Editing Larry Graham

{{short description|American bassist and singer (born 1946)}}
{{for multi|the Australian politician|Larry Graham (politician)|the American college basketball coach|Larry Graham (basketball)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2020}}
{{Infobox musical artist
| image               = Larry Graham.jpg
| name                = Larry Graham
| caption             = Graham in 2011
| birth_name          = Larry Graham Jr.
| alias               =
| birth_date          = {{birth date and age|1946|8|14}}
| birth_place         = [[Beaumont, Texas]], U.S.
| instrument          = Vocals, bass guitar
| genre               = [[Funk music|Funk]], [[Soul music|soul]], [[Rhythm and blues|R&B]]
| occupation          = Musician, songwriter, producer
| years_active        = 1961–present
| label               = [[Epic Records|Epic]], [[Warner Bros. Records|Warner Bros.]], [[NPG Records|NPG]], [[Rhino Entertainment|Rhino]], Sphinx
| associated_acts     = [[Sly and the Family Stone]], [[Prince (musician)|Prince]], [[Graham Central Station]], [[Drake (musician)|Drake]]
| website             = {{website|larrygraham.com}}
}}

'''Larry Graham Jr.''' (born August 14, 1946) is an American [[bass guitar|bassist]] and [[baritone]] singer, with the [[psychedelic soul]]/[[funk]] band [[Sly and the Family Stone]] and as the founder and frontman of [[Graham Central Station]].<ref name="Larkin">{{cite book|title=[[Encyclopedia of Popular Music|The Virgin Encyclopedia of Popular Music]]|editor=Colin Larkin|editor-link=Colin Larkin (writer)|publisher=[[Virgin Books]]|date=1997|edition=Concise|isbn=1-85227-745-9|page=539}}</ref> In 1980, he released the single "[[One in a Million You]]", which reached the top ten on the US [[Billboard Hot 100|''Billboard'' Hot 100]]. He is credited with the invention of the [[Slapping (music)|slapping]] technique on the electric bass guitar, which radically expanded the tonal palette of the bass, although he himself refers to the technique as "thumpin' and pluckin'".<ref name="bassplayermagazine">{{cite magazine|url=http://www.bassplayer.com/article/larry-graham-trunk/apr-07/26994|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071013112317/http://www.bassplayer.com/article/larry-graham-trunk/apr-07/26994|title=Larry Graham: Trunk of the Funk Tree|magazine=[[Bass Player (magazine)|Bass Player]]|date=April 2007|archive-date=October 13, 2007}}</ref> 

In 1993, he was inducted into the [[Rock and Roll Hall of Fame]] as a member of Sly and the Family Stone.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|title=Sly and the family Stone {{!}} Rock & Roll Hall of Fame|url=https://www.rockhall.com/inductees/sly-and-family-stone|access-date=2021-12-19|website=www.rockhall.com}}</ref> He is also the uncle of rapper [[Drake (musician)|Drake]].

==Early life ==
Graham was born August 14, 1946, in [[Beaumont, Texas]], U.S., to parents who were successful musicians.<ref name="Larkin" /><ref name="LarkinSM">{{cite book|title=[[Encyclopedia of Popular Music|The Guinness Who's Who of Soul Music]]|editor=[[Colin Larkin (writer)|Colin Larkin]]|publisher=[[Guinness Publishing]]|date=1993|edition=First|isbn=0-85112-733-9|page=105}}</ref>

==Career==
=== Sly and the Family Stone ===
Graham played bass in the [[funk]] band [[Sly and the Family Stone]] from 1967 to 1972.<ref name="LarkinSM" /> The band was the first major American rock group to have a [[Racial integration|racially integrated]], mixed-gender lineup.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Sly & the Family Stone Songs, Albums, Reviews, Bio & More |url=https://www.allmusic.com/artist/sly-the-family-stone-mn0000033161 |access-date=2024-01-06 |website=AllMusic |language=en}}</ref> They had a series of influential tracks during the 1960s that entered the [[Billboard Hot 100]] such as "[[Dance to the Music (song)|Dance to the Music]]" (1968), "[[Everyday People]]" (1968), and "[[Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin)]]" (1969), as well as critically acclaimed albums such as ''[[Stand!]]'' (1969), which combined pop sensibility with social commentary.<ref>{{Citation |title=Sly & the Family Stone - Stand! Album Reviews, Songs & More {{!}} AllMusic |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/stand!-mw0000195756 |access-date=2024-01-06 |language=en}}</ref> 

