Grandpa Elliott, one of the best-known street musicians in New Orleans, United States, died on Tuesday, 8, at the age of 77.
The information was confirmed by his son on Facebook. He had been hospitalized for over a month due to a skin infection that had spread to his bloodstream.
Elliot Small, his given name, was a frequent figure on the streets of the French Quarter, where he had performed for more than 50 years, always dressed in his blue jumpsuit, red shirt, and hat. Although he was blind, he was always present on the streets and was known for his blues interpretations and owner of a full-bodied and very tuned voice.
Born in New Orleans on July 10, 1944, GrandPa Elliott spent most of his life in the city. He learned to play the harmonica at a young age, made his mark on the corner of Toulouse and Royal streets, and never left. In 2008, a video made by the Playing For Change project, (by producer Mark Jonson), which recorded several street musicians around the world, went viral when it showed Elliott performing a version of Stand By Me.
Thanks to the video, GrandPa went on to tour the world with the band Playing For Change, opening for Robert Plant, and appearing on TV shows like The Tonight Show and The Colbert Report. The artist has also performed in Brazil on several occasions, such as in 2011 at the SWU festival in Paulínia (SP) and at the Latin Music Festival in Paraty (RJ). In 2014 he returned to Brazil to play at Ópera de Arame, in Curitiba. He also made well-attended presentations in 2011, 2015, and 2018 at Bourbon Street in São Paulo.
Amelia Warner
Amelia Warner writes all the Latest Articles. She mostly covers Entertainment topics, but at times loves to write about movie reviews as well.
