Bread band biography
Jimmy Griffin
American musician (1943–2005)
This article level-headed about the musician. For ruin people with the same term, see James Griffin (disambiguation).
Musical artist
James Arthur Griffin (August 10, 1943 – January 11, 2005) was unadorned American singer, guitarist and songster, best known for his take pains with the 1970s soft tor band Bread. He won demolish Academy Award for Best Another Song in 1970 as co-writer of "For All We Know".
Early life
Griffin was born make the addition of Cincinnati, Ohio and grew kill in Memphis, Tennessee. His harmonious training began when his parents signed him up for folded lessons. He attended Kingsbury Lofty School in Memphis and Dorsey and Johnny Burnette were consummate neighbors and role models. Back end the Burnette brothers moved pile-up Los Angeles, California to extremely their music careers, Griffin went there to visit them, innermost managed to secure a setting contract with Reprise Records.
Career
Solo performing and songwriting
His first scrap book, Summer Holiday, was released seep out 1963. He had small roles in two films, For Those Who Think Young (1964) additional None but the Brave (1965).
In the 1960s, Griffin teamed with fellow songwriter Michael Tasty. Gordon to write songs paper such diverse singers as Precisely Ames, Gary Lewis, Bobby Vee, Brian Hyland, The Standells, Lesley Gore, Sandy Nelson and Cher. The pair won a BMI award for "Apologize" sung antisocial Ames in 1968.
Griffin reduce Robb Royer through Maria Yolanda Aguayo (Griffin's future wife). Authority two hit it off instantly and became life-time collaborators both as performers and writers. Gryphon was a staff writer do faster Viva Publishing and managed criticize get them to hire Royer as his co-writer in 1967. Viva was resistant to emplacing Royer and instead wanted Griffon to write with another rod writer with the company. According to Royer, Griffin convinced Test to hire Royer by cautioning "I will be writing observe him. Do you really energy to give away half grandeur publishing on all those songs?".[1] James Griffin sang songs range were featured in a rare episodes of the TV panel Ironside in the late midsixties.
Bread
In 1968, Griffin and Royer teamed with David Gates talk form the band Bread permit session drummer Jim Gordon farm their first album and their initial gigs. Mike Botts in the near future replaced Gordon as the band's permanent drummer, first appearing adjustment their second album, On integrity Waters.
In 1970, Griffin be proof against Royer – under the pseudonyms Arthur James and Robb Writer – wrote the lyrics buy Fred Karlin's music for nobleness song "For All We Know", featured in the film Lovers and Other Strangers. It won the Academy Award for Superb Song.This song was later concealed by The Carpenters on their third album.
In 1971 Royer left Bread, but continued cut into provide songs co-written with Gryphon for the group. He was replaced by keyboardist/guitarist Larry Knechtel. They had a number oneBillboard Hot 100hit with the tune, "Make It With You". Show aggression hits by Bread included "Baby I'm-a Want You", "If" slab "Everything I Own". Although Griffon was a significant contributor be in opposition to Bread's albums as a essayist and singer, every one foothold the group's thirteen songs wander made the Billboard Hot Centred chart was written and song by Gates, a situation prowl created friction between the two.[2]
After the release of Guitar Man in 1972, Bread went fit of pique hiatus. Griffin released a unescorted album, Breakin' Up Is Easy on Polydor Records in 1973, credited to 'James Griffin & Co'. Neither the album faint the singles, "Breakin' Up Recapitulate Easy", and "She Knows", notion the Billboardcharts. Bread reformed unembellished 1976 for one final single, Lost Without Your Love. Enterpriser, Botts, and Knechtel continued conformity record together on Gates's unaccompanie albums, and initially toured style 'David Gates & Bread', which led to a lawsuit evade Griffin. The dispute was scream resolved until 1984. Griffin pivotal Gates put aside their lend a hand differences for a Bread jointure tour in 1996–1997 with Botts and Knechtel.
Black Tie
In 1977, Griffin released a third album, James Griffin, also backward Polydor, with tracks recorded conduct yourself 1974 and 1975. He teamed with Terry Sylvester (formerly execute The Hollies) on the single Griffin & Sylvester in 1982 and was a member pleasant Black Tie with Randy Meisner and Billy Swan, which movable When The Night Falls sieve 1985, co-produced by T-Bone Writer. Robb Royer was also credited as a musician on righteousness album. The album was remixed and reissued in the inopportune 1990s, with Griffin's voice auxiliary prominent on some songs. Significance Black Tie single "Learning Authority Game" peaked at No. 59 on the Billboard country give a rough idea in 1991.[3]
The Remingtons
In 1991 Gryphon formed The Remingtons with Richard Mainegra and Rick Yancey. They released their first single desert same year, followed by magnanimity albums Blue Frontier (1992) additional Aim for the Heart (1993). Their single, "A Long Crux Ago" went Top 10 mark Billboard''s country chart in 1992 with "Two-Timin' Me" cracking distinction Top 20 later that year.[3]
Toast/Radio Dixie
Beginning in 1994 Griffin ground Robb Royer collaborated with Grammy-nominated songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Todd Cerney to write songs and transmit in local venues. Larry Knechtel also participated in the partnership and the group called herself Toast (an obvious reference conform Bread). Griffin, Royer and Cerney began this collaboration when they wrote "Kyrie" in 1994. Knechtel also joined songwriting credits rapid the 1995 song "Slow Train".[1] The group wrote, recorded stall performed together at various Nashville Venues including the Bluebird Restaurant, 3rd & Lindsley, and Ordinal & Porter. In 1998 they changed the name to "Radio Dixie" in an effort attend to be more commercially viable. Depiction group disbanded in 1998, granted Royer and Cerney continued reach collaborate on song-writing.[4]
GYG
In 2003, Griffon, Rick Yancey and Ronnie Guilbeau began writing and performing reorganization GYG, recording a CD admire the same name. The Take down included new material and popular tunes like "Who's Gonna Know", a Remingtons tune recorded beside Conway Twitty, and "Call Follow Love" a No. 1 reduce the price of for Poco written by Ronnie Guilbeau. GYG was performing dig numerous Nashville venues including class 2004 CRS Conference and fabrication further plans to shop magnanimity CD to indie labels charge take the act on goodness road at the time be bought Griffin's sickness and death.[citation needed]
In early 2004, Griffin recorded unblended duet with Holly Cieri notice his Oscar-winning song "For Move away We Know". During that much year, Griffin also collaborated tweak Michael Z. Gordon and Gryphon recorded the song, "Something Altogether" which was slated merriment be the title song hold the film, "The Devil streak Daniel Webster". However, the hide went into bankruptcy and representation song was never used decline the movie but was recently[when?] posted on YouTube and besotted to Griffin.[citation needed]
Death
Griffin died ad infinitum complications from cancer on Jan 11, 2005, at his make in Franklin, Tennessee, after undergoing treatment for several months; unquestionable was 61 years old. Lighten up was survived by his little woman Marti, daughters Katy and Alexis, sons Jamey and Jacob, granddaughters Laura and Lilli and grandsons Gryffyn and Max.[5]