Grandpa Elliott facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Grandpa Elliott
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Elliott on Royal Street
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Elliot Small |
| Also known as | Uncle Remus |
| Born | July 10, 1944 New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S. |
| Died | March 8, 2022 (aged 77) Jefferson, Louisiana, U.S. |
| Occupation(s) | Street musician |
| Instruments | Harmonica |
Elliot Small (born July 10, 1944 – died March 8, 2022) was a famous street musician from New Orleans, Louisiana. He was known as Grandpa Elliott. He played the harmonica and sang, becoming a well-loved symbol of New Orleans street music.
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Early Life and Music Beginnings
Elliot Small was born in New Orleans, Louisiana, on July 10, 1944. He grew up in the Lafitte Housing Projects. From a young age, Elliot loved music. It helped him deal with a difficult childhood.
His uncle was a professional musician. He sometimes took young Elliot to the Dew Drop Inn to hear him play. One day, Elliot found his uncle's harmonica. He picked it up and tried to play.
His uncle later gave him a harmonica. Elliot quickly fell in love with the instrument. He taught himself to play by listening to music on his mother's radio. His mother also liked classical music, which gave him a wide taste in music.
Elliot also taught himself to dance. He watched Fred Astaire movies on television. Soon, he began performing on street corners. He would sing, dance, and play his harmonica for money.
When he was about six or seven, his mother took him to New York. She wanted him to tap dance on Broadway. After his mother passed away, his grandmother brought him back to New Orleans. She gave him and his older sister a good life.
Starting a Music Career
As a young man, Elliot Small became a soul singer. He performed in clubs around New Orleans. He recorded songs with a music arranger named Wardell Quezergue. Some of these songs can be found on music collections of New Orleans funk music.
In the early 1960s, Elliot's family moved to New York City. There, he started his professional music career. He still played music on the streets between his regular shows. He even had a role in a stage show called Show Boat.
Elliot also helped the vocal group The Dixie Cups move to New York. He opened shows for famous groups like The Temptations. He also recorded some of his own R&B songs. One song was called "I'm a Devil." He promoted it by wearing a red silk suit. At that time, people called him "The Harmonica King."
He also recorded "Girls Are Made for Lovin'" in 1969. This song was produced by Wardell Quezergue. It had a sound similar to artists like Curtis Mayfield or Smokey Robinson.
Elliot recorded the funk song "E-Ni-Me-Ni-Mi-Ni-Mo" in New Orleans. This was likely in 1975. He helped produce the song and wrote it with Quezergue and Teddy Royal. The song was released as a single but did not become popular.
By the 1980s, Elliot was not happy with his life in New York. He was tired of performing in clubs and traveling. He also faced challenges in the music business. He decided to move back to New Orleans. He took his music to the streets. There, it belonged only to him and the people who stopped to listen.
Grandpa Elliott: A Street Icon
In New Orleans, Elliot Small became known as Grandpa Elliott. He dressed in blue denim overalls, a bright red shirt, a Santa-like beard, and a floppy hat. He played his blues harmonica and sang for people on Royal and Toulouse streets in the French Quarter. This was the same area where he first started playing.
He often performed with guitarist Michael “Stoney B” Stone. They became a well-known part of New Orleans. People would stop to listen and put money in their bucket. His performances were even written about in The New York Times in 1995.
Grandpa Elliott would arrive most mornings by taxi. He spent his days singing soulful songs and playing his harmonica. He said, "When I feel sick, I come out here to feel better. The French Quarter is my medicine."
His listeners often gave him money. Sometimes they even gave him treasures. He wore a gold wedding band that someone had given him. He said, "A lot of people walk around with plastic now instead of cash, so they throw what they can. Some of the rings I get out of my bucket even have diamonds on them."
Playing for Change Project
Grandpa Elliott lost his sight completely due to glaucoma in 2005. In the same year, a producer named Mark Johnson started a project called Playing for Change. This project aims to bring people together through music. Johnson began recording street performers from all over the world.
Johnson heard Grandpa Elliott sing "Stand by Me" by Ben E. King. He recorded him singing on Royal Street. This performance became a main part of a video. The video showed different artists singing the song.
In 2009, the "Stand by Me" video was put online. It became very popular, getting millions of views on YouTube. Suddenly, Grandpa Elliott had fans all over the world. He joined a tour with a band of musicians from the Playing for Change project.
He also appeared on TV shows like The Tonight Show and The Colbert Report. On June 30, 2009, he performed for over 40,000 people at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles. He played "The Star-Spangled Banner" on his harmonica and sang "God Bless America."
Later that year, the Playing for Change Band came to New Orleans. They helped Grandpa Elliott record his first CD, Sugar Sweet. It was released on November 3, 2009. The album included different types of music like gospel, blues, and soul. Keb' Mo' also played on the album. Grandpa Elliott was the first artist to sign with Playing for Change Records. He said that Mark Johnson helped him trust people again. "He made me lift my head up," he said.
Music Recordings
- Sugar Sweet (2009)
Personal Life
Elliot Small passed away on March 8, 2022. He was 77 years old. He died in a hospital in Jefferson, Louisiana, from problems caused by a skin infection.
See also
In Spanish: Grandpa Elliott para niños
