Mervyn “Merv” Griffin, Jr. was born in San Mateo, California, on July 6, 1925. Griffin was raised in the Roman Catholic Church and by his teenage years was employed as an organist for the church. At the time, he was considered a piano prodigy. After high school, Merv tried to serve in the military, but, was declared a 4F because of a heart murmur.

Griffin got into show business at the age of 19, as a radio singer on the San Francisco Sketchbook. Freddy Martin heard Merv Griffin on the show and asked him to tour with his orchestra. Griffin toured with them for four years.

He then started Panda Records. The record label was the first American record label to record on magnetic tape. Griffin shot to fame with the 1950 hit I’ve Got a Lovely Bunch of Coconuts, which soared to the top of the charts.

Doris Day discovered Griffin at one of his nightclub performances and got him a screen test with Warner Brothers.

The screen test led to a variety of supporting roles in many musicals. One of these was So This is Love in 1953. The film caused a controversy when Griffin shared an open-mouthed kiss with co-star Kathryn Grayson. This kiss was a first in film history since the introduction of the Production Code in 1934.

He would go on to star in many other films, such as The Boy from Oklahoma and Phantom of the Rue Morgue. Griffin moved to TV as the host of Play Your Hunch in 1958. ABC then asked Griffin to host a prime time show called Keep Talking. For the next decade or so, Griffin would host a myriad of game shows including; Word for Word, Let’s Play Post Office, Reach for the Stars and One in a Million.

By the mid 1960s, Griffin decided he would try his hand at a talk show and The Merv Griffin Show was born. The Merv Griffin Show was on the air for 21 years and won 11 Emmy Awards during that time. He was not shy about controversial subjects. His guest ranged from politicians to actors and entertainers.

CBS offered Griffin a late night talk show in 1969. The show ran opposite of Johnny Carson. CBS was uncomfortable with Griffin’s views on taboo issues so he knew his time was ending and he signed a contract with Metromedia.  This gave him a syndicated day time talk show as soon as CBS canceled the late night show. The syndicated show ran into the 1980s.

Griffin created and produced some of TV’s longest running game shows. Some of these shows include; Jeopardy! In 1964 and Wheel of Fortune in 1975.

He was treated for prostate cancer in 1996, and returned in 2007. He died on August 12, 2007 at Cedars Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. Merv Griffin was buried in Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery and his headstone reads “I will not be right back after this message.”