Peter Grant
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- This article is about the manager, producer and actor Peter Grant. For the biologist, see Peter R. Grant. For the singer, see Peter Grant (singer).
Early life
Grant was born in the south London suburb of South Norwood, Surrey, England. He attended Sir Walter St John School in Grayshott when evacuated and returned to the secondary school in Norwood until leaving at the age of 13, when he became a sheet metal factory worker in Croydon. Grant was soon attracted to the entertainment industry, and worked as a stagehand for the Croydon Empire theatre until 1953. He worked briefly as an entertainment manager at a hotel in Jersey before working as a bouncer and doorman at London's famous Two I's coffee bar, where Cliff Richard, Adam Faith, Tommy Steele and others got their start. Grant was spotted by a professional wrestler called Paul Lincoln, who gave him the opportunity to wrestle on television as "Count Massimo". This kindled his enthusiasm for acting, and he was hired by film studios as a bit part actor, stuntman, and body double.Acting career
Between 1958 and 1963, Grant appeared in a number of movies, including A Night to Remember (as a crew member on the Titanic), The Guns of Navarone (as a British commando) and Cleopatra (as a palace guard), and in television shows such as The Saint, Crackerjack, Dixon of Dock Green, and The Benny Hill Show. He was Robert Morley's double on many of that actor's films. The money he made from these ventures was invested in his own entertainment transport business. As the acting roles dried up, Grant made more money taking groups such as The Shadows to their concerts.Artist management
In 1963, Grant was hired by promoter Don Arden to act as tour manager for artists such as Bo Diddley, The Everly Brothers, Little Richard, Brian Hyland, Chuck Berry, Eddie Cochran, Gene Vincent, and The Animals. By 1964, Grant had started to manage his own acts including The Nashville Teens, The Flintstones, an all-girl group called She Trinity, The New Vaudeville Band, Jeff Beck and Terry Reid. His management was established in the same 155 Oxford Street office used by his friend, record producer Mickie Most, who had previously worked with Grant at the Two I's. Most and Grant together set up the highly successful RAK Records label, which produced a string of hits throughout the 1970s.The Led Zeppelin era
It was in late 1966 that Simon Napier-Bell asked Grant to take over management of The Yardbirds, who were constantly touring yet struggling financially. Mickie Most had suggested to Napier-Bell that Grant would be an asset to The Yardbirds, but as it eventuated, his arrival was too late to save the band. The experience, however, did give him ideas which were put to good use later with Led Zeppelin. Grant's no-nonsense approach to promoters, and his persuasive presence, were influential in The Yardbirds making money from concerts for the first time. Grant travelled closely with The Yardbirds, ensuring that all costs were kept to a minimum, that members were paid on time, and that the band retained artistic control.It is doubtful whether Led Zeppelin would have been as successful without Peter Grant. He negotiated their sizable five-year record contract with Atlantic Records, and his business philosophy would eventually pay off for the label. Grant strongly believed that bands could make more money, and have more artistic merit, by focusing their efforts on albums rather than singles. Live performances were deemed more important than television appearances – if one wanted to see Led Zeppelin, one had to experience one of their performances. By promoting Led Zeppelin's concerts, Grant ensured that ticket profits wound up in the hands of the band rather than in the hands of promoters and booking agents. Grant's famous dressing room scene in the film The Song Remains the Same, where he demands an explanation from concert staff about the sale of illegal photos, was typical of his no-nonsense dealings with people who tried to profit at the band's expense.
Grant was also instrumental in setting up Led Zeppelin's publishing company, Superhype, in 1969. In 1974, Grant was the driving force in establishing Swan Song Records, which gave Led Zeppelin further financial and artistic control over its products. He also managed Bad Company and Maggie Bell, who were signed to the label. In 1975, Grant turned down a lucrative offer to manage Queen. When Grant was once questioned on what was the single most important thing a manager could say, his response was "Know when to say 'no'". In 1977, Grant was asked by Colonel Tom Parker to manage a proposed tour of Europe by Elvis Presley, but Elvis died on August 16, 1977, just as negotiations had begun.
Marital problems, obesity, heroin addiction and the death of Zeppelin drummer John Bonham all took their toll on Grant's health, and after the official breakup of Led Zeppelin he virtually retired from the music business. Towards the end of his life, however, he conquered his addiction, and lost a significant amount of weight. In 1992, he appeared in the film Carry On Columbus as a cardinal. On the afternoon of November 21, 1995 while driving to his home, Horselungs Manor in Sussex, he suffered a fatal heart attack, his son Warren by his side. Grant was buried on December 4, 1995 at St. Peter and St. Paul's churchyard, Hellingly, Sussex. Coincidentally, it was the 15th anniversary of Led Zeppelin's break up.
Filmography
- A Night to Remember (1958)
- The Guns of Navarone (1961)
- Cleopatra (1963)
- Carry On Columbus (1992)
References
Welsh, Chris (2002), Peter Grant: The Man Who Led Zeppelin, London: Omnibus Press. ISBN 0-7119-9195-2.| Led Zeppelin |
|---|
| Jimmy Page · Robert Plant · John Paul Jones · John Bonham |
| Discography |
| Studio Albums: Led Zeppelin · II · III ·
(IV) · Houses of the Holy · Physical Graffiti · Presence · In Through the Out Door · Coda
Live Albums: The Song Remains the Same · BBC Sessions · How the West Was Won Compilations: Box Set · Profiled · Remasters · Box Set 2 · Complete Studio Recordings · ' · ' |
| Films |
| The Song Remains the Same · Led Zeppelin DVD |
| Other |
| Peter Grant · Richard Cole · Swan Song Records · The Yardbirds · XYZ · The Firm · Page and Plant Categories: ∙ |
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