Grant was raised in Bessemer City, North Carolina. He was one of twelve children born of Willie Leander (1888–1968) and Mary Elizabeth (Simmonds) Grant (1895–1965). His siblings are Wade (1910–1985), Olson (1912–1993), Burlas (1914–1915), Vernal (1916–1971), Eulean (1918–2012), Hershel (1921–2014), Doris (1923–2006), Odell (1925–2011), Ed (1931–2012), Norma Jean (b. 1935) and Aubrey Grant (b. 1937).
Grant married Etta May Dickerson on November 9, 1946. They had one son, Randy.
Grant and his wife settled in Memphis, Tennessee in 1947. Grant worked as a mechanic; first for Wagner Brake Service, then C.M. Booth Motor Company, and later, Automobile Sales Company in Memphis. It was during this time that he met fellow Automobile Sales employees Luther Perkins and Roy Cash Sr., older brother of Johnny Cash. When the younger Cash returned to Memphis after serving in the U.S. Air Force, Grant, Perkins and Cash began playing together as three rhythm guitarists, along with another Automobile Sales co-worker and steel guitar player, A.W. "Red" Kernodle. Grant was a self-taught musician, learning to play the bass after the group collectively decided that Grant should switch to playing bass, and that Perkins would play lead guitar. During the formation of this group, Cash used Grant's Martin guitar for performances, and for many years thereafter, for songwriting.

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