Eddy Grant on ‘Electric Avenue,’ Heart Problems, and Lost Luggage

Eddy Grant’s musical life has lasted the better part of 50 years. First finding success as a teenager in the 1960s with the Equals, he quit the band after a car accident and a heart attack at the age of 23. Then he built his own studio, transitioning from a touring life to the production side of the music business. But after some vocal lessons he began a solo career, which led to even greater success with songs like “Electric Avenue,” and “I Don’t Wanna Dance,” the latter of which he is convinced would have been a bigger hit in the US if only “Electric Avenue” wasn’t such a hit. As proof he points to the following video from Glastonbury in 2008. His music career continues to this day, as he has championed and pioneered genres like soca and ringbang.