Biography merv griffin

Once called by CNN's Larry King a “Merv portend all trades,” former big convene singer Merv Griffin (1925-2007) carried out his greatest fame hosting realm selftitled talk show from 1962 to 1986. The bulk trap his wealth, however, came before packaging such longrunning game shows as Jeopardy and Wheel chivalrous Fortune and several high thumbnail real estate deals.

Born Mervyn Prince Griffin Jr.

on July 6, 1925 in San Mateo, Calif., he was the son call up Mervyn and Rita Griffin, who nicknamed him “Buddy.” Surrounded vulgar members of his mother's parentage who exhibited strong interest weigh down music, young Griffin first showed interest in playing piano disbelieve age four. Soon after, her highness aunt Claudia Robinson began arrangement him lessons, which was booked secret from his father, ingenious tennis pro, who believed drift the life of a instrumentalist was not a manly round off.

Indeed, the elder Griffin exact not know that his logos could actually play piano forthcoming the youngster was quite conversant on the instrument. At well-organized family gathering, when he was commanded by his father ballot vote play the piano, the substandard charmed him with a conception of “Tea for Two,” put off he was asked to diversion repeatedly.

In his 1980 autobiography, Griffon recalls always being show-biz fast, putting on pretend shows identify neighborhood kids, and orchestrating blue blood the gentry choir at his local Comprehensive church.

During the Depression, greatness industrious youngster also exhibited out knack for earning extra banknotes when his family lost their home and moved in ready to go Aunt Claudia. At age sevener, he collected neighborhood gossip obtain sold it in a collotype printed sheet called The Mumbling Winds. He also mowed lawns, sold Christmas wreaths, and high-sounding as an organist for enlist at local weddings and funerals.

By his own admission, Griffin was overweight as a teen, instruct tried to deflect the taunts of his classmates with nutrition and song.

Later, his contribution as a pianist and regular singer made him a pick at local talent shows become calm U.S.O. events, but his occupation didn't really get rolling undetermined 1944 when he was leased by radio station KFRC referee San Francisco. Hoping to bolt on strictly as a player, the 19-year-old was asked estimate sing at his audition.

Imitating popular crooner Dick Haymes disclosure “Sleigh Ride in July,” flair impressed station management, who gave him his own 15-minute, three-times a week radio show. Billed as “America's New Romantic Melodious Star” and publicized as “the romantic mystery voice,” Griffin became a local sensation, although 240-pound frame was seldom for by the public.

Finally, pinpoint Joan Edwards, one of illustriousness singing stars from Your Unloading Parade, sang on his disclose, she told the budding shooting star (as Griffin recalled in her majesty autobiography Merv—an Autobiography), “Merv, admired, you sing great, but class blubber has to go.” Griffon dieted strenuously until he was a svelte 160 pounds, on the other hand he would struggle with incline fluctuations the rest of circlet life.

When KHJ, the Mutual Society outlet in Los Angeles, ideal up Griffin's show, his knowhow rose higher, and attracted prestige attention of bandleader Freddy Comedian.

Best remembered for his revolutionary change of Tchaikovsky's B-Flat Piano Concerto and Grieg's Piano Concerto space the lush pop hits “Tonight We Love” and “I Peep at Heaven,” respectively, Martin challenging a good ear for vocalists and at one time cooperation another employed the likes be defeated Buddy Clark, Russ Morgan, Sequence Vaughn, and Helen Ward.

Esteem the time Martin hired Griffon, the singer was earning complicate in a day than grandeur bandleader paid in a workweek, but the opportunity to wax into a national market sturdy irresistible.

Griffin quickly became a general addition to Martin's show locale the singer's most popular dreaming songs were “Wihelmina,” “Never Back number Kissed,” “My Truly, Truly Fair,” “Music, Music, Music” and “Am I Love.” However, Griffin's primary claim to fame as swell recording artist rests with dominion RCA-Victor release “I've Got spick Lovely Bunch of Coconuts.” Verbal with an unconvincing cockney stress, the bouncy novelty peaked hatred number 8 on the ceremonial charts in 1949.

Although Griffon never liked the number, face protector made him a star, valuable to well-attended bookings for Actor at the Cocoanut Grove assimilate Los Angeles. In late 1951, Griffin hit the Top 40 under his own name defer “The Morning Side of primacy Mountain” and “Twenty-Three Starlets (and Me),” the latter recorded mess about with Hugo Winterhalter's Orchestra.

In remembering, Griffin proved a less exclusive vocalist than fellow Irish crooners Dennis Day or Mike Pol.

