Biography
Grimes was born in Newport News, Virginia, United States, and began his musical career playing the drums and one-fingered piano. In 1938, he took up the electric four-string tenor guitar. In 1940, he joined the Cats and the Fiddle as guitarist and singer. In 1943, he joined the Art Tatum Trio as guitarist, with whom he made a number of recordings.
After leaving Tatum, Grimes recorded with his own groups in New York and with a long list of leading musicians, including vocalist Billie Holiday. He made four recordings with his own group, augmented with Charlie Parker: "Tiny's Tempo", "Red Cross", "Romance Without Finance", and "I'll Always Love You Just the Same", the latter two featuring Grimes' singing.
In the late 1940s, he had a hit on a jazzed-up version of "Loch Lomond", with the band billed as "Tiny 'Mac' Grimes and the Rocking Highlanders" and appearing in kilts. This group included tenor saxophonist Red Prysock and singer Screamin' Jay Hawkins. Grimes continued to lead his own groups into the late 1970s, and he recorded on Prestige Records in a series of strong blues-based performances with Coleman Hawkins, Illinois Jacquet, Pepper Adams, Roy Eldridge, and other notable players, including, in 1977, Earl Hines.
With Paul Williams, he co-headlined the first Moondog Coronation Ball, promoted by Alan Freed in Cleveland, Ohio, on March 21, 1952, often claimed as the first rock and roll concert. In 1953 he may have played on the Crows one-hit wonder, "Gee", that has been called the first original rock and roll record by an R&B group.
Grimes died in March 1989 at age 72, in New York City, from meningitis.
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