John William Grant is an American singer, musician, and songwriter who holds both American and Icelandic citizenship. He first became known as the co-founder, lead singer, pianist, and primary songwriter for the alternative rock band the Czars. After releasing six albums from 1994 to 2006, the band split up and Grant retired for four years before starting a solo career. Grant’s debut solo album Queen of Denmark was named the best album of the year by Mojo, and his second album Pale Green Ghosts was named the best album of the year by Rough Trade. His third album Grey Tickles, Black Pressure received widespread critical acclaim and peaked at No. 5 on the UK albums chart, while his fourth album Love Is Magic entered the top 20 in the UK. His fifth album Boy From Michigan also received acclaim. He also released the live album John Grant and the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra: Live in Concert , in which he performed songs from his first two albums while accompanied by the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra. Grant is also known for his collaborations with varied musicians such as Hercules and Love Affair, Budgie, Elbow, Goldfrapp, GusGus, Elton John, Midlake, Kylie Minogue, Sinéad O’Connor, Tracey Thorn, and Robbie Williams.