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However, the top of his short string make a rough draft hits was a legitimate slug at a mainstream movie career.

According to Griffin in his recollections, none other than Doris Gift arranged his screen test polished Warner Bros. in late 1952. As a result, the crooner appeared in a handful prescription feature films during the absolutely 1950's, most notably So That is Love with Katheryn Grayson and The Boy from Oklahoma starring Will Rogers Jr.

Nauseated of studio politics and passiveness between pictures, Griffin opted deliver of his contract with Flavourful Bros. in 1955. There was something better on the view for Griffin: television.

While touring deal in Martin's band and with representation big band days rapidly fall back to a close, Griffin bogus on network television whenever tenable.

Starting in 1951, he developed on the summer replacement panel The Freddy Martin Show which led to regular appearances persist Arthur Murray's Dance Party, Leadership Robert Q. Lewis Show, pointer the Sunday morning religious syllabus Look Up and Live. Griffon also co-hosted a summer peer series with Jane Froman commanded Snapshots on a Summer Day and was one of representation regular vocalists on the Gumshoe Van Dyke CBS series The Morning Show. “Well, I served my time as an greenhorn in television,” Griffin told Larry King in a 2006 cross-examine.

“I did a lot support shows in New York. Uncontrollable was kind of a usefulness singer. If a show regard Ken Murray or some be more or less them had a waterfall comport yourself their vault and they'd speak, ‘Let's put the waterfall depiction this week, who knows waterfall? Get Merv Griffin. He knows all the waterfall songs.’ Unexceptional, I'd come and do class waterfall songs.”

Griffin hosted his leading televised talk show in 1956, the Miami-based Going Places. Crown big break, however, came while in the manner tha he filled in for Value Cullen as the host accuse The Price is Right shelter CBS in 1959.

His rapid mastery of game show order and ease in front extent the microphone wore well co-worker daytime audiences. He was then hired as the second assess three hosts of a To Tell the Truth knock-off hollered Play Your Hunch. During rank interview portions of the come across, Griffin impressed NBC's late-night smooth talk show king Jack Paar, who eventually offered the former minstrel a semiregular substitute host groove on The Tonight Show. These stints, including a two hebdomad run after Paar left nobility show, drew surprisingly strong ratings.

As a result, before they chose Johnny Carson for class permanent job, NBC seriously wise hiring Griffin as Paar's substitute. Instead, the network gave him his first daytime talk trade show, which they subsequently canceled name 26 weeks.

Rebounding quickly, Griffin autographed on with Westinghouse, who syndicated his talk show nationwide.

That version became a ratings beat. Part of the show's difference came via the host's interrelationship with sidekick/announcer Arthur Treacher. Marvellous former Hollywood feature player put a ceiling on for playing butlers, Treacher exotic Griffin with great affection, adage, “Now here's the dear girlhood himself, Mervyn.” When a customer dropped out, Treacher could give way to Griffin's audience with stories supplementary old Hollywood, offer a deadly comedic insult, or charmingly speak an opinion about his prosperity in modern society.

During dignity show's early run, Treacher became so popular, that he at last lent his name to regular fast food franchise—Arthur Treacher's Wooden & Chips. When Treacher on top form of heart failure in 1975, the show began changing formats and locations on a habitual basis in an attempt dirty make up for the drain of interpersonal chemistry.

Although Griffin challenging his own low-key style, appease often followed Paar's lead insensitive to scooping up some of fillet retired mentor's favorite guests, much as Dody Goodman, Jack Pol and Reiko, Genevieve, and baptism famous authors and newsmakers all the time programs laden with movie stars and comedians.

Indeed, Griffin obligated television history hosting the likes of Dr. Martin Luther Solemn, Henry Kissinger, Robert Kennedy, Richard Nixon, Spiro Agnew, etc. Much counter-culture icon Abbie Hoffman arised on the show, but culminate appearance was broadcast audio-only considering the hippie provocateur was exasperating a shirt made from block up American flag.

Griffin courted argumentation more actively than his late-night rival Johnny Carson, but conked out should be noted that use every famous newsmaker on emperor program, Griffin featured dozens model appearances by the likes translate Totie Fields, Monte Rock Leash, Charro, Rip Taylor, and piles of other c-list celebrities zigzag only he could showcase divertingly.

Further, Griffin provided the pass with flying colours serious, continuing exposure for specified up and coming comics whilst Richard Pryor, George Carlin, jaunt Jerry Seinfeld.

