Merv Griffin, 82, died earlier today of prostate cancer. The former radio singer, actor, TV game and talk show host appeared on Forbes’ list of richest American several times.

Mervyn Edward Griffin Jr. was born on July 6, 1925 in San Mateo, California. He was the son of a stockbroker. His aunt, Claudia Robinson, taught him to play the piano when he was 4 years old and soon was performing shows on the back porch. He wrote in his 1980 autobiography that he had a show every Saturday, and would recruit all the kids on the block as stagehands, actors, or the audience. He was always the producer.

He studied at San Mateo Junior College and the University of San Francisco. He would quit school to apply to become a pianist at KFRC radio in San Francisco. They were looking for a vocalist instead. He auditioned and was hired.

In 1954, Griffin went to New York where he appeared in a musical show on CBS-TV, “Finian’s Rainbow,” and a music show on CBS radio. He hosted the game show “Play Your Hunch,” in 1958. He would also substitute for Jack Paar on “Tonight”.

Griffin married Julann Elizabeth Wright in 1958. Their son Anthony was born the following year. They divorced in 1973 because of “irreconcilable differences.”

When Jack Paar retired in 1962, Griffin was considered the top choice to replace him. Johnny Carson was chosen instead. NBC gave Griffin a daytime version of “Tonight,” but the show was canceled for being “too sophisticated” for the housewife audience.

“The Merv Griffin Show” debuted in 1965. It would run for over 20 years, with Merv’s last show taped in 1986.

Game shows would become his forte. He invented and produced “Jeopardy” in the 1960’s and “Wheel of Fortune” in the 1970’s. They became the most popular game shows on television. In 1986, he sold the rights to Coca Cola’s Columbia Pictures Television Unit for $250 million, and retaining a share of the profits. When Griffin entered the hospital last month, he was working on yet another game show, “Merv Griffin’s Crosswords”.

An invitation only funeral Mass will be held at The Church of the Good Shepherd in Beverly Hills.

Source: azcentral.com