Dick Griffey
Encyclopedia
Richard Gilbert "Dick" Griffey (November 16, 1938 – September 24, 2010) was an American record producer and promoter who founded SOLAR Records
, an acronym for "Sound of Los Angeles Records", which played a major role in developing a funk
-oriented blend of disco
, R&B and soul music
during the 1970s and 1980s. As a concert promoter
, Griffey arranged bookings for artists including James Brown
, Aretha Franklin
, Jon Gibson
,http://www.soultracks.com/jon_gibson.htmMichael Jackson
and Stevie Wonder
.
, where he was a drummer in local clubs in his teens. After briefly attending Tennessee State University
he enlisted in the United States Navy
at age 17, where he served as a medic
and worked as a private-duty nurse after completing his military service.
After moving to Los Angeles
in the 1960s, Griffey became part owner of Guys and Dolls, a nightclub which featured performances by such rising stars as Isaac Hayes
and Ike & Tina Turner
. Griffey worked as talent coordinator on Soul Train
, the musical variety show created by Don Cornelius
, and the two men established Soul Train Records
in 1975. He formed SOLAR Records (an acronym for Sound of Los Angeles Records) in 1977. Music critic Stephen Holden
of The New York Times
predicted a bright future for the label in the pop market, writing a profile under the headline "Solar Could Be the Motown of the 80's". SOLAR acts included Shalamar
, which produced such hits as "The Second Time Around
" and "This Is for the Lover in You
". With The Whispers
, SOLAR released such hits as "And the Beat Goes On
" (co-written by Griffey) and "Rock Steady
". Other acts signed by SOLAR during the 1980s were The Deele
, Dynasty
, Klymaxx
, Lakeside
, Midnight Star
and The Whispers
. As a promoter, Griffey booked tours for artists including James Brown, Aretha Franklin and Michael Jackson, earning the moniker "Kingpin of Soul Promoters".
After Jon Gibson
was signed to Griffey's subsidiary label, Constellation Records, Griffey would have fun tricking a number of his SOLAR artists with Jon's tape (they thought it was Stevie Wonder). Jon's debut came as a guest vocalist for three songs on Bill Wolfer's album, Wolf. It was during the process of making that album that Jon met his musical idol, Stevie Wonder, and worked with a crew of other musicians, including Michael Jackson. Wolfer returned the favor the next year by producing Gibson's debut album, Standing on the One. The debut showed that Gibson was more than a Wonder-clone, and that he had song-writing
skills to go with his 'great voice'.http://www.soultracks.com/jon_gibson.htm
Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds, who had been frustrated in his role as a background singer with The Deele, credited Griffey with encouraging him to step out on his own and pursue a solo career, saying that Griffey told him "If they don’t want you to sing all the time, you should be doing your own thing". In a statement released after Griffey's death, producer Quincy Jones
said Griffey's "fingerprints were on some of the biggest hits of the '80s". Stevie Wonder, one of the artists that Griffey promoted, said that "Professionally, I could not talk about my life without there being a chapter on how Dick Griffey, as a promoter, helped to build my career".
In the early 1990s, Griffey had a hand in launching the rap label Death Row Records
, which was co-founded by ex-N.W.A star Andre "Dr. Dre" Young
and one-time bodyguard Marion "Suge" Knight
. It was Griffey's SOLAR studios in which portions of Dr. Dre's seminal album, The Chronic
, was recorded. However, in July 1997, Griffey along with one-time N.W.A associate and rapper Tracy "The D.O.C." Curry
sued Death Row claiming they were "pushed out" of their share in ownership and profits from the record label by Knight and Young.
Griffey died at the age of 71 on September 24, 2010, at a rehabilitation center in Canoga Park, Los Angeles, where he had been recuperating after undergoing quadruple coronary artery bypass surgery
. Griffey is survived by his second wife, musician Carrie Lucas
,as well as by two daughters, two sons and five grandchildren. His daughter Carolyn Griffey
joined Shalamar in 2005 and performs as a member currently.
SOLAR Records
S.O.L.A.R. Records was an American record label founded in 1977 by Dick Griffey, reconstituted out of Soul Train Records only two years after it was founded with Soul Train television show host and creator Don Cornelius.-Company history:In 1975, Soul Train Records was founded by Dick Griffey and...
, an acronym for "Sound of Los Angeles Records", which played a major role in developing a funk
Funk
Funk is a music genre that originated in the mid-late 1960s when African American musicians blended soul music, jazz and R&B into a rhythmic, danceable new form of music. Funk de-emphasizes melody and harmony and brings a strong rhythmic groove of electric bass and drums to the foreground...
