Grant was born as Myrtle Audrey Arinsberg in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the eldest of six children of Russian Jewish parents, Rose (née Jacobson) and Alexander Arinsberg. At the age of 12, she moved to Los Angeles, where she attended Venice High School. In California, she won a teenage singing contest and appeared on television talent shows.
She worked as a car salesperson in the early 1950s.In 1952 she began to record, using first the name "Audrey Brown" and later "Audrey Grant." She was given the name "Gogi" by Dave Kapp, the head of Artists and Repertory at RCA Victor, who liked to patronize a restaurant called "Gogi's LaRue." (Another source says that Grant asked Kapp, "What is a Gogi?" She continued, "His answer was, 'Darned if I know, I dreamed it last night.'")
In 1955 Grant signed with a small record company, Era Records, and had her first top ten hit with "Suddenly There's a Valley." The next year, she had an even bigger hit, reaching number 1 on Billboard 's Top 100 chart with "The Wayward Wind" and holding there for six weeks. The song sold over one million copies in the United States alone, and peaked at No. 9 in the UK Singles Chart. She was voted the most popular female vocalist by Billboard magazine. This single returned to the Billboard Hot 100 in 1961.
In 1957, she supplied the vocals for Ann Blyth's portrayal of Helen Morgan in the biographical film, The Helen Morgan Story. The soundtrack occasioned her return to RCA Victor (the soundtrack album climbed to No. 25 in the Billboard album chart), where she had a minor hit the following year with "Strange Are the Ways of Love." Moreover, she was signed to star in The Big Beat in the spring of 1957. The film, which featured musical performances by the Cal Tjader Quintet, George Shearing, and the Del Vikings, was produced and directed by William Cowan and released in February 1958.
In 1958, Grant was one of the three solo singers featured in the first stereo LP of the classic musical Show Boat. The other solo singers were Howard Keel, who had appeared in the 1951 film version of the show, and Anne Jeffreys.
Although she made albums and appeared on television into the 1960s, her popularity declined and she initially retired from singing in 1967 after a final US chart single, "The Sea" (top 20 on Billboard's Easy Listening chart). An album of hers was released in UK some 20 years later. Grant survived cancer surgery and was in remission. In 2004, aged 80, she made an appearance on the PBS 1950s pop music special Magic Moments and sang "The Wayward Wind."
Grant headlined with The Fabulous Palm Springs Follies in Palm Springs, California. One of her more notable appearances of her later years was with the Follies on December 31, 2006. She was still performing as late as 2013, at the age of 89.
In 1959, Grant married attorney Robert Rifkind. The couple had two children.
Grant died on March 10, 2016, aged 91. Her death was announced by her son, Joshua Beckett. She also had a daughter, Jeri Brown.
I Don't Want To Walk Without You
Gogi Grant Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
They've asked me out a hundred times or more
But all I say is, "Leave me in the gloom"
And here I stay within my lonely room
'Cause
I don't want to walk without you, Baby
Walk without my arm about you, Baby
I'd take a stroll and get you right off my mind
But now I find that
I don't want to walk without the sunshine
Why'd you have to turn off all that sunshine?
Oh, Baby, please come back or you'll break my heart for me
'Cause I don't want to walk without you
No, sire
The lyrics of Gogi Grant's song "I Don't Want To Walk Without You" express the singer's reluctance to leave her lonely room and go out with her friends, despite their repeated invitations. She is feeling the absence of her beloved and deeply yearns for his presence. She is unable to take a stroll or do anything without him anymore because she is used to having him around. She wants the warmth of his arms around her and his sunshine to brighten her day. She fears that if he doesn't come back to her soon, he will break her heart since she can't imagine living without him. The lyrics are a beautiful portrayal of a person's immense love and dependence on someone they have lost.
The emotion behind the lyrics comes through beautifully in Gogi Grant's voice. Her rendition of the song is heartwarming and emotional, making the listener feel the depth of the singer's love, loneliness, and longing. The simple yet powerful melody of the song complements the lyrics perfectly, making it a timeless classic.
Interestingly, "I Don't Want To Walk Without You" was featured in the 1942 comedy movie "Sweater Girl," where it was sung by Betty Jane Rhodes. Gogi Grant's version of the song was released in 1956 and became a hit, reaching number 10 on the Billboard Hot 100. The song has been covered by various artists, including Barry Manilow, Dean Martin, and Diana Ross.
Line by Line Meaning
All our friends keep knocking at the door
Our friends keep inviting me to go out with them.
They've asked me out a hundred times or more
My friends have asked me repeatedly to go out with them.
But all I say is, "Leave me in the gloom"
I decline every invitation and stay alone in my sad state.
And here I stay within my lonely room
I choose to stay in my room, feeling lonely and sad.
'Cause
Because of my current situation.
I don't want to walk without you, Baby
I don't want to be alone without you.
Walk without my arm about you, Baby
I don't want to walk without holding your arm.
I thought the day you left me behind
When you left me, I thought I could move on.
I'd take a stroll and get you right off my mind
I hoped that by walking, I could forget about you and move on.
But now I find that
However, now I realize that's not the case.
I don't want to walk without the sunshine
I don't want to live without happiness in my life.
Why'd you have to turn off all that sunshine?
I blame you for taking away all the joy and happiness in my life.
Oh, Baby, please come back or you'll break my heart for me
I'm begging you to come back; otherwise, I'll be heartbroken.
'Cause I don't want to walk without you
I don't want to live without you.
No, sire
Absolutely not.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: FRANK LOESSER, JULE STYNE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind