(consisting predominantly of Acadian, French, English and Irish roots) in the town of Eunice, Louisiana on July 10, 1982 to the parents of Kenneth Wayne Granger and Lori Annette McManus Brown. He had two younger sister's, Rachael and Emily. Courtney grew up as a musical child prodigy. At this point I'm going to write words from a biography that his sister Rachael wrote to the CFMA that his Dad Kenneth sent to me. I normally compose my own biographies but I simply could not do her version any better, as she puts into words so eloquently. Here is the following: Every other weekend Courtney took a trip with his dad and sister from Eunice, Louisiana to Lafayette, Louisiana. The soundtrack to those trips were filled with stories and music from his great-uncles' lives. One day, he picked up a fiddle, slid the bow across the four strings for the first time and the rest is history. Courtney was born into a family rich with heritage and culture. He is the grand-nephew of the Balfa Brothers. It has been said that he plays like Dewey and sings like Rodney. Courtney began playing the fiddle at the age of eight. Listening to vinyl records and cassettes of the Balfa Brothers along with D.L. Menard, Nathan Abshire and Robert Jardell, just to name a few, Courtney strived to mimic every note. He got up the courage to sing out loud and little did he know that his voice would take him to places beyond the imagination of a small town kid. He started off taking fiddle lessons from amazing fiddlers such as Peter Schwartz and Mitch Reed. He then started sitting in with local bands at local restaurants and dance halls before he and Kevin Naquin got together and formed the band, Kevin Naquin and the Ossun Playboys in 1996, at the tender age of thirteen. In the summer of 1999 at the age of sixteen, he released his debut CD, Un Bal Chez Balfa, produced by Dirk Powell and featuring such artist as Christine Balfa, Steve Riley and Horace Trahan, with special guest Burkemann Balfa, that featured his self composed song, Le Two-Step des Festivals Acadiens. After his time with the Ossun playboys, he received the invitation that he had always wanted, which was to bring music that gave him so much joy around the United States and abroad with the family band, Balfa Toujours. Playing with that band presented opportunities to see the world and play with legendary Cajun musicians such as Alphonse "Bois Sec" Ardoin, Sheryl Cormier, "Nonc" Allie Young and legendary bluegrass musician, Tim O'Brien. Courtney was given the honor of performing and recording with the late great Ray Abshire, with whom he loved and admired. In 2008, he was recruited by Wilson Savoy to join the band the Pine Leaf Boys, replacing Creole fiddler Cedric Watson. It would be the first time he would play along with musicians his own age. He would go on to tour and play gigs with the band for thirteen years, even as his health begin to fade. During that time, the band received three Grammy Nominations as well as six invitations from the U.S. State Department to present their music to twenty three countries throughout Europe and Asia. Courtney received several CFMA awards such as Fiddler of the Year and Best Album with Ray Abshire and Friends along with many other nominations through the years. In 2016, he released the long awaited classic country album, Beneath Still Waters, which shed light to another side of Courtney. He has been described as an old man in young man's body. The raw renditions of songs from his heroes including George Jones, Mel Street, Waylon Jennings, Vern Gosdin and Keith Whitley will break your heart all while hearing his break as well. He even had the honor of performing Don't Put Her Down, You Helped Put Her There with Alice Gerrard and Ginny Hawker at Augusta Heritage Center. After leaving the music scene due to lingering health issues, except for the occasional local gigs here and there, he was a recipient of the 2020 Arhoolie Award for all he did to keep the traditions of his roots alive. Sadly, Courtney passed away at the age of 39 on September 18th, 2021 after a long battle with kidney failure to to complications from a lifelong struggle with Type 1 Diabetes. His name and legacy will live on through the Courtney Granger Memorial Fund. "Vey well and eloquently put Rachael". Something this author would like to add is Courtney was also very instrumental in passing on his gifts by teaching others at venues such as Louisiana Folk Roots Balfa Week (Ville Platte, LA), Davis and Elkins College Cajun and Country week (Augusta Heritage Workshops (Elkins, WV), Centrum Festival of American Fiddle Tunes (Port Townsend, WA) and Ashokan Fiddle and Dance Camp (Olive Bridge, NY). Courtney played at an estimated two hundred forty locations around the world. His music can be heard on local radio stations such as KBON in Eunice, KEUN in Eunice, KVPI in Ville Platte, and other stations around the country. Courtney managed to put in a remarkable career in a considerable short lifetime. Courtney was considered by many of his peers as one of the most talented Cajun musicians of his generation. He guested on many albums as an in-demand fiddler and vocalist but only had two solo albums to his name. Along with his gifts of instrumentation, mastering the fiddle, acoustic guitar, Acoustic stand up bass, Electric stand up bass and the triangle, Courtney was revered for the high-lonesome vocal style of Cajun singers that is considered a lost art. This also made him equipped to cross over into his second passion, which was classic country music. Courtney was quoted as saying "Some people learned to sing in the church, but I learned to sing in bars." While his family would be setting up to entertain in local venues throughout Louisiana, young Courtney would be singing along with the old country records that would be playing in the jukebox. This is where the love for country music was instilled into the young phenom. The album
Beneath Still Waters (One of my favorite country albums) produced by fellow musician Dirk Powell and Courtney himself featured on guitar, fiddle and vocals, a virtual lineup of who's who in todays contemporary Cajun and country artist such as Joel Savoy-fiddle, Jamey Bearb-fiddle, Kevin Barry-steel guitar, Christian Dugas-drums, Glenn Patscha-piano, Tom Rozum-mandolin/vocals, Alice Gerrard-vocals, Natalie Palms-vocals, Laurie Lewis-vocals and an impressive lineup of backup vocalist including Christine Balfa, Amelia Powell, Sophie Powell and Waylon Adams.. I strongly advise anyone who has never listened to this album to check it out. On March 18, 2022 the Festivals Acadiens et Creoles held at Girard Park in Lafayette, LA, honored Courtney with a memorial service in front a a huge crowd of admirer's. It was a very moving tribute to one of the finest traditional fiddlers internationally. Courtney may have left this world premature, but his legacy will last forever. I can envision God being surrounded by his band of heavenly harp playing angels, including Courtney playing along note for note with his sweet, soulful sounding fiddle. I would like to thank those involved in helping with the ground work of my research: Evangeline News Archives, Eunice News Archives, Acadiana Advocate staff writer Megan Wyatt, Internet sites Saving country music.com, Offbeat.com, and Folkalley.com. I especially like to thank the sister of Courtney, Rachael Granger, who was a major contributor to this biography. NOTE: The head of the CFMA Lake Charles Chapter's Hall of Fame Ms. Rhonda Istre has informed me that Courtney will be inducted into this years class of 2022, this coming November. Thank You CFMALCC. A very well deserved accomplishment. Congratulations to his surviving family members who continue to keep Courtney's bright flame burning. Thank You to Courtney's father Kenneth for taking the time to answer all my questions via phone call, text and e-mail Also for your continued support of Courtney via Facebook. **Dedicated to Courtney's parents Lori and Kenneth and the rest of the Courtney's family** And a special mention to another mentor, Paw Paw Gardie McManus who spent many hours driving and waiting on Courtney to and from his gigs when he wasn't old enough to drive. (There is nothing that compares to love from a Grandfather.) Please feel free to support the Courtney Granger Memorial Fund by clicking on this link. Courtney's way to pay it forward. Compiled by Neal P Granger
Courtney performing at the famous Lakeview Park located North of Eunice, Louisiana on Hwy 13 during Mardis Gras.
Courtney with Balfa TouJours. December 20, 2007.
