Grant Austin Taylor knows his destiny...
"I love pleasing an audience and music is my life."
This quietly talented, eleven-year-old blues-rock musician/singer/songwriter from Norfolk, Virginia, began his musical journey at the age of four when he saw the classic rock band, The Who.
Inspired by the rock legends, he went on to guest-perform with the New Orleans alternative rock-band, Better Than Ezra, at the age of eight. The lead singer and songwriter of BTE, Kevin Griffin, encouraged Grant to pursue music full-force.
Mentored by musical greats as jazz guitarist Henry Johnson and acoustic guitarist Lewis McGehee, Grant writes and performs many of his own compositions. Walk Alone, his first original, was written when he was eight, later came: That´s The Way Life Goes, Gray, and Make This Love Last, as well as many others. He and the Grant Austin Taylor Band perform his originals and covers at venues around the country, including BB King´s Blues Club in Los Angeles, The Norva in Norfolk, and the Verizon Wireless Virginia Beach Amphitheater. Along the way, he has mastered other instruments: the violin, harmonica, piano, and drums − his greatest gift is to be able to configure songs by ear.
Television saw him on America´s Most Talented Kids, which won him first place, and on the CW´s, Steve Harvey´s Big Time. Over the airwaves, Radio Disney, FM99 and BOB FM have all experienced Grant playing live.
Fund raising events for the American Cancer Society, St. Jude Children´s Research Hospital, Children´s Hospital of King´s Daughters and Heart of Gold Entertainment´s Kids Helping Kids, have all been rewarded by Grant´s generous musicianship. He holds The Patriot Award for his dedication to and support of the United Service Organizations (USO) and he is a member of the Natchel Blues Society. Taylor Guitars and Shubb Capos are pleased to have artist relations with Grant.
Having opened for such internationally known acts as Aerosmith, Motley Crue, Blackfoot, Michael Tolcher and Johnny ´Guitar´ Jones, Grant is on his way to the Grammys − which is why the Young Artist Awards are honored to present him with the Special Award for Outstanding Young Original Blues-Rock Artist.
Words from Bill Boyrer
Heart of Gold Entertainment
As the founder of Heart of Gold Entertainment an organization that advocates for young musicians and raises funds for many worthy charities through benefit concerts, I have known Grant Austin Taylor and his family for about two years. When you are around quality young musicians regularly, it is surprisingly easy to spot the truly great ones; far easier than wondering which of those that are simply very good will make a name for themselves and searching for the right things to suggest to them at the right time to improve their prospects.
Grant Austin Taylor has the magic, the ear to configure songs from memory and a sixth sense for reading his audience. Every time you see him put his hands on a guitar you know he is going to take you with him to a special place. One of the things that makes Grant a rare talent is that he gives it all when he performs. His young voice reaches places you never thought possible. I call it soul from an old soul in a young boy´s body. His playing is right there too. Grant reaches deep within to make his guitar talk to you as well. The notes can be warm and melodic as they often are in his original ballads or they can be shaped into a more visceral connection as he launches into the Texas style blues of Stevie Ray Vaughan. Even more amazing Grant is now melding all of this together to create his own memorable signature sound. Grant can move along this continuum with a fluid precision that looks effortless and when Grant is in his flow-state like zone, it truly is effortless for him. Grant does practice to sharpen his technique and he does have two wise mentoring type teachers Henry Johnson and Lewis McGehee, but the music itself is already inside Grant. He just prepares himself to connect with it and it flows out of him where he hopes it reaches us. Like all the great music prodigies I have met, including Yoyo Ma, Grant knows his gift must be shared and it grows more powerful when he connects with his audience.
When the nominating committee for the Young Artist Special Awards approached me about Grant, they wanted to know if he was ready now or if they should wait a year or two before submitting him for this honor. I told them that Grant had taken command of his talent this year. Once Grant understood his own relationship with his gift for music, it is time to give him access to a wider audience. I am glad the Young Artist Awards listened to me and Grant has taken flight.
*The Young Artist Awards is the original awards program honoring outstanding, talented youth in film, television, theatre, and music. It was founded in 1979 by Maureen Dragone, distinguished member of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (Golden Globes) and several loyal volunteers who created a Foundation that in addition to celebrating the achievements of young people, provides support and scholarships to physically and financially challenged performers. Even further, the Young Artist Awards encourages the production of wholesome, family-oriented films and television programs. In my five years of active work in music charity and supporting young musicians, Grant is the third and youngest artist I have known to receive this honor, following rock guitar virtuoso, Nick Sterling and rock violinist, Antonio Pontarelli, the 2004 and 2005 winners respectively.
Bill Boyrer