Micki Grant

Micki Grant (born Minnie Perkins, June 30, 1929) is an American singer (soprano), actress, writer and composer. She performed in Having Our Say (as Sadie Delaney), Tambourines to Glory and Jericho-Jim Crow, The Gingham Dog, Don’t Bother Me, I Can’t Cope and has received three Tony Award nominations for her writing.

Grant was born in Chicago, Illinois, to Gussie and Oscar Perkins. Her father was a self-taught pianist and master barber, while her mother worked for Stanley Products. She began studying music with double-bass lessons at her elementary school.

Grant first took piano lessons at the age of eight, and the next year took acting lessons with Susan Porché. After high school, her cousin, film actress Jeni Le Gon took her under her wing when Grant moved out to Los Angeles. Following graduation from Englewood High School in Chicago, Grant studied at the Chicago School of Music and attended the University of Illinois, which she left after three years to move to New York.

Much of her early work was done with director Vinnette Carroll, the first African-American woman to direct on Broadway. They collaborated on Don’t Bother Me, I Can’t Cope, in which Grant starred and for which she wrote the music, book and lyrics, and Your Arms Too Short to Box With God, for which Grant wrote additional lyrics and music. Both enjoyed critical acclaim and long Broadway runs. She is a member of Delta Sigma Theta sorority. – Wikipedia

[Micki is sometimes credited as Mikki Grant]