Whakaotihia te rerenga e whai ake nei: He kaikanikani tana whaea i roto i nga waiata Broadway i neke ki Uropi i muri i tana marenatanga ki tana papa; i rere raua i nga Nazis i te Pakanga Tuarua o te Ao ka hoki ki te United States. He kaiwaiata ano tona papa, e purei ana i te cello i roto i te puoro puoro i waho o Chicago i tana wa waatea (i a ia e mahi ana hei kairangahau), a ko tana tuahine he pianist tawhito. I akiaki te kaihoko tuatahi a Graae ki a ia kia huri i tona ingoa whanau ki "Grey" engari i kore ia, i hiahia ki te whakahonore i tona papa Danish. I whakaahuatia e ia a Victor Borge, i tae mai ki Amerika i runga i te kaipuke kotahi me tona papa i a raua e rere ana i te 1940
te whakaekenga o Rānana, hei whakaaweawe nui. I te tau 2007, i neke tona whaea mai i Tulsa ki Los Angeles ki te noho ki a Graae me tana hoa. I roto i tētahi uiuinga i mea ia, "Kua tino piki ake te ora i taku mōhiotanga... E whakaaro ana mātou ki te tīmata i tētahi whakaari hou e kiia nei ko 'Two Gays, a Dog and an Old Lady.'" I haere mai a Graae ki tona whaea i te 1983, he wheako i maumahara ki tana mahinga e rua-ringa "Te Rangatira me te Whakaaturanga" me Faith Prince.