merv griffin passes

[Jim Alfredson]

A little OT, but could Buddy Rich's daughter actually sing or not?

[JSngry]

At 13 (when she recorded "The Beat Goes On" w/her dad's band), uh... well...not really. Not SING sing, if you know what I mean. But she could carry a tune with a few notes an dnot blow it.

Later on, I have no idea.

[MoGrubb]

Pretty sure the late-nite CBS show had a big band. Not sure about the syndicated show.

Y'all're probably correct. I never watched MG at night, just the morning/afternoon(syndicated) shows.

A little OT, but could Buddy Rich's daughter actually sing or not?

Wasn't that Nancy Sinatra, of "These Boots Were Made For Walking" fame, that sang "The Beat Goes On?" No wait, that was Sonny and Cher that did "The Beat Goes On(?)." I didn't know Rich had a daughter, much less a singing daughter until I clicked the link in this thread.

Edited August 15, 2007 by MoGrubb

[JSngry]

A little OT, but could Buddy Rich's daughter actually sing or not?

Wasn't that Nancy Sinatra, of "These Boots Were Made For Walking" fame, that sang "The Beat Goes On?" No wait, that was Sonny and Cher that did "The Beat Goes On(?)." I didn't know Rich had a daughter, much less a singing daughter until I clicked the link in this thread.

Cathy Rich sang it w/her dad's band on the Big Swing Face album.

[Chalupa]

Not exactly anything we didn't "know" already. I just find it interesting that it is the first and only mention that I have found of Merv's sexuality in all of the obits/tributes that I have read in the mainstream press.

Merv Griffin died a closeted homosexual

By Ray Richmond Thu Aug 16, 11:49 PM ET

Merv Griffin was gay.

Why should that be so uncomfortable to read? Why is it so difficult to write? Why are we still so jittery even about raising the issue in purportedly liberal-minded Hollywood, in 2007?

Griffin, who died of prostate cancer Sunday at 82, stayed in the closet throughout his life. Perhaps he figured it was preferable to remain the object of gossip