Eddy Grant’s mighty inspiration

Eddy Grant talks about the music that got him into playing reggae, saying “Mighty Sparrow would have been the first person.”

Grant makes no bones about it, he knows exactly who the musical inspiration for his hits such as Electric Avenue and I Don’t Wanna Dance. “I fell in love with The Mighty Sparrow, not a piece of music.” The well respected Grenadian singer and guitarist was one of the most original and energetic performers of his time, and Grant believes “Mighty Sparrow is possibly the world’s greatest ever exponent of calypso music.”

As a child, Eddy Grant heard calypso music and loved it. “Being part of the Caribbean, Guyana played that music on its radio ad infinitum, so therefore I was hooked by it.” He credits the music of Mighty Sparrow for souring him towards his success, claiming “that music is responsible for that,” and that Grant’s trademark sound has its foundations in his calypso. “That really forms the basis of my musical growth.”