Goodbye Dear Fellow
Goodbye dear Merv... One of my guilty pleasures as a kid with my Granny- (she loved Merv!) and as a teen ( my gal pal Tammy and I loved watching Mervie!) He was one of the talk show greats.. We need more talk shows that are like late night TV but in the afternoons...
Merv Griffin, the entertainer turned impresario who parlayed his "Jeopardy" and "Wheel of Fortune" game shows into a multimillion-dollar empire, has died. He was 82.
Griffin had been recently hospitalized for a recurrence of prostate cancer and was reportedly gravely ill.
Griffin was originally diagnosed with cancer in 1996.
Born July 6, 1925, in San Mateo, Calif., Griffin began his career as a singer, bandleader and actor.
His first big-screen role came in the 1952 Western "Cattle Town," and he had roles in such films as "The Phantom of the Rue Morgue" (1954), opposite Karl Malden, and "The Beast From 20,000 Fathoms," where he had an uncredited voice performance as a radio announcer.
In 1962, he started "The Merv Griffin Show," serving as the talk show's host and executive producer. The show ran on CBS until 1986.
In addition to his own talk show, Griffin populated the television landscape with several game shows. In addition to "Jeopardy!" (which began in 1964) and "Wheel of Fortune," (1975), Griffin was behind the disco show "Dance Fever" in 1979.
Griffin won three Daytime Emmys (two as host, one as a writer) for "The Merv Griffin Show" and another for producing "Jeopardy!" He was awarded a Daytime Emmy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2003.
Griffin was married once, from 1958 to 1976, and has one son, Tony.
Griffin continued working up until the end. His next game show, "Let's Play Crosswords," is scheduled to debut Sept. 10.
"Wheel" host Pat Sajak said he has lost "a dear friend." Sajak said it's hard to imagine life without him.
Griffin was also a longtime friend of former President Ronald Reagan and his wife, Nancy, who called his death "heartbreaking." She said he was there for her every day after her husband died.
Zsa Zsa Gabor, whose late sister Eva was often seen with Griffin, described him as a "wonderful man."
An invitation-only funeral Mass will be held at a later date in Beverly Hills.
Griffin had been recently hospitalized for a recurrence of prostate cancer and was reportedly gravely ill.
Griffin was originally diagnosed with cancer in 1996.
Born July 6, 1925, in San Mateo, Calif., Griffin began his career as a singer, bandleader and actor.
His first big-screen role came in the 1952 Western "Cattle Town," and he had roles in such films as "The Phantom of the Rue Morgue" (1954), opposite Karl Malden, and "The Beast From 20,000 Fathoms," where he had an uncredited voice performance as a radio announcer.
In 1962, he started "The Merv Griffin Show," serving as the talk show's host and executive producer. The show ran on CBS until 1986.
In addition to his own talk show, Griffin populated the television landscape with several game shows. In addition to "Jeopardy!" (which began in 1964) and "Wheel of Fortune," (1975), Griffin was behind the disco show "Dance Fever" in 1979.
Griffin won three Daytime Emmys (two as host, one as a writer) for "The Merv Griffin Show" and another for producing "Jeopardy!" He was awarded a Daytime Emmy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2003.
Griffin was married once, from 1958 to 1976, and has one son, Tony.
Griffin continued working up until the end. His next game show, "Let's Play Crosswords," is scheduled to debut Sept. 10.
"Wheel" host Pat Sajak said he has lost "a dear friend." Sajak said it's hard to imagine life without him.
Griffin was also a longtime friend of former President Ronald Reagan and his wife, Nancy, who called his death "heartbreaking." She said he was there for her every day after her husband died.
Zsa Zsa Gabor, whose late sister Eva was often seen with Griffin, described him as a "wonderful man."
An invitation-only funeral Mass will be held at a later date in Beverly Hills.
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