-oriented blend of disco
Disco
Disco is a genre of dance music. Disco acts charted high during the mid-1970s, and the genre's popularity peaked during the late 1970s. It had its roots in clubs that catered to African American, gay, psychedelic, and other communities in New York City and Philadelphia during the late 1960s and...
, R&B and soul music
Soul music
Soul music is a music genre originating in the United States combining elements of gospel music and rhythm and blues. According to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, soul is "music that arose out of the black experience in America through the transmutation of gospel and rhythm & blues into a form of...
during the 1970s and 1980s. As a concert promoter
Tour promoter
Tour promoters are the individuals or companies responsible for organizing a live concert tour or special event performance. The tour promoter makes an offer of employment to a particular artist, usually through the artist’s agent or music manager. The promoter and agent then negotiate the live...
, Griffey arranged bookings for artists including James Brown
James Brown
James Joseph Brown was an American singer, songwriter, musician, and recording artist. He is the originator of Funk and is recognized as a major figure in the 20th century popular music for both his vocals and dancing. He has been referred to as "The Godfather of Soul," "Mr...
, Aretha Franklin
Aretha Franklin
Aretha Louise Franklin is an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. Although known for her soul recordings and referred to as The Queen of Soul, Franklin is also adept at jazz, blues, R&B, gospel music, and rock. Rolling Stone magazine ranked her atop its list of The Greatest Singers of All...
, Jon Gibson
Jon Gibson (Christian musician)
Jon Gibson , born in San Francisco, is a pioneering gospel/Christian Music singer and musician. He is one of the most influential artists and producers in Christian, Gospel and R&B music with 22 Top Five Hits, 20 Top Ten Hits, nine Number One songs and an Album of The Year to his credit.-Music...
,http://www.soultracks.com/jon_gibson.htmMichael Jackson
Michael Jackson
Michael Joseph Jackson was an American recording artist, entertainer, and businessman. Referred to as the King of Pop, or by his initials MJ, Jackson is recognized as the most successful entertainer of all time by Guinness World Records...
and Stevie Wonder
Stevie Wonder
Stevland Hardaway Morris , better known by his stage name Stevie Wonder, is an American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, record producer and activist...
.
Life and career
Griffey was born on November 16, 1938, and grew up in the housing projects of Nashville, TennesseeNashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
, where he was a drummer in local clubs in his teens. After briefly attending Tennessee State University
Tennessee State University
Tennessee State University is a land-grant university located in Nashville, Tennessee. TSU is the only state-funded historically black university in Tennessee.-History:...
he enlisted in the United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
at age 17, where he served as a medic
Medic
Medic is a general term for a person involved in medicine, especially emergency or first-response medicine, such as an emergency medical technician, paramedic, or a military member trained in battlefield medicine. Also the term is used toward a Nurse in pre-hospital care and/or emergency...
and worked as a private-duty nurse after completing his military service.
After moving to Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
in the 1960s, Griffey became part owner of Guys and Dolls, a nightclub which featured performances by such rising stars as Isaac Hayes
Isaac Hayes
Isaac Lee Hayes, Jr. was an American songwriter, musician, singer and actor. Hayes was one of the creative influences behind the southern soul music label Stax Records, where he served both as an in-house songwriter and as a record producer, teaming with his partner David Porter during the...
and Ike & Tina Turner
Ike & Tina Turner
Ike & Tina Turner were an American rock & roll and soul duo, made of the husband-and-wife team of Ike Turner and Tina Turner in the 1960s and 1970s. Spanning sixteen years together as a recording group, the duo's repertoire included rock & roll, soul, blues and funk...
. Griffey worked as talent coordinator on Soul Train
Soul Train
Soul Train is an American musical variety show that aired in syndication from October 1971 to March 2006. In its 35-year history, the show primarily featured performances by R&B, soul, and hip hop artists, although funk, jazz, disco, and gospel artists have also appeared.As a nod to Soul Trains...
, the musical variety show created by Don Cornelius
Don Cornelius
Donald Cortez "Don" Cornelius is an American television show host and producer who is best known as the creator of the nationally syndicated dance/music franchise Soul Train, which he hosted from 1971-1993...