After many years of tension between Graham and frontman [[Sly Stone]], Larry Graham left Sly and the Family Stone in 1972, after a post-concert brawl broke out between Graham and Sly, and rumours also spread that Larry had hired a [[Contract killing|hit man]] to kill Sly.<ref>Selvin, Joel (1998), pp. 150–154</ref> Graham and his wife climbed out of a hotel window to escape, and Pat Rizzo gave them a ride to safety.<ref>Selvin, Joel (1998), pp. 150–154</ref> Unable to continue working with Sly, Graham immediately quit. In 1993, he was inducted into the [[Rock and Roll Hall of Fame]] as a member of Sly and the Family Stone.<ref name=":1" /> 

=== 1970s ===
After Sly and the Family Stone, Graham formed his own band, [[Graham Central Station]].<ref name="LarkinSM"/> The name is a pun on [[Grand Central Terminal|Grand Central Station]], the train station located in [[Manhattan]], New York City. Graham Central Station had several hits in the 1970s, as well as the album track "Hair"{{Citation needed|date=June 2024}}.

In the mid-1970s, Larry Graham worked with [[Betty Davis]], the second ex-wife of jazz musician [[Miles Davis]]. Betty Davis' band included members of the [[Tower of Power]] horns and the [[Pointer Sisters]], and she recorded three albums to critical acclaim but limited commercial success.

In 1975, Graham became one of [[Jehovah's Witnesses]].<ref>''[[Awake!]]'' magazine, [https://wol.jw.org/en/wol/d/r1/lp-e/101989125 February 22, 1989, p. 15.]</ref> Eventually, he was credited with introducing [[Prince (musician)|Prince]] to the faith. In the early 1980s, Graham recorded five solo albums and had several solo hits on the R&B chart.<ref name="LarkinSM"/> His biggest hit was "[[One in a Million You]]", a crossover hit that reached No. 9 on the [[Billboard Hot 100|''Billboard'' Hot 100]] chart in 1980.<ref name="LarkinSM"/>

=== 1990s–present ===
He reformed Graham Central Station in the early 1990s and performed with the band for several years during which they released two live albums. One was recorded in Japan in 1992, and the other, recorded in London in 1996, had only 1000 copies printed and was exclusively sold at concerts.

In 1998, he recorded a solo album under the name Graham Central Station ''[[GCS 2000]]''. It was a collaboration between Larry Graham and [[Prince (musician)|Prince]]. While Graham wrote all the songs, except one co-written by Prince, the album was co-arranged and co-produced by Prince, and most of the instruments and vocals were recorded by both Graham and Prince. Graham also played bass on tours with Prince from 1997 to 2000. He appeared in Prince's 1998 VHS ''[[Beautiful Strange]]'' and 1999 DVD ''[[Rave Un2 the Year 2000]]''. He has since appeared with Prince at various international venues.
[[File:Larry Graham (10398937003).jpg|upright=1.2|thumb|Graham performing in 2013]]
Graham and Graham Central Station performed internationally with a world tour in 2010 and the "Funk Around the World" international tour in 2011. He appeared with Andre Beeka as a special guest at [[Jim James]]' "Rock N' Soul Dance Party Superjam" at the 2013 [[Bonnaroo Music Festival]].{{citation needed|date=January 2016}}

In 2020, he was ranked number 7 on Rolling Stone's list of [https://au.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/50-greatest-bassists-of-all-time-13565/larry-graham-13610/ “50 Greatest Bassists of All Time.”]

== Personal life ==
Graham is the half-brother of Dennis Graham, and the uncle of Canadian rapper and actor [[Drake (musician)|Drake]].<ref>Archived at [https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211211/9igt9WucVHk Ghostarchive]{{cbignore}} and the [https://web.archive.org/web/20160316180954/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9igt9WucVHk Wayback Machine]{{cbignore}}: {{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9igt9WucVHk|title=Larry Graham Talks about his family ties to Drake with Lenny Green|last=A.J. Miller|date=June 17, 2011|via=YouTube}}{{cbignore}}</ref>

== Slap bass technique ==
Graham pioneered the [[Slapping (music)|slapping]] technique on the electric bass (he refers to it as "thumpin' and pluckin'"<ref name="bassplayermagazine" />), in part to provide percussive and rhythmic elements to the bass line when his mother decided to no longer have a drummer in her band. This style couples a percussive thumb-slapping of the lower strings with an aggressive finger-snap of the higher strings, the slap of the thumb used to emulate a [[bass drum]] and the pop of the index or middle finger a [[snare drum]].<ref name="bassplayermagazine" /> The slap-and-pop technique also uses a lot of muted or "dead" notes, which adds to the rhythmic effect. Radically expanding the tonal palette of the bass, the style has become the archetype of modern funk. 

