in Owensboro, Kentucky.

Bill Grant was also added to the Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame.

Salt Creek Park Music Festival

From 1969 to 2003, Bill Grant hosted a bluegrass festival. It was called Grant's Bluegrass Festival. The festival took place on his 360-acre ranch near Hugo. He named the festival site "Salt Creek Park."

In 1987, Delia Bell and Bill Grant also started another music event. It was called the March Early Bird Bluegrass Show. This show happened every year for almost 20 years.

Their Passing

Delia Bell passed away on June 15, 2018, at the age of 83. Bill Grant passed away on July 9, 2019, at the age of 90.

Their Music Albums

Bill Grant and Delia Bell Albums

• 1979: In England
• 1980: Bill Grant & Delia Bell
• 1981: Rollin’
• 1984: The Cheer of the Home Fires
• 1985: A Few Dollars More
• 1988: Following a Feeling
• 1997: Dreaming (a collection of songs)

Delia Bell Solo Albums

• 1978: Bluer Than Midnight
• 1983: Delia Bell

Albums with The Kiamichi Mountain Boys

• 1972: Bill Grant, Delia Bell and the Kiamichi Mountain Boys (also known as My Kiamichi Mountain Home)
• 1974: Kiamichi Country
• 1975: There Is a Fountain
• 1976: Fourteen Memories
• 1976: The Last Christmas Tree
• 1978: My Pathway Leads to Oklahoma
• 1979: The Blues Mountain Style
• 1980: Man in the Middle