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| Johnny Griffith | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | John Ellis Griffith Jr. |
| Born | (1936-07-10)July 10, 1936 Detroit, Michigan, U.S. |
| Died | November 10, 2002(2002-11-10) (aged 66) Detroit, Michigan, U.S. |
| Occupation | Musician |
| Instrument | Keyboards |
| Years active | 1950s–1970s |
| Formerly of | The Funk Brothers |
John Ellis Griffith Jr. (July 10, 1936 – November 10, 2002) was an American musician.
Biography
Born in Detroit, Griffith was a musician who played keyboards for Motown Records' in-house studio band, The Funk Brothers. Among Griffith's most notable performances on the hundreds of Motown recordings he played on are the electric piano on "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" by Marvin Gaye and "Ain't Too Proud to Beg" and by The Temptations, and the organ on "Stop! In the Name of Love" by The Supremes and "Shotgun" by Junior Walker & the All Stars. Griffith also played on many of the non-Motown releases with the Funk Brothers, such as "Cool Jerk" by The Capitols and "(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher and Higher" by Jackie Wilson.
Griffith played the Steinway grand piano, the Hammond B-3 organ, the Wurlitzer electric piano, the Fender Rhodes, and the celeste and harpsichord. His musical influences included Bud Powell, Glenn Gould, and Oscar Peterson.
Griffith died of a heart attack in a Detroit hospital on November 10, 2002. He was 66 years old.
References
- McLellan, Dennis (November 12, 2002). "Johnny Griffith, 66; Played Keyboard for Motown Greats". Los Angeles Times.
External links
| The Funk Brothers | |
|---|---|
| #1 hit singles |
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- 1936 births
- 2002 deaths
- African-American pianists
- American soul musicians
- Musicians from Detroit
- The Funk Brothers members
- American soul keyboardists
- 20th-century American pianists
- American male organists
- Rhythm and blues pianists
- American session musicians
- 20th-century American organists
- American male pianists
- 20th-century American male musicians
- 20th-century American keyboardists
- 20th-century African-American musicians
- 21st-century African-American musicians