Hooray for the world, Kathy Grammer was on it!

Maybe you've never heard of Kathy Grammer. She was a wife, mother of two boys, and a member of a Baha’i community in Ventura County, California. She had been a professional educator, and liked to give "oneness workshops" to promote unity in her community and also enjoyed traveling across the country giving seminars on virtues. As if that wasn't busy enough, she was also half of a very successful song writing duo. If you have children, maybe you're even one of the millions who loves her husband Red's fun, virtue filled music. If so, maybe you'd like to know something about Kathy; wife, collaborator, wind beneath the Grammy nominated, award winning singer's proverbial wings.

Kathy was largely behind the scenes, but it was very possibly her background in special education and her passion for children that ultimately led Red away from singing for the grown-ups, in bands such as the Limeliters, and inspired him to write and perform songs for children. But Kathy was more than just an inspiration: she penned and co-wrote some of his most successful songs, including "I Think Your Wonderful" and "See Me Beautiful" to name only a couple. So if you've enjoyed any of Red's seven bestselling CDs, possibly while singing along on a road trip with the kids and family, then you probably already share a special bond with this remarkable woman through her special gift of music. You wouldn't be alone either, because the renown of Red and Kathy's music is a big as the pair was humble. For example, recently Red was a guest in China on the television special on "Children's Day" taped in the Children's hospital in Beijing and broadcast to 100 million viewers as one of the highest rated music show on Chinese television. He also televised a concert from the Great Wall of China. Even here, on the remote little island of Sakhalin in the Russian Far-East, Baha'i children and adults love to sing "I Think You're Wonderful" in their native Russian.

By all accounts, Kathy Grammer was a very talented, and accomplished woman who, in January around the first of the year, lost her battle with cancer and ever so quietly slipped off her mortal garb and winged her flight to the spiritual realms. As Baha'is strongly believing in, and taking to heart Baha'u'llah's words that: "I have made death a messenger of joy to thee," Red and his sons refused to give in to grief and insisted that her passing be marked as a celebration of life. Red and Kathy were largely private people, despite Red's successful career as performer. This fact will become clear to anyone trying to find out something about Kathy (in life or death) as I have. Nevertheless, and in the spirit of celebrating a great life of achievement and service, I want to share with you what few gems I was able to dig up on this truly remarkable woman.

Here is a short and interesting biographical note I was able to find on Divinenotes.com, about the life of Kathy and Red:

Raised in Little Silver, New Jersey, Red completed his first two years of college at Rutgers University and then transferred to Beloit College in Wisconsin where he met his wife and co-lyricist, Kathy, a special education teacher. They began collaborating on children's music while Red was still lead vocalist for the legendary folk group, The Limeliters.

Believing that other children might enjoy the songs, games, and finger plays that they had written for their young son, Red and Kathy released their first album, "Can You Sound Just Like Me?” in 1983. Introduced on National Public Radio's(NPR)All Things Considered, their first recording was received with open arms by the critics. They still did not view themselves as children's musicians--just musicians. That would soon change. Encouraged to write another album for children and inspired by "The Promise of World Peace" statement issued by the Bahá'í World Community, Red and Kathy set out to create an album illustrating what children and their families could do to bring about peace. In 1986 the groundbreaking recording, "Teaching Peace" hit the market. It was immediately heralded for its ability to address such topics as acceptance of diversity, self-esteem, and cooperation.

See Me Beautiful, from the album Teaching Peace

What seemed unusual about the album, however, was that it could do all that and tickle a child's funny bone. Parents embraced the album--they loved Red's voice and the messages in the lyrics Grammer had not only become a commercial success, he had become an overnight sensation in the educational community as well. This remarkable recording was honored by Parents' Choice with a Classic Children's Audio Recording Award--an award few albums ever achieve. The All Music Guide declared "Teaching Peace" "one of the top five children's recordings of all time."

I Think You're Wonderful from the album Teaching Peace

As children, parents, educators and reviewers were discovering, there was something very special about what the Grammers had created for children.

At the same time, Red was discovering, as a performer, the perfect venue for his natural playfulness, vocal talent, and artistic sensibilities...the family. His clear, high tenor voice, and the songs that he and Kathy were writing for it, were tailor-made to entertain and inspire everyone from toddlers to grandparents. At long last he was finally "home" and his audiences knew it.

Today Red has become one of the most sought after children's performers in North America, appearing in major performing arts centers and children's festivals, as well as local theaters and schools, all across the U.S. and Canada.

Red Grammer

Together, Red and Kathy Grammer have a unique talent for conveying messages of hope and giving voice to children's feelings--entertaining, inspiring and educating with every beat. The Grammers live with their two teen-aged sons, David and Andy, in the Hudson Valley in New York State”(Original text here).

Together Kathy and Red pioneered the modern children’s music genre that would later see the emergence of other successful children’s acts like the Wiggles. Red isn’t the only children’s act these days, and has paved the way for a generation of sound-a-likes. Nevertheless, he is considered by many the undisputed godfather of children’s music. The impact Kathy made in crafting these timeless, beautiful, and inspiring songs—loved by parents and children alike—is significant, and the commitment she made to making children’s music that was not only fun, but filled with lyrics worth singing about, will be touching lives of for generations to come.

Here is a excerpt from a touching memorial published in the Ventura County Star:

This planet we call Earth, our home, has many surprises to offer us each day. Little did I think that when attending a memorial service for a friend I would be subject to many hours of remembrances in a place that seemed not of this world.

Kathy Grammer was someone I had met several years ago. She suffered from an illness that eventually took her body out of this world. Her memorial service was offered as a joyful remembrance of her life, love and work. If you had met Kathy once, you were not likely to forget her.

A view from Meher Mount in Ojai

She lived in Ojai as a member of the Baha’i faith and was a true reflection of it. Baha’is believe in one God, and in the oneness of humanity. They believe in the essential harmony of science and religion, and in the equality of men and women. They believe in the elimination of prejudice and in a universal compulsory education. They believe that there should be just one universal language, and that there should be universal peace upheld by a world federation. There are many Baha’is in Ventura County and Kathy did her utmost to tell people about the faith and encourage membership.

The memorial service was held in a place I had not visited before: Meditation Mount in Ojai. I cannot think of a more appropriate place to have a memorial service for Kathy. It is indeed on the top of a mountain with a vista so beautiful that it had to be formed by someone other than man. The varied colors of the mountains were breathtaking. It is no wonder that the film “Shangri La” was shot here. There can be no other place that exudes so much peace and love. Kathy loved it” (Read the whole article here).

Another short yet touching mention of Kathy can be found in this excerpt from a personal blog by someone who had had the privilege of getting to know her if only briefly:

"kathy grammer and i only spent two days in each other’s company but i think of her like an angel that whisked into my world with perfect timing. i was raw and hurting and confused. she was loving and wise and empowering. she gave me a vital gift - taking steps on the journey to figuring out my divine blueprint. there is no gift much better than that" (Read the whole blog here).

A prayer from the Baha'i Writings on Kathy's behalf as I think she might want it:

O Thou kind Lord! These lovely children are the handiwork of the fingers of Thy might and the wondrous signs of Thy greatness. O God! Protect these children, graciously assist them to be educated and enable them to render service to the world of humanity. O God! These children are pearls, cause them to be nurtured within the shell of Thy loving-kindness.

Thou art the Bountiful, the All-Loving. - 'Abdu'l-Bahá

To buy Red and Kathy’s music visit Red’s official website at www.redgrammer.com, or www.divinenotes.com. To learn more about the Baha’i faith in the U.S. visit www.bahai.us.