Eddie to grant fans a top gig

Apr 11 2008 By Martin Hutchinson

EDDY Grant plays his first UK dates in 20 years this summer, including a show at Wolverhampton Civic Hall on July 5.

The influential musician hit the number one spot in the UK and Europe with Baby Come Back as part of The Equals in 1966. The celebrated multi-racial group had plenty more hits but after a serious illness Eddy left the band, returned to Guyana to recuperate and prepared to launch his hugely successful solo career. He played every instrument, sang every vocal part and produced every track on most of his solo albums Best known for his huge hits I Don't Wanna Dance, which hit the UK number one spot in 1982, and the seminal Electric Avenue, Eddy's songwriting was often as politically charged as it was commercially-flavoured. The Clash featured a cover of Police On My Back on their Sandinista triple-set, and Gimme Hope Jo'hanna, which gave Eddy a hit in 1988, was a thinly veiled attack on the apartheid regime in South Africa. As his solo career took off, Eddy moved to Barbados and set up the Blue Wave studio. He continued to release tracks by classic calypso and soca artists on his label Ice Records, as well as 'Ringbang', a genre of Caribbean music.

Ticket info

EDDY GRANT July 5: Civic Hall, Wolverhampton Tickets: 0844 576 5483.