LIVE Magazine TV October 2018

JONATHAN KARRANT
Jonathan Karrant was born in the heart of America at
the foothills of the Ozarks in the old western town of
Fort Smith, Arkansas east of the Arkansas River.
The joyous home in which Jonathan grew up was filled
with art, music, and dance. He spent a lot of time at
his grandfather Bill and grandmother Goldia’s home
where there was always much comedy and performance
appreciation. His mother, Nancy, danced and
taught for a local ballet company. She is an artist,
writer, teacher, and an avid music lover. As a college
student in Memphis, Tennessee, she sang with a girl’s
band in the 1960’s. Jonathan’s father, John, is a business
man and a broker who has a passion for farming
and gardening, and owns a ranch just southwest of
Fort Smith. While growing up, Jonathan spent many
hours helping on the farm, enjoying the outdoors, the
livestock and wildlife. Jonathan’s sister, Indra, studied
dance from an early age and later excelled as a
dancer/ choreographer.
His mother says Jonathan began singing from the time
he was born! One day when he was eight months
old and swinging in his wind-up mechanical swing
while listening to music with huge earphones on his
little ears, his mother noticed that his eyes were closed
and he was turning his head from side to side in that
recognizable musician’s horizontal nod. She gasped,
“A Musician!” To her, that was a good thing, and she
was not at all surprised as time went on and he continued
to show musical ability and love of music.
Jonathan sang for hours every day, honing-in on his
own type of music and style. When he was seven he
began singing publicly. His first solo was at his church
with Nancy Vernon, musical director and organist,
directing and accompanying him. Then, that summer
in Eureka Springs, he walked into a nightclub, made
his way to the stage, and asked the band to accompany
him while he sang “Stormy Monday”. The band
agreed, and he was a big hit with the audience, as
well as with the band.
As a teenager Jonathan was active in local theatre,
and studied music and theatre in middle and high
schools. After graduating from high school, director/
writer/actor Meir Z. Ribalow recommended him
for an intensive course of study at the William Es-
JONATHAN KARRANT ALBUM RELEASE
Jonathan Karrant returns to the stage to perform
songs from and celebrate the release of his new
album featuring a collection of standards from iconic
favorites to obscure tunes. Jonathan’s acclaimed studio
album, On and On hit #4 on the Billboard Jazz
charts. - October 20, 2018