, and the two men established Soul Train Records
Soul Train Records
When Soul Train creator Don Cornelius & his partner Dick Griffey launched Soul Train Records in 1975, they had one smashing group of their own called The Soul Train Gang...
in 1975. He formed SOLAR Records (an acronym for Sound of Los Angeles Records) in 1977. Music critic Stephen Holden
Stephen Holden
Stephen Holden is an American writer, music critic, film critic, and poet.Holden earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from Yale University in 1963...
of The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
predicted a bright future for the label in the pop market, writing a profile under the headline "Solar Could Be the Motown of the 80's". SOLAR acts included Shalamar
Shalamar
Shalamar was an American music group, primarily of the 1970s and 1980s, that was originally a disco-driven vehicle created by Soul Train booking agent Dick Griffey and show creator Don Cornelius. They went on to be an influential dance trio, masterminded by Soul Train producer Don Cornelius...
, which produced such hits as "The Second Time Around
The Second Time Around (Shalamar song)
"The Second Time Around" is a 1979 hit by Los Angeles-based R&B group, Shalamar. The song is the first single from their album, Big Fun. The single went to number one on the soul chart and was their most successful hit on the Hot 100 pop chart, reaching number eight in early 1980.. "The Second Time...
" and "This Is for the Lover in You
This Is for the Lover in You
"This Is for the Lover in You" is a song originally recorded by Shalamar in 1981 and released as a single on their album Three for Love. It was later remade by Babyface from the album The Day featuring LL Cool J and the former members of Shalamar: Howard Hewett, Jody Watley, and Jeffrey Daniel. The...
". With The Whispers
The Whispers
The Whispers are a long-established R&B-dance vocal group from Los Angeles, California, with a consistent track record of hit records dating back to the late 1960s.-Career:...
, SOLAR released such hits as "And the Beat Goes On
And the Beat Goes On (song)
"And the Beat Goes On" is a 1980 single by the Los Angeles-based quintet, The Whispers. The song was their first of two number-one singles on the R&B chart, and their first Top 20 pop hit in the United States, peaking at number nineteen. "And the Beat Goes On" was The Whispers only number one on...
" (co-written by Griffey) and "Rock Steady
Rock Steady (The Whispers song)
"Rock Steady" was a single released by American R&B group The Whispers, from their eighteenth studio album, Just Gets Better with Time ....
". Other acts signed by SOLAR during the 1980s were The Deele
The Deele
The Deele is an American 80s R&B band from Cincinnati, Ohio, originally consisting of Indianapolis native Kenny "Babyface" Edmonds along with Antonio "L.A." Reid, Carlos "Satin" Greene, Darnell "Dee" Bristol, Stanley Burke, and Kevin "Kayo" Roberson...
, Dynasty
Dynasty (band)
Dynasty was an American R&B band, based in Los Angeles, California, created by producer and SOLAR Records label head Dick Griffey and Leon Sylvers III. The band was known for their dance/pop numbers during the late 1970s and 1980s...
, Klymaxx
Klymaxx
Klymaxx is a female Pop/R&B band from Los Angeles, California.-Biography:Klymaxx was conceived and formed by Bernadette Cooper, who also chose the name. The dream of an all girl band became a quest she pursued after leaving college...
, Lakeside
Lakeside (band)
Lakeside is a funk band, best known for their 1980 number one R&B hit, "Fantastic Voyage."-Formation and early years:In early 1969, The Nomads, a singing quartet consisting of lead singer Mark Wood; Tiemeyer McCain; Tony White; and Brian Marbury, met the Montereys, a band that featured Stephen...
, Midnight Star
Midnight Star
Midnight Star is an R&B and electro-funk group that had a string of R&B hits in the 1980s.-Band history:The group was formed in 1976 at Kentucky State University by trumpeter Reggie Calloway, vocalist Belinda Lipscomb, guitarist/vocalist Melvin Gentry, bassist Kenneth Gant, multi-instrumentalist...
and The Whispers
The Whispers
The Whispers are a long-established R&B-dance vocal group from Los Angeles, California, with a consistent track record of hit records dating back to the late 1960s.-Career:...
. As a promoter, Griffey booked tours for artists including James Brown, Aretha Franklin and Michael Jackson, earning the moniker "Kingpin of Soul Promoters".
