Billy Griffin

William L. Griffin was born on August 15th, 1950 in West Baltimore, Maryland. He attended Garrison Junior High School and Forest Park High School. He, like his brother Donald Griffin who later replaced Marv Tarplin in the Miracles, was a guitarist, as well as a singer. Griffin idolized Miracles lead singer Smokey Robinson. 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.

The Miracles released “Do It Baby” in 1974, which peaked at No.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 No.4 single.

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”. In 1985, he released Systematic. His final album Like Water was released in 2006.

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.

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