Merv Griffin was an American television entertainer, musician, actor, and business tycoon who died in 2007 with a net worth of $1 billion. He is most known for hosting his own talk program, The Merv Griffin Show, and for creating the game shows Jeopardy! and Wheel of Fortune, which is both internationally popular.
Mervyn Edward Griffin Jr., sometimes known as Mery Griffin, was born in San Mateo, California, on July 6, 1925. His father worked as a stockbroker, while his mother was a stay-at-home mom. He gained musical skills singing and playing the piano in church as part of the church choir, where he was raised as a Catholic in an Irish-American household.
He graduated from San Mateo High School in 1942 and went on to San Mateo Junior College and the University of San Francisco to further his education. Due to a minor heart murmur, he was unable to serve in World War II since he failed many military physical examinations. He was healthy enough to serve in the Korean War, but he was beyond the age of 26 and so exempt from the draught.
Griffin debuted as a performer on the nationally syndicated radio show San Francisco Sketchbook when he was 19 years old. Freddy Martin encouraged Griffin to tour with his orchestra after hearing him on the radio show; Griffin did so for four years.
By 1945, he had saved up enough money to launch his own record company, Panda Records. Griffin’s own album, Songs by Merv Griffin, was the first American album ever recorded on magnetic tape and was released by Panda Records. Griffin was found during one of his nightclub performances, and Doris Day arranged for him to have a screen test at Warner Bros.
Also READ: Which actor has been in the most animated movies?