After Jon Gibson
Jon Gibson (Christian musician)
Jon Gibson , born in San Francisco, is a pioneering gospel/Christian Music singer and musician. He is one of the most influential artists and producers in Christian, Gospel and R&B music with 22 Top Five Hits, 20 Top Ten Hits, nine Number One songs and an Album of The Year to his credit.-Music...
was signed to Griffey's subsidiary label, Constellation Records, Griffey would have fun tricking a number of his SOLAR artists with Jon's tape (they thought it was Stevie Wonder). Jon's debut came as a guest vocalist for three songs on Bill Wolfer's album, Wolf. It was during the process of making that album that Jon met his musical idol, Stevie Wonder, and worked with a crew of other musicians, including Michael Jackson. Wolfer returned the favor the next year by producing Gibson's debut album, Standing on the One. The debut showed that Gibson was more than a Wonder-clone, and that he had song-writing
Songwriter
A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
skills to go with his 'great voice'.http://www.soultracks.com/jon_gibson.htm
Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds, who had been frustrated in his role as a background singer with The Deele, credited Griffey with encouraging him to step out on his own and pursue a solo career, saying that Griffey told him "If they don’t want you to sing all the time, you should be doing your own thing". In a statement released after Griffey's death, producer Quincy Jones
Quincy Jones
Quincy Delightt Jones, Jr. is an American record producer and musician. A conductor, musical arranger, film composer, television producer, and trumpeter. His career spans five decades in the entertainment industry and a record 79 Grammy Award nominations, 27 Grammys, including a Grammy Legend...
said Griffey's "fingerprints were on some of the biggest hits of the '80s". Stevie Wonder, one of the artists that Griffey promoted, said that "Professionally, I could not talk about my life without there being a chapter on how Dick Griffey, as a promoter, helped to build my career".
In the early 1990s, Griffey had a hand in launching the rap label Death Row Records
Death Row Records
Death Row Records is a record label founded in 1991 by Marion "Suge" Knight Jr., Andre Young , Tracy Lynn Curry and Michael Harris . It is known to have been home to many popular West Coast hip hop artists such as Dr...
, which was co-founded by ex-N.W.A star Andre "Dr. Dre" Young
Dr. Dre
Andre Romelle Young , primarily known by his stage name Dr. Dre, is an American record producer, rapper, record executive, entrepreneur, and occasional actor. He is the founder and current CEO of Aftermath Entertainment and a former co-owner and artist of Death Row Records...
and one-time bodyguard Marion "Suge" Knight
Suge Knight
Marion "Suge" Knight, Jr. is the founder and CEO of Black Kapital Records and co-founder and former CEO of Death Row Records. Death Row Records rose to dominate the rap charts after Dr. Dre's breakthrough album The Chronic in 1992. After several years of chart successes for artists including...
. It was Griffey's SOLAR studios in which portions of Dr. Dre's seminal album, The Chronic
The Chronic
The Chronic is the solo debut album of American hip hop artist Dr. Dre, released December 15, 1992, on his own record label Death Row Records, and distributed by Priority Records. Recording sessions for the album took place in June 1992 at Death Row Studios in Los Angeles and at Bernie Grundman...
, was recorded. However, in July 1997, Griffey along with one-time N.W.A associate and rapper Tracy "The D.O.C." Curry
The D.O.C.
Tracy Lynn Curry , primarily known by his stage name The D.O.C., is an American rapper from Dallas, Texas. In addition to a solo career, he was a member of the hip hop group Fila Fresh Crew, and a creative force behind the gangsta rap group N.W.A, where he co-wrote many of their releases. He has...
sued Death Row claiming they were "pushed out" of their share in ownership and profits from the record label by Knight and Young.
Griffey died at the age of 71 on September 24, 2010, at a rehabilitation center in Canoga Park, Los Angeles, where he had been recuperating after undergoing quadruple coronary artery bypass surgery
Coronary artery bypass surgery
Coronary artery bypass surgery, also coronary artery bypass graft surgery, and colloquially heart bypass or bypass surgery is a surgical procedure performed to relieve angina and reduce the risk of death from coronary artery disease...
. Griffey is survived by his second wife, musician Carrie Lucas
Carrie Lucas
Carrie Lucas, is an American female R&B musician, born in Carmel, California. In 1976 she was signed to Soul Train Records. Lucas made six albums over seven years with Soul Train and Solar Records.-Career:...
,as well as by two daughters, two sons and five grandchildren. His daughter Carolyn Griffey
Carolyn Griffey
Carolyn Griffey is an American female soul vocalist, and member of the soul funk group Shalamar. She is the daughter of Carrie Lucas and Solar Records boss Dick Griffey, who worked with Don Cornelius in the television program, Soul Train....
joined Shalamar in 2005 and performs as a member currently.