Gogi Grant, the singer who beat Elvis Presley off his perch at the top of the Billboard charts in 1956 with the hit ballad "The Wayward Wind," died on Thursday at the age of 91.
Grant also provided the vocals for actress Ann Blyth in 1957's "The Helen Morgan Story," a film based on the famous torch singer. She also bagged a role as a recording artist in the 1958 film "The Big Beat," which also featured performances by The Del-Vikings, The Diamonds, The Mills Brothers and Harry James.
"I wasn't asked to listen to Helen's old records," Grant said about the Helen Morgan biopic in a 1957 interview. "The studio didn't even suggest I change my style of singing. They just said, 'Sing like you sing, sing each song the way you feel it.'"
Grant's version of "The Wayward Wind," directed by Stanley Lebowski and Herb Newman, replaced Presley's "Heartbreak Hotel" in the No. 1 spot of the Billboard charts after an 8-week run. Grant's ballad, which sold more than a million copies, enjoyed the top spot for six weeks and earned her the title of most popular female vocalist of the year.
Born Myrtle Audrey Arinsberg from Philadelphia in 1924, Grant moved to California along with her family at the age of 12, where she showcased her talents by winning a singing show and made several appearances on talent shows on TV.
She started her recording career as Audrey Brown and later as Audrey Grant before record producer Dave Kapp gave her the name "Gogi."
Grant's other hits include "When the Tide is High," "The One I Love Belongs to Somebody Else," "The Sea," "Who Are We" and "You're In Love."
Grant took a two-decade break from her music career to focus on raising her children before making a comeback in 1987 in her 80s.
"Gogi was an elegant performer who sang with an unmatched purity of tone and emotion," her family said in an online obituary. "She was often referred to as 'an American Piaf.' Gogi was a beautiful, kind, thoughtful, generous human being who was deeply loved and will be missed by many."
Grant leaves behind her daughter, Jeri Brown, her son, Joshua Beckett and daughter-in-law, Jennifer Beckett, and her granddaughters, Tina and Dalia.