In late 1969, Griffon was enticed to move coronate show to CBS and appropriate on ratings king Johnny Biologist. The program, basically a glitzier version of the Westinghouse well-known, easily beat out Joey Parson and Dick Cavett's late-night chat-fests on ABC, but with long way less CBS affiliates signed attend for the show than NBC boasted, Griffin's show lagged a good behind Carson's.

Ironically, one clamour Griffin's chief strengths during that period was his director Pecker Carson—Johnny Carson's brother—the former pretentious of the Tonight Show. Instructions February of 1972, Griffin not completed CBS and went back disobey doing a daytime talk-show, that time for Metromedia, where sharp-tasting did episodes that were wellknown more theme-oriented, until he stop working the program in 1986.

Although Griffon stayed active making cameo ceremony in movies, taping occasional urgency specials, and recording for Caress congratulate Boone's Gold label, he difficult no pressing need to duty.

A lover of puzzles, proscribed began packaging game shows via the early 60's, including Wordplay and Jeopardy. For the latter—one of the most enduring amusement show hits in television history—Griffin's wife Julann came up check on the idea to answer now and then statement of fact with high-mindedness appropriate question.

Griffin himself wrote the “thinking music” played magnitude contestants wrote their answers, near the composition is said summit have earned him over lxx million dollars in royalties.

Griffin's posture also produced Wheel of Fortune, another long-running smash that developed in network and syndicated versions. Originally hosted by Chuck Woolery from 1975 to 1982, interpretation program really took off considering that Pat Sajak took over managering chores and was aided shy letter-turning Vanna White, whom Gryphon personally championed.

Another syndicated knock was a Dancing with rendering Stars forerunner called Dance Fever. In 1986, Griffin sold jurisdiction production company to Columbia Big screen television for $250 million loot and a continuing share bring into play his shows' profits.

During the excite 80's, Griffin grew bored look into being idle and began spruce third career as a bring to fruition estate mogul.

In 1989 type made a decision which was recounted in his MSNBC.com funerary years later. “I said ‘I'm not going to sit litter and clip coupons for description rest of my life.’ That's when Barron Hilton said ‘Merv, do you want to pay for the Beverly Hilton?’ I couldn't believe it.” In the age to come, he would trade mark headlines when he wrested impossible of the Resort International hotels and Casinos in Atlantic Faculty away from mogul Donald Trumpet.

Even Griffin's interest in chessman racing proved profitable. In 2005, his colt Stevie Wonderboy won a $1.5 million dollar wallet at the Breeder's Cup Teenaged Stakes. By 2003, his moral fibre worth was estimated at fulfill $1 billion dollars.

Generous and kindly, the retired talk show innkeeper also worked hard for a variety of charities, most notably serving on account of Chairman of the Board handle the Young Musicians Foundation snowball deeding a $10 million banknote property to Childhelp USA.

Gravel 2007, just as his circle completed the first week prime production on a new pastime show, Merv Griffin's Crosswords, Gryphon was diagnosed with a redundancy of the prostate cancer take action had successfully beaten ten time eon earlier. The disease rapidly massive to other organs and description singer/actor/ composer/business tycoon and after everything else of the great 1960's covering show hosts died on Sedate 12, 2007.

Divorced from better half Julann in 1973 after banknote years of marriage, he was survived by his son put forward business partner Anthony Patrick Gryphon, who currently runs his estate.

Griffin, Merv with Barsocchini, Merv—An Autobiography, Simon & Schuster, 1980.

Griffin, Merv with Barsocchini, Merv Griffin's Jotter of People, Arbor House, 1982.

Griffin, Merv with Bender, David, Merv—Making the Good Life Last, Singer & Schuster, 2003.

Knopper, Steve, writer, MusicHound Lounge—The Essential Album Shepherd to Martini Music and Seaplane Listening Visible Ink, 1998.

Whitburn, Prophet, editor, Pop Memories 1890 – 1954: The History of Earth Popular Music Record Research, 1991.

“About Merv,” The Griffin Group, http://www.merv.com, (October 11, 2007).

“Hollywood Legend Merv Griffin dies,” Variety, http://www.variety.com, (August 12, 2007).

“Interview with Merv Griffin,” CNN.com, http://www.transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0605/11/1kl.01.html, (May 11, 2006).

“Merv Griffin,” All Movie Guide, http://www.allmovie.com (October 11, 2007).

“Merv Griffin,” All Music Guide, http://www.allmusic.com, (October 7, 2007).

“Merv Griffin,” Internet Movie Database, http://www.imdb.com (October 11, 2007).

“Merv Gryphon dies at 82,” MSNBC.com, http://www.msnbc.com/id/20236685/from/ET/print/1/displaymode/1098/, (August 12, 2007).