Grant, Cyril Ewart Lionel , 1919-2010 , actor, singer, broadcaster, activist , alias Cy Grant

Grant, Cyril Ewart Lionel , 1919-2010 , actor, singer, broadcaster, activist , alias Cy Grant

African Guyanese-born Cyril Ewart Lionel 'Cy' Grant served as a Flight Lieutenant Navigator in the Royal Air Force (RAF) in the Second World War, later becoming a barrister, actor, singer/songwriter, artistic director, broadcaster, writer, multi-ethnic arts community organiser and activist.

He was born on 8 November 1919, Beterverwagting, British Guiana (which later became Guyana) the son of Reverend Henry William Wadsworth Grant and Ann Marion Bayley (of Antigua) who had married in Barbados in 1910. His father was a Moravian Minister and his wife also known as 'Annie' and 'Annabelle', taught some music. For further details on the family see LMA/4709/F/01/02/005 and LMA/4709/J/05/009.

Cy Grant paid his own way to Britain in 1941 to serve as a Flight Lieutenant and Navigator in the Royal Air Force (RAF) during the Second World War. On his third mission in 1943, Cy Grant's plane was shot down over Netherlands [Holland]. Cy Grant was captured and spent the following two years as a Prisoner of War in Germany.

By the 1950s Cy Grant was living in London and initially trained to become a barrister. He was called to the Bar in 1951, however he unfortunately failed to secure his desired job at this time. Cy decided to pursue a career in acting, first on stage and then on screen. In the early 1950s he successfully auditioned and toured with Laurence Olivier's Festival of Britain company. Throughout his career he had many stage and screen highlights including 'Man from the sun' with Errol John in 1956, 'Sea Wife' with Richard Burton and Joan Collins in 1957, 'Home of the Brave' in 1957, playing the lead role in Othello in 1965 and he voiced Lieutenant Green in the show 'Captain Scarlett and the Mysterons' from 1967. Later in his career he turned back to stage acting and created a one man performance of Aime Cesaire's poem 'Return to my native land' at the National Theatre in 1976, subsequently touring the show for a further 2 years.

While Cy Grant pursued his career in acting, it was his singing that really made him a household name. He became the first Black person to appear regularly on British television, appearing regularly on the 'Tonight' show singing topical calypsos, from 1957 and continued to tour his own live music show for many years after.

In 1956 his press advertisement stated 'Cy Grant stage, films, cabaret, radio and television records'.

He campaigned for human rights and against colonialism. In the 1970s Cy Grant wanted to encourage a positive change for black actors and artists in Britain. Together with John Mapondera, he created Drum Arts Centre Limited in 1974. The organisation championed black playwrights and actors and led to residencies in venues such as the Institute of Contemporary Arts and the Commonwealth Institute. In 1978 Cy decided to stand down as director of Drum and set his sights on his next venture. In the 1980s Cy Grant focused on promotion of artists in all minority ethnic groups, which led to the creation of Concord Festival Trust in 1981. This organisation delivered 22 cultural festivals across the United Kingdom until 1985.

In the later years of his life, Cy Grant dedicated himself to spirituality and writing. His first book 'Ring of Steel: pan sound and symbol, was published in 1999. His memoir of his Prisoner of War experience 'A Member of the Royal Air Force of Indeterminate Race' followed in 2007, and 'Blackness and the Dreaming Soul' in 2007 and his poetry collection 'Rivers of Time' in 2008.

Cy Grant had a son, Paul from his first marriage. In 1956 Cy Grant married secondly Dorith Kastner and had three children Dana, Dominic and Samantha (Sami) Grant.

Cy Grant died on 13 February 2010 at University College Hospital, London.