“Grandpa” Elliott Small was a New Orleans street musician known for his singing and harmonica playing.
- Died: March 8, 2022 (Who else died on March 8?)
- Details of death: Died at Ochsner Hospital in Jefferson, Louisiana of complications from a skin infection at the age of 77.
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Musical career
Small began playing the harmonica as a child, and he began a career as a soul singer when he was a young man. He recorded songs in the 1960s and ‘70s including “I’m a Devil” and “Girls Are Made for Lovin’.” But it was as a street musician that he found his greatest fame. Small became a fixture of New Orleans’ French Quarter, known simply as Grandpa Elliott, wearing his typical outfit of overalls, red shirt, and floppy hat. Often playing with guitarist Michael “Stoney B” Stone, Small entertained tourists and locals with his bluesy renditions of beloved songs. One of those songs was “Stand by Me,” which inspired a 2008 viral video including Small and other street performers from around the world singing and playing the song. Hundreds of millions of people watched the video, and it launched a new recording career for Small, signed to Playing for Change Records. He released the 2009 album “Sugar Sweet” and appeared on “The Tonight Show” and “The Colbert Report.”
Notable quote
“People spot me all the way from Canal Street in my red shirt, and they start shouting, ‘There’s Grandpa! There’s Grandpa!’” —from an interview for the Times-Picayune
Tributes to “Grandpa” Elliott Small
Full obituary: nola.com
