Grant Maloy Smith

Grant Maloy Smith
Background information
Born	(1957-08-28) August 28, 1957 Jacksonville
Genres	American Roots music
Occupation(s)	singer, songwriter, musician
Years active	1981–present
Labels	Small Dog Records Chinese Sock Puppet Records Suburban Cowboy Records
Website	www.grant-maloy-smith.com

Grant Maloy Smith (born August 28, 1957) is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and businessman.

Early life

Smith was born in Jacksonville, Florida and started playing songs of The Beatles with the guitar at an early age.^[1] He attended the Rhode Island School of Design but did not complete his tenure there, opting to focus on music.

Early music career

Smith’s first band was called Britannia (1981-1984). Based in Rhode Island, Britannia played around New England, opening for national acts like Elvin Bishop, Steppenwolf, and The Guess Who. Britannia played all original music, written by Smith; one Smith’s songs “I’m A Loaded Gun” was included on the 1981 album “Southern New England's Best Rock From JB 105”.^[2]

Smith was married in 1985 and he continued writing music. The family moved to California in 1991, and Smith joined the Songwriters Guild of America, attending song pitching meetings at their Hollywood offices.

Filmography

Film scoring

After returning to Rhode Island in 1995, Smith began scoring indie films, including “Code Of Ethics” starring Melissa Leo, an Academy Award-winning actress. He also scored “Pray for Power,” starring Lisa Boyle. He worked frequently with directors Christian de Rezendes and Dawn Radican Natalia.^[3]

Full-Length Movies

• 1997 Night of the Beast
• 1998 Boxed Man
• 1998 Code of Ethics
• 2001 Serial Intentions
• 2003 Extra Credit
• 2008 Solitaire
• 2010 The Rich and the Poor Are Naked
• 2011 Pledging Allegiance

Short Films

• 2008 PC Noir
• 2010 Thinking Through the Drink
• 2010 Duet
• 2012 Nijinsky's Room
• 2012 Cat Scratch

Video Feature-Length Films

• 2001 Pray for Power
• 2002 Hope High

As an Actor

• 2003 Extra Credit (feature film) as Jake Lawrence^[4]

Television

• 2009 Mythbusters (Season 7, ep 1) as himself^[5]

Pop/Rock album period

From 2008 to 2012, Smith wrote and self-produced with his own label, Small Dog Records, several albums of pop/rock music. The first was “Already August,” (2008),^[6] which blended elements of folk and Americana music with pop and rock ballads.

In 2010 Smith released “Big Bowl of Courage,"^[7] with songs that were generally more rock and roll than the previous album.

The next album was “American Merman” (2011),^[8] where Smith experimented with reggae structures in several tracks.

His final pop/rock album came in 2012, “Mister Sparklepants.”^[9]

Americana music period

In 2012 Smith transitioned to Americana, or American Roots music, a sub-genre of Country Music. He wrote and produced the album “Yellow Trailer”^[10][11] originally released on Smith’s own Chinese Sock Puppet Records in 2013, but was remastered and re-released in 2015 on Suburban Cowboy Records. That album was entered into the Grammy Awards that year.

In 2014 Smith was asked by producer Art Greenhaw to sing on several tracks of a Roots Gospel album. He contributed with lead vocals and with one original song of his own “Where Main Street Ends,” a gospel version of a song that he had written for the upcoming "Dust Bowl" album, but had decided not to use it. This album was entered into the roots gospel category of the Grammys in 2014 but was not nominated.^[12]

At the end of 2014, Smith was invited by New York producer Perry Margouleff to travel to England and assist him in several shows that singer Paul Rodgers (Bad Company, Free) was doing at the Royal Albert Hall. Smith worked behind the scenes on the entire tour.^[1]

In 2015, Smith was asked to narrate a song on a spoken word album that was being produced by Hawaiian-based DJ Cindy Paulos, called Arise Above Abuse: Artists Speak Out for Women. He co-narrated the track “One in Five” with Hawaiian Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard.^[13] He also provided the music for this track and contributed an original song about the kidnapping of women and girls in Africa called “She Would Not Bow Her Head.” (from Smith’s 2012 Album “Mister Sparklepants”).^[14]

His next album, “Dust Bowl - American Stories,”^[15][16] was released on Suburban Cowboy Records in 2017 and features bassist and musical director William Wilttman, drummer Skoota Warner,as well as keyboardist Tommy Mandel, formerly of Bryan Adams and Dire Straits.^[17]

Smith frequently toured the USA, Europe^[18][19] and Mexico.^[20] Although primarily a headliner, he sometimes opened for other artists during 2015-2016, including Rita Coolidge,^[21] Jon Pousette-Dart,^[22] and John Ford Coley.^[23] He has performed at The Bitter End^[24] in New York, The Clive Davis Theatre at The Grammy Museum, the Troubadour in Hollywood, The National Sylvan Theatre in DC, and The Bluebird Cafe in Nashville.

In addition to his musical career, Smith worked in the industry in different positions.^[25] He was also president of an instrument factory for the automotive and aerospace industries.^[26]

Achievements

• 2017: named the Best Male Americana Artist at the Indie Music Channel Awards, and performed during the awards ceremony at the Troubadour In Los Angeles.^[27]
• 2017: won two Grammy participation certificates for his work as co-producer on the Grammy-award-winning album “Presidential Suite: Eight Variations on Freedom,” by jazz artist Ted Nash.^[28]
• 2016: named the Best Folk Artist, and won for the Best Americana Roots Song (Old Black Roller)^[29] at the Indie Music Channel Awards, and performed during the awards at The Clive Davis Theatre at The Grammy Museum
• 2015: winner of the Singer Universe “Best Vocalist of the Month” competition.^[30]

Discography

Albums

References