2009 Inductee - Lloyd Grant   

Journeymen musicians are the backbone and support of any band, and Lloyd Grant is one of the best.  Born and raised in Hyndman, Ontario, his  enthusiasm for music began at the age of 14 when he bought his first musical instrument - a fiddle - for $5.00.  At age 16, his musical career almost came to an end when a serious accident caused him to nearly lose his left hand.  Undaunted, his desire to play pushed him to greater heights and, in 1962, he began playing bass and bought his first and only banjo which he still enjoys playing to this day.  Lloyd joined Ron McMunn’s band, The Country Cousins, in 1965, and one of the memorable events during that time was the band’s  invitation from Mac Wiseman to work on the recording of his album, Mac Wiseman at the Toronto Horseshoe Club.  Lloyd spent several years playing with Ralph Carlson’s band, The Countrymen, and later, with many other well-known musicians in Eastern Ontario and New York State.  In 1989, he played with Tom Wilson at the Mariposa Folk Festival, and twenty years later, Lloyd is still a member of Tom’s band and has played on a number of Tom’s albums.  In the liner notes for his album, When the Wagon was New, Tom comments, A real plus is the banjo of Lloyd Grant.  The brightness of the well-played banjo brings up the tone of every arrangement in which it is heard. If anything in this release can be said to stand out, it is the ever-present sound of Grant's banjo.   Lloyd and his wife, Joan, have four children and nine grandchildren.