Grant Ray is a biracial soul, pop and jazz vocalist and songwriter from Miami, Florida with an instantly recognizable signature sound. With over 10 years experience singing professionally, both in various bands and solo, he has garnered a respectable resume. From casinos to weddings, clubs, cafes, restaurants and more, Grant Ray has has performed all over Florida as well as New York and has been a top tier force in local and national competitions such as Ultimate Miami voice 2015, where he was a finalist. Born in 1989 as a biracial child of an Irish American mother and a black American father who he never got to know, life did not begin kind for the young talent. Severely abused,neglected,often forgotten and made to feel like nothing, Grant discovered music as an escape from his hellish childhood and found his voice at the age of 9. Unfortunately he also found himself victim of childhood obesity, as the low income family could not afford good food. Relying on music to save him, Grant knew he wanted to become a singer when he grew up and was determined to make it happen no matter what.His weight at a high of 350 pounds by age 13, kept him back socially and forced him to hide his secret talent from the world till the age of 15 when he decided to make the lifesaving change that would transform him into the person he was meant to be. In 5 months Grant lost an astounding 100 pounds and soon lost 50 more through brutal hard work and undying willpower and was no longer the shy, affraid child scared to let his voice be heard. A near deadly eating disorder soon followed , putting his life in jeopardy. After ending up in many hospitals , Grant found his way out of the mess and remembered music comes first. Upon discovering bodybuilding , a transitional period once again began and only a few years later Grant came back a 170 pound athlete with 5% bodyfat - an incredible long way from his former 350 pound self. Having had music on the sideline while achieving these victories , he knew he was finally ready to hit the stage and the ground running. After taking some time to re-develop his voice after a traumatizing audition for AMERICAN IDOL at age 18, Grant soon found a home in the nightlife entertainment venues of miami and began perfecting his stage and vocal presence over the next couple years. A vocal spectacle folks never saw coming, he continued to impress the crowds and leave his mark with his soulful, gritty and often nuclear powered vocal acrobatics inspired throughout his life by his heroes whitney houston, Michael jackson, Mariah carey, Prince and many other r&b legends. Grant , not having been in the studio since age 12 when he recorded his first demo , made his return to record his first original song JUST WITH THE RIDE, a club pop banger with heavy production and a mainstream pop vibe which was a big personal achievement for the singer. From there on there was no stopping him. He embarked on his journey and recorded his first Ep: Grant Ray as a series of singles over the span of the next few years. While pursuing his original music, Grant became a regular in local gigs, performing a wide range of cover material, from soul to rock to jazz to classic pop to top 40.He quickly learned to cater to every audience and always had an advantage over other artist's because of this. Grant has gained praise from locals and fans worldwide and is a respected artist despite his young age. He went on to release his autobiography, "A CONSTRUCTION OF HOPE" in 2018 and opened his own online boutique "LEONWORLD" the same year. He released his second studio album "THE LION'S DEN" in 2019 and his latest studio album "2.0", featuring the singles "CHAMPION" and "PEACH" this year. One thing is for sure, Grant Ray is a man on a mission!
The new single "BEGINNING OF US" OUT now on all digital retailers!
The first Christmas single from GRANT RAY "THIS CHRISTMAS" available now on all digital retailers!
GRANT RAY SET TO PERFORM LIVE AT THE MODERN SIXTIES WINE LOUNGE IN FORT LAUDERDALE SAT, OCTOBER 20TH FROM 8PM-11PM.
The autobiography of GRANT RAY , "A CONSTRUCTION OF HOPE" out now! The book tells the story of torment, strugge, faith and strength. Get the book now at leonworld.org.
The new line of headwear from Grant Ray , THE LEON COLLECTION out now and available for purchase! The line boast's custom made couture designs with handmade elements . Hats are 100% cotton and are one size fits all. One of a kind pieces.Hats are priced at 20.00$ .Email at grantr52@gmail.com if interested in purchasing. Get your hat today!
Grant Ray set to perform his single "HOPEFUL" and more @Pride Fort Lauderdale Sunday, Feb 11th. The iconic event brings out people all over the world in support of the gay community and gay rights.
THE NEW ALBUM FROM GRANT RAY, "THE LION'S DEN" OUT NOW ON ALL DIGITAL PLATFORMS.
The new single "SWING WITH ME" out now.
The new single "SWING WITH ME" from Grant Ray drops saturday 7/20/19.
The official music video for single "2 HEARTS" is out now on youtube!
The new single "CHAMPION" FEATURING S P A Z out now.
The new single "CHAMPION" FEATURING S P A Z out now.
The new single and accompanying music video from GRANT RAY "D.I.M.(DON'T IGNORE ME) out now.
The official music video for the new single from GRANT RAY, "SWING WITH ME" out now on youtube.
R&b artist, Grant Ray releases his take on classic soul music on exciting new single “WHEN THE LIGHTS GO DOWN”
It has been a busy and drama filled year for music in 2019 and the music industry continues to evolve. The format of music has changed drastically and artist’s have adopted a different approach to singing. It seems as if the industry is promoting a far more subtle vocal style and the great vocals of the soul and pop legends who inspired so many appear to be vanishing. Pop music, in particular seems to be littered with young pop stars who seem to do everything but SING. Soul music has taken a backseat in the industry but still there are a few r&b vocalist’s fighting to bring it back to the forefront in all it’s glory.
Soul/pop artist, Grant Ray is one of the vocalist’s who make it the main mission to keep real singing and great music alive. The release of his new single “WHEN THE LIGHTS GO DOWN” is a celebration of the timeless sounds of the great soul singers such as Luther Vandross and Marvin Gaye, just to name a few. The song is a modern take on “Baby making music” as they used to say. As the singer has always been known for his soulful voice and extensive vocal range, he put that voice front and center in the exciting song. “I wanted to show the new generation what real singing and what real soul music is all about”, Grant stated about the release. It is evident he is very passionate about the preservation of real music in general. This is a breath of fresh air in a day of gimmicks and auto tune.
The official music video for "LIGHT THE WAY" from Grant Ray's album "2.0" is out now! Watch the video in it's entirety on youtube.
The official " GOING DOWN ALL NIGHT" music video out now on youtube!
The official "GOING DOWN ALL NIGHT" music video drops Thurday, 8/13/20. Get ready.
The cd version of the new album "2.0" will be available Monday, July 20th at "THE G SHOP" on the GRANT RAY facebook fan page at LEONWORLD89. Head over and order your copies.
There is something exciting brewing... And it is on the way! Get ready because the upcoming new apparel line "BLACK KINGDOM" from Grant Ray is coming soon. Fashion becomes king. Stay tuned.
The new studio album from Grant Ray available now on amazon music and google play.
The new studio album "2.0" from Grant Ray coming soon. Inspired by soul, hip hop, contemporary r&b and gospel, this album is set to be a statement of black pride, love, strength and excellence.
The new single "PEACH" from the upcoming studio album "2.0" out now on all digital and streaming platforms. Download the single today.
The official music video for the lead single "PEACH" from the upcoming new album "2.0" out now on youtube.
Tickets on sale now for Grant's upcoming show at FUSSE STUDIOS. Visit MyAfton.com/GrantRay to purchase yours today.
Grant Ray performing live at FUSSE STUDIOS in Miami february 7th at 7 pm.
