In the fourth grade, Bill Grady was forced to take piano lessons from an elderly lady in his neighborhood who had bad breath. While teaching him the basics of how to read notes off the page, she loudly chewed on a variety of smelly sandwiches, and when each lesson was mastered to her satisfaction, she would retire the exercise with an adhesive gold star. Bill pleaded with his parents to allow him to quit. It was decided he would be excused from taking lessons provided he played the instrument for 30 minutes a day. He did. Bill grew up. Bill went to college. In school, sheer necessity brought Bill to playing the guitar. While involved in the theatre, Bill claimed he could play guitar in an effort to get a role. It worked, and having only two weeks to convince the world he had an understanding of the instrument, he applied his pianist's hands to the strings, and, quite literally, cut his fingers. After graduation, he went on walkabout. This lasted for a few years. He met a lot of great people, tested his physical and emotional limits, and made some incredible friends. Over the years, he lost many people he loves. You can hear all of this in his songs. Sometimes Folk, sometimes R&B, and sometimes an amalgam of Jazz and Rap; critics have said his sound "has a rapid-fire lyrical style reminiscent of Ani (DiFranco) and a melodic sense reminiscent of (Jason) Mraz." Bill's album, "A Room Called Home" is available nationwide at Borders Books & Music and on iTunes. Bill Grady lives in Brooklyn, NY, the city he adores and cannot do without.
