Jimmy Griffin Singer and guitarist, former member of the rock band Bread Date of Birth: 10.08.1943 Country: USA

Biography of Jimmy Griffin

Jimmy Griffin, a singer and guitarist, was born on August 10, 1943, in Cincinnati, Ohio, but grew up in Memphis, Tennessee. He took accordion lessons during his childhood and attended high school in Memphis. It was there that he became friends with Dorsey and Johnny Bonwit, who became his role models. When the Bonwit brothers moved to Los Angeles to pursue their music career, Jimmy followed them. He was able to secure a contract with Reprise Records in 1963, and his first album, "Summer Holiday," was released the same year. He also had minor roles in the films "For Those Who Think Young" (1964) and "None But the Brave" (1965).

In the 1960s, Jimmy Griffin collaborated with poet-songwriter Michael Gordon and wrote songs for Ed Ames, Carrie Lewis, Bobby Vee, Brian Hyland, The Standells, Leslie Gore, Sandy Nelson, and Cher. Their composition "Apologize" earned them a BMI Award.

In 1968, Griffin, along with David Gates, Robb Royer, and Mike Botts, formed the rock group "Bread." Larry Knechtel later replaced Royer. Their song "Make It With You" reached the top spot on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Other hits by the band included "Baby I'm-a Want You" and "If" and "Everything I Own." However, disagreements within the group led to its dissolution.

After "Bread," Griffin released a solo album titled "Breakin' Up Is Easy" (1974) on Polydor Records, but it did not gain much attention. In 1976, the group reunited for their final album, "Lost Without Your Love," but Griffin did not participate. Gates, Botts, and Knechtel continued their work under the name "David Gates & Bread" and went on tour. A legal dispute over the group's name lasted until 1984.

Throughout his career, Griffin also worked on various solo projects and collaborations. In 1977, he released his third solo album. He collaborated with Terry Sylvester on the album "Griffin & Sylvester" (1982). Griffin joined the group "Black Tie," and their album "The Night Falls" (1985), co-produced by T-Bone Burnett, was released. In 1991, his single "Learning The Game" reached number 59 on the Billboard country chart.

In 1991, Griffin formed a new group called "The Remingtons" with Richard Mainegra and Rick Yancey. They released two albums, "Blue Frontier" (1992) and "Aim for the Heart" (1993). Their single "A Long Time Ago" entered the top ten on the Billboard country chart in 1992, and the song "Two-Timin' Me" reached the top twenty on the same chart.

Jimmy Griffin passed away on January 11, 2005, in Franklin, Tennessee, at the age of 61 after a long battle with cancer. He is survived by his wife Marti, daughters Kate and Alexis, sons Jamie and Jacob, and granddaughter Lilly.