The slapping style was later used by such artists as [[Bootsy Collins]] ([[Parliament-Funkadelic]]), [[Prince (musician)|Prince]], [[Les Claypool]] ([[Primus (band)|Primus]]), [[Bernard Edwards]] ([[Chic (band)|Chic]]), [[Louis Johnson (bassist)|Louis Johnson]],<ref>{{cite web |title=George Johnson |url=https://andresmusictalk.wordpress.com/tag/george-johnson/ |access-date=October 11, 2019 |website=Andresmusictalk.wordpress.com}}</ref> [[Mark King (musician)|Mark King]], [[Keni Burke]], [[Victor Wooten]], Kim Clarke of [[Defunkt]], [[Flea (musician)|Flea]] ([[Red Hot Chili Peppers]]), [[Marcus Miller]], and [[Stanley Clarke]].

==Discography==
===Solo albums===
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! scope="col" rowspan="2"| Year
! scope="col" rowspan="2"| Album
! scope="col" colspan="2"| Peak chart positions
|-
! style="width:35px;"|<small>[[Billboard 200|US]]</small><br><ref>{{cite magazine |title=Larry Graham – Billboard 200 |url=https://www.billboard.com/artist/larry-graham/chart-history/tlp/ |magazine=Billboard |language=en-US |access-date=December 15, 2022}}</ref>
! style="width:35px;"|<small>[[Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums|US R&B]]</small><br><ref>{{cite magazine |title=Larry Graham – TOP R&B/HIP-HOP ALBUMS |url=https://www.billboard.com/artist/larry-graham/chart-history/blp/ |magazine=Billboard |language=en-US |access-date=December 15, 2022}}</ref>
|-
| 1980
| ''One in a Million You''
| align=center | 26
| align=center | 2
|-
| 1981
| ''[[Just Be My Lady]]''
| align=center | 46
| align=center | 8
|-
| 1982
| ''Sooner or Later''
| align=center | 142
| align=center | 15
|-
| 1983
| ''Victory''
| align=center | 173
| align=center | 52
|-
| 1985
| ''Fired Up''
| align=center | —
| align=center | —
|-
|2019
|''Chillin'''
| align=center | —
| align=center | —
|-
| colspan="4" style="text-align:center; font-size:9pt;" | "—" denotes releases that did not chart.
|}

===Singles===
{|class="wikitable"
|-
! scope="col" rowspan="2"| Year
! scope="col" rowspan="2"| Single
! scope="col" rowspan="2"| Album
! scope="col" colspan="5"| Peak chart positions
|-
!width=35|<small>[[Billboard Hot 100|US]]</small><br><ref name=":0">{{cite magazine |title=Larry Graham – Billboard Hot 100 |url=https://www.billboard.com/artist/larry-graham/chart-history/hsi/ |magazine=Billboard |language=en-US |access-date=2021-12-19}}</ref>
!width=35|<small>[[Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs|US R&B]]</small><br><ref>{{cite magazine |title=Larry Graham – Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs |url=https://www.billboard.com/artist/larry-graham/chart-history/bsi/ |magazine=Billboard |language=en-US}}</ref>
!width=35|<small>[[Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs|US Dance]]</small><br><ref>{{cite magazine |title=Larry Graham – Dance Club Songs |url=https://www.billboard.com/artist/larry-graham/chart-history/dsi/ |magazine=Billboard |language=en-US}}</ref>
!width=35|<small>[[Adult Contemporary (chart)|US A/C]]</small><br><ref>{{cite magazine |title=Larry Graham – Dance Club Songs |url=https://www.billboard.com/artist/larry-graham/chart-history/ASI |magazine=Billboard |language=en-US}}</ref>
!width=35|<small>[[UK Singles Chart|UK]]</small><br><ref name="British Hit Singles & Albums">{{cite book |last=Roberts |first=David |title=British Hit Singles & Albums |publisher=Guinness World Records Limited |year=2006 |isbn=1-904994-10-5 |edition=19th |location=London |page=233}}</ref>
|-
|rowspan=2|1980
|"[[One in a Million You]]"
|rowspan=2|''One in a Million You''
|align="center"|9
|align="center"|1
|align="center"|—
|align="center"|37
|align="center"|—
|-
|"When We Get Married"
|align="center"|76
|align="center"|9
|align="center"|—
|align="center"|—
|align="center"|—
|-
|rowspan=2|1981
|"Guess Who"
|rowspan=2|''Just Be My Lady''
|align="center"|—
|align="center"|69
|align="center"|—
|align="center"|—
|align="center"|—
|-
|"Just Be My Lady"
|align="center"|67
|align="center"|4
|align="center"|—
|align="center"|—
|align="center"|—
|-
|1982
|"Don't Stop When You're Hot"/ <br />"[[Sooner or Later (Larry Graham song)|Sooner or Later]]"
|''Sooner or Later''
|align="center"|102<br>110
|align="center"|16<br/>27
|align="center"|17
|align="center"|—
|align="center"|54
|-
|1983
|"I Never Forget Your Eyes"
|''Victory''
|align="center"|—
|align="center"|34
|align="center"|—
|align="center"|—
|align="center"|—
|-
| colspan="8" style="text-align:center; font-size:9pt;"| "—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that territory.
|}

=== With Sly and the Family Stone ===
{{Main articles|Sly and the Family Stone discography}}
* ''[[A Whole New Thing (Sly and the Family Stone album)|A Whole New Thing]]'' (1967)
* ''[[Dance to the Music (Sly and the Family Stone album)|Dance to the Music]]'' (1968)
* ''[[Life (Sly and the Family Stone album)|Life]]'' (1968)
* ''[[Stand!]]'' (1969)
* ''[[There's a Riot Goin' On]]'' (1971)

===With Graham Central Station===

==== Albums ====
'''Studio'''
* ''[[Graham Central Station (album)|Graham Central Station]]'' ([[Warner Bros. Records|Warner Bros.]], 1974)
* ''[[Release Yourself]]''  (Warner Bros., 1974)
* ''[[Ain't No 'Bout-A-Doubt It]]'' (Warner Bros., 1975)
* ''[[Mirror (Graham Central Station album)|Mirror]]'' (Warner Bros., 1976)
* ''[[Now Do U Wanta Dance]]'' (Warner Bros., 1977)
* ''[[My Radio Sure Sounds Good to Me]]'' (Warner Bros., 1978)
* ''Star Walk'' (Warner Bros., 1979)
* ''Back by Popular Demand'' (1997)<ref>{{Citation |title=Larry Graham & Graham Central Station - By Popular Demand |date=September 26, 1997 |url=https://www.discogs.com/release/3831642-Larry-Graham-Graham-Central-Station-By-Popular-Demand |access-date=2023-04-29 |language=en}}</ref>
* ''[[GCS 2000]]'' (1998)
* ''Raise Up'' (2012)
'''Live'''
* ''Live in Japan'' (1992)
* ''Live in London'' (1996)
'''Compilation'''
* ''The Best of Larry Graham and Graham Central Station, Vol. 1 (Warner Bros., 1996)''

==== Singles ====
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! rowspan="2" scope="col" | Year
! rowspan="2" scope="col" | Single
! rowspan="2" scope="col" | Album
! scope="col" | Peak chart positions
|-
! width="35" |<small>[[Billboard Hot 100|US]]</small><br><ref name=":0" />
|-
|1974
|"Can You Handle It?"
|''[[Graham Central Station (album)|Graham Central Station]]''
| align="center" |49
|-
| rowspan="2" |1975
|"Your Love"
| rowspan="3" |''[[Ain't No 'Bout-A-Doubt It]]''
| align="center" |38
|-
|"It's Alright"
| align="center" |92
|-
|1976
|"The Jam"
| align="center" |63
|} 

==== With [[Prince (musician)|Prince]] ====
*''[[Rave Un2 the Joy Fantastic]]'' (1999)
*''[[Rave In2 the Joy Fantastic]]'' (2001)
*''[[The Rainbow Children]]'' (2001)

===With [[Gov't Mule]]===
*''[[The Deep End, Volume 1]]''

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{wikiquote}}
{{cc}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20040828162453/http://ubl.artistdirect.com/music/artist/bio/0,,437589,00.html?artist=Larry+Graham A bio from the Ultimate Band List.]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20060301094507/http://citypages.com/databank/20/972/article7783.asp "Release Yourself: From Sly Stone's roughhouse to the Artist's clubhouse, groundbreaking bassist Larry Graham finds new power in Minnesota"], ''City Pages'', July 21, 1999.
* [https://www.namm.org/library/oral-history/larry-graham Larry Graham Interview] at [[NAMM Oral History Program|NAMM Oral History Library]] (2014)]

{{Navboxes
|title = Awards for Larry Graham
|list =
{{NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Male Artist}}
{{1993 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame}}
}}
{{Sly & the Family Stone}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Graham, Larry}}
[[Category:1946 births]]
[[Category:20th-century American bass guitarists]]
[[Category:21st-century American bass guitarists]]
[[Category:American jazz bass guitarists]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:African-American male singers]]
[[Category:American male bass guitarists]]
[[Category:African-American rock musicians]]
[[Category:American baritones]]
[[Category:American funk bass guitarists]]
[[Category:American funk singers]]
[[Category:American Jehovah's Witnesses]]
[[Category:American rhythm and blues bass guitarists]]
[[Category:Converts to Jehovah's Witnesses]]
[[Category:Musicians from Beaumont, Texas]]
[[Category:Singers from Texas]]
[[Category:Sly and the Family Stone members]]
[[Category:Songwriters from Texas]]
[[Category:Guitarists from Texas]]
[[Category:American male jazz musicians]]
[[Category:African-American songwriters]]
[[Category:African-American guitarists]]