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.
The One I Love
Gogi Grant Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And all my daydreams have gone astray
I think about the one and only
Who's bound to find me some golden day
The one I love is coming along some day
And I'll have none except the one I love
He/She may be near or ever so far away
And though our meeting is left to chance
Until our meeting
I still will have my dream romance
And through the night I pray to the moon above
To please be kind and find the one I love
The lyrics of Gogi Grant's song 'The One I Love' explore themes of loneliness, daydreams, and the search for true love. The song describes how the singer's days are long and lonely, and how their daydreams have gone astray. However, they hold on to the hope that one day they will meet the person they love, who will be able to find them on a "golden day". The song expresses the belief that true love is worth waiting for, even if it takes a long time to arrive.
The chorus of the song repeats the idea that the singer will have none except the one they love, who may be near or far away. The lyrics suggest that the meeting between the two lovers is left to chance, but the singer still harbors the dream of a romantic encounter. They pray to the moon above to help them find the one they love. The song's lyrics convey a sense of longing for love and the hope of finding someone special.
Overall, 'The One I Love' is a classic love song that explores themes of loneliness, hope, and the power of true love to overcome even the longest periods of waiting.
Line by Line Meaning
When days are long and nights are lonely
During times of boredom and isolation
And all my daydreams have gone astray
When my aspirations have not turned out as desired
I think about the one and only
I contemplate the individual who holds a distinct place in my heart
Who's bound to find me some golden day
Who will eventually bring me happiness
The one I love is coming along some day
At some unspecified time, the person I love will arrive
And I'll have none except the one I love
I will settle for no one else but the person I love
He/She may be near or ever so far away
They could be nearby or distant
But I'll have none except the one I love
Regardless of the distance, I will not accept anyone else
And though our meeting is left to chance
Although we have no control over when we will meet
Until our meeting
Up until we cross paths
I still will have my dream romance
I will continue to envision a perfect relationship
And through the night I pray to the moon above
At night, I beseech the moon to help me
To please be kind and find the one I love
To locate the individual I adore
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Bronislaw Kaper, Gus Kahn, Walter Jurmann
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind