Billy Griffin

[Shelley "SoleMann" King]

Billy Griffin , is an American singer and songwriter. He is best known in the United States for replacing Smokey Robinson as lead singer of The Miracles.

Like Robinson before him, Griffin co-wrote many of the Miracles' songs, in addition to singing lead. Griffin and original Miracles member Pete Moore wrote all of the Miracles' 1975 platinum selling[1] album, City of Angels). During his tenure with the group, they recorded three hits: the #13 Billboard Hot 100 single "Do It Baby" in 1973, and the Miracles' most successful single, the number-one hit "Love Machine", in 1975. Griffin also sung lead on "Don't Cha Love It", a Top 10 R&B number 1 single.

The Miracles left Motown in 1976, signing with Columbia Records. After two albums for Columbia, Griffin and Moore decided to retire from performing and focus on songwriting. In 1982, Griffin released his first solo album, Be With Me, which yielded the UK Singles Chart Top 20 hit "Hold Me Tighter in the Rain". The following year, Respect yielded the club hit, "Serious". After a third album with Leon Ware, Griffin switched record label to Atlantic Records but despite completing an album, only one single "Believe It or Not" was released there before he was left without a recording contract.

In 1989, Griffin joined UK record producer Ian Levine's Motown-reunion project Motorcity Records, and was the first to release a single on the label, "First in Line". Griiffin also fronted a Miracles reunion with a new recording of "Love Machine". Griffin became a much featured writer and backing vocals arranger for several of the other artists, but despite recording a large number of tracks himself, his album Technicolour (the single by the same name being a tribute to Marvin Gaye) never saw the light of day before the label collapsed in 1992. Most of his Motorcity recordings, however, were released on the 1996 compilation Best Of Billy Griffin.

In the meantime, Levine and Griffin also landed a couple of hit singles for the UK soul band The Pasadenas and co-produced Take That's debut album, which including the hit singles "Could It Be Magic" (UK #3) and "I Found Heaven" (UK #15). They also worked with Levine's boy band, Bad Boys Inc.

Griffin has written songs and sung backing vocals for Aretha Franklin, The O'Jays, Ronald Isley, Freda Payne, Edwin Starr, Evelyn Champagne King, Herb Alpert, Martine McCutcheon, The Emotions and many others. In 2006, Griffin released his latest solo album, Like Water. Griffin can be seen performing "Do It Baby" and "Love Machine" with The Miracles on the Motown/Universal DVD release: Smokey Robinson & The Miracles : The Definitive Performances 1963-1987

Griffin was honored with the other Miracles, when the group received a Star on the Hollywood Walk Of Fame on March 20, 2009.


BILLY GRIFFIN - 2ND DAY LOVE AFFAIR



BILLY GRIFFIN - HOLD ME TIGHTER IN THE RAIN



BILLY GRIFFIN - LIKE WATER

[Edie Antoinette]

I was going to say the same thing! In fact, it's fun when the convo takes on a life of it's own Angela!

[Shelley "SoleMann" King]

You ok Angie, that's how we do here, we get off track on blogs often....LOL

[KnightD12]

Very informative blog. Nice job.

[Shelley "SoleMann" King]

Mama Edie, i have 7 old ticket stubs that i kept from the 80's, i lost 10 more over the years....LOL

[Edie Antoinette]

Wow! What a priceless piece of memorabilia. Smokey looks and sounds good these days which warms my heart.

[Shelley "SoleMann" King]

I feel both of your comments and agree with you both. I don't feel that Billy set out to be Smokey's replacement, he was 20 years old when he joined The Miracles and he sat out to make a name for himself, it is a testament to his talent that he kept The Miracles rolling right along.

Angela i know you were thrilled to meet Smokey, although i have never met Smokey personally, in 1981 at the age of 14 i attended my first Smokey Robinson concert and still have my ticket stub...LOL

I saw him again in 1989 and that's the last time i saw him in concert

[Edie Antoinette]

I've never really saw Billy as Smokey's replacement. I, too, pretty much lost interest in The Miracles after Smokey left, but I was happy that his solo career as well as their group without him were still successful. They remained tight even when Billy entered too, which is great.

Everyone knows there's only one Smokey..and the inclusion of Billy is not something that I see as competition. Just change and progress for both The Miracles and the inimitable "William Robinson". I sure would have loved meeting Smokey, too--whew!

[Edie Antoinette]

He is extremely handsome...you can have that hat though.

[Shelley "SoleMann" King]

Now that is a great pic, i love Billy's Hat....LOL

[Edie Antoinette]

W/Billy Griffin & Jackie Jackson