Porter Grainger

Porter Grainger ( Granger; October 22, 1891 − October 30, 1948) was an African American pianist, songwriter, playwright, and music publisher.

Early life When Grainger was born in Bowling Green, Kentucky, the Granger family name did not include an "i". Although the exact date at which Grainger changed his name is unknown, he registered for the World War I draft by signing his name "Grainger". At that time, he was living in Chicago, and by 1916, he had begun his professional career.

Music career In the spring of 1920 he left Chicago for New York City, and by 1924, he was living in Harlem.

Though he would never really be known as an exceptional soloist in his own right, Viola McCoy, Clara Smith, and Victoria Spivey. From 1924 to 1928, he worked with blues singer Bessie Smith to record more than a dozen sides for Columbia Records. Amongst the height of his career was the 1928 stage production, Mississippi Days, which also featured Smith.

He was also Mamie Smith's accompanist in the 1929 film short Jailhouse Blues and regularly appeared with her in stage shows. A copyright renewal application for the How to Play and Sing the Blues book was filed in his name in 1954, The former has been performed and recorded by several artists, including Bessie Smith, Alberta Hunter, Fats Waller, Jimmy Witherspoon and the Ink Spots. The latter was performed by Martha Copeland, Viola McCoy, and Rosa Henderson, before passing into folk-blues repertoire. "Wylie Avenue Blues" (1927, Joe Davis, co-author) "Soul and Body" (1927) "Good Time Mama" (1927) "Fat and Greasy" (1936) "Give It to Him" (1937) "I've Got to Have My Ashes Hauled" (1937) "One Hour Mama" (1937) "Can't You Take a Little Joke" (1939) "By an Old Southern River" (1943)