Freddy Grant

Grant, Freddy

Freddy or Freddie (b Fritz) Grant (b Grundland). Songwriter, pianist, b Berlin 17 Oct 1913, naturalized Canadian 1945, d Toronto 10 Apr 1996. He studied piano, theory, and harmony in Germany, then moved in 1934 to London, where he enrolled at the London School of Music. In England several of his songs were performed by Gracie Fields, Jessie Matthews, Ray Noble, and others. In the USA 'How Can You Buy Killarney?' (1937) was recorded by Bing Crosby and Dennis Day. While interned May-July 1940 in a camp for German and Austrian nationals who were refugees in England at the outbreak of World War II, he wrote his greatest hit, 'You'll Get Used to It' (lyrics by Victor Gordon), about life in the camp. A new version of the song, with lyrics by John Pratt, was featured in the show Meet the Navy. After his release in 1942 from a similar camp in Canada (Farnham, Que), Grant settled in Toronto. During this period, Grant wrote popular and patriotic songs, some of which (such as "I want a share in my country",) were performed in army shows. In Toronto, he studied at various times with Ettore Mazzoleni, Gordon Delamont, and Oscar Peterson, and led small groups in nightclubs and, for 25 years, at the Toronto restaurant Lichee Garden. He also, with Louis Applebaum, wrote the music for the National Film Board short film Guests of Honour (1945), a tribute to volunteer organizations providing recreation for the armed forces. Grant also composed "They Call It Canada (But I Call It Home)"(Gordon V. Thompson 1952), which is still sung in schools across Canada, and in the USA as "They Call It America" (Robbins 1952). A folio of his patriotic songs, This is Canada, was published by Thompson in 1967. In his retirement, Grant moved to Florida. He was active writing music until the end of his life. Some of his patriotic songs are still performed by groups such as the Kanata Children's Chorus