Carson teen Grant Davis awarded recording contract

Grant Davis, Carson City’s young, up-and-coming musician, has made a giant step up.Davis, 16, recently signed with Manhattan Records and began recording with the company Monday in Los Angeles.“It was a long wait for the contract to come through,” said Grant’s mom, Angie, “But now our manager says we’re going to be super-busy.”Manhattan made an offer in October, she said. Negotiations bounced back and forth through attorneys, slowed by the pounding the recording giant’s New York headquarters took during Superstorm Sandy.Before signing the Manhattan contract, Grant already had gained a measure of fame by, among other things, winning the Dr. Phil show’s “Is My Child A Star?” competition last July.The previous year, his composition, “Just A Child,” captured third place in the 2011 MusiCares and Grammy Foundation’s Teen Substance Abuse Awareness Through Music Contest. Grant wrote the song with his mother during a difficult time in the family as they coped with his sister Kelli’s addiction. Kelli, after some setbacks, is now doing well, Angie Davis said.Grant said last week that he looked forward to being in the recording studio.“I love it. There’s a whole vibe to it,” he said of the “very vintage” recording studio. “I’m working with incredible musicians. The music is incredible. I really can’t wait.”He’s recording three new songs to add to 10 that he previously made for a demo, which Manhattan purchased.“I’ll be recording (two) Diane Warren songs. It’s really a compliment,” he said about recording music by the multiple-Grammy-winning songwriter.The album’s original songs include “Just A Child” and “Perfect Symphony.” The latter is “one of the very first songs I ever wrote,” Grant said.This summer, Grant will head out on a promotional tour, including time in Europe.“Internationally, the places they’re planning on sending me, I couldn’t imagine in my wildest dreams,” he said.Grant’s life has changed in many ways, but some things remain the same for the Silver State High School student.“Music has become more my job, instead of something I do because I enjoy it,” Grant said. “I take it more seriously.”“He still gets grounded,” his mother said of the teen, who performed in public for the first time at 14.Both mom and son are grateful for the support they’ve received from the staff and students of his high school and the flexibility of the charter school, as well as community support. “I feel very lucky,” Grant said.That said, the Davises are looking to the future. Besides singing and songwriting, Grant has lots of experience in theater and has been taking classes in Los Angeles in many areas of entertainment thanks to the Dr. Phil contest.“I would love to go through whatever doors open,” he said.ONLINETo listen to Grant Davis’ music and for more information, go to grantdavislive.com.