Billy Griffin

William L. Griffin (born August 15, 1950) is an American singer and songwriter. He replaced Smokey Robinson as the lead singer of the Miracles in 1972. (who later replaced Marv Tarplin in the Miracles), was a guitarist, as well as a singer, and sang with a local Baltimore group called the Last Dynasty. Damon Harris, who later went on to fame as a member of the Temptations, was a high school friend and group member in another local group, the Young Tempts (later renamed as the Young Vandals). Griffin idolized Miracles lead singer Smokey Robinson, while Harris idolized Temptation Eddie Kendricks. Both of them wound up as replacements for their idols in their respective groups.

Griffin and three friends formed the group Last Dynasty and won a talent program on NBC Television.

During the Miracles' nationwide 1972 Farewell Tour with Smokey Robinson, Griffin was introduced by Robinson as his replacement in the Miracles as lead singer. After a year of woodshedding with Motown's famous Artist Development Dept., Griffin released his first single with the Miracles, "What Is a Heart Good For", from their first post-Robinson album, Renaissance in 1973. Griffin sang this song on his first national television appearance as a Miracle with the remaining group members of the Miracles, Bobby Rogers, Ronnie White, and Pete Moore on another NBC music program, The Midnight Special, in 1973, hosted by Robinson. The single was withdrawn and replaced with a ballad, "Don't Let It End (Till You Let It Begin)", which was a mild hit. After a second single, "Give Me Just Another Day", was released later that year, Under the management of Martin Pichinson, the Miracles released "Do It Baby" in 1974, which peaked at #4 on the Billboard R&B charts and became the group's first bona-fide hit with Griffin.

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 album, City of Angels. During his tenure with the group, they recorded three hits: "Do It Baby" in 1974, and the Miracles' most successful single, the number-one hit "Love Machine", in 1975, which sold 4.5 million records worldwide. Griffin also sung lead on "Don't Cha Love It", a top 10 R&B #4 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" which peaked at #64 on the UK charts.

In 1987, Smokey Robinson was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a solo artist, but Griffin and the other members of the Miracles were not. In 2012, the Miracles were inducted into the Hall of Fame as a group, but Griffin was not included. The inducted members of the Miracles were Warren "Pete" Moore, Claudette Rogers Robinson, Bobby Rogers, Marvin Tarplin, and Ronald White.

Solo discography Albums Year TitleUS R&B 1982 Be With Me — 1983 Respect 63 1985 Systematic — 1996 The Very Best of Billy Griffin — 2006 Like Water —

Singles Year Title Peak chart positionsUS R&B UK 1982 "Be with Me" — 99 "Hold Me Tighter in the Rain" — 17 1983 "Respect" 61 — "Serious" 37 64 1985 "Systematic" — — "If I Ever Lose This Heaven" — — 1986 "Believe It or Not" 66 — 1987 "The Girl Is Fine" — — 1989 "First in Line" — — 1991 "Technicolour" — 98 1992 "True Confessions" — — "—" denotes releases that did not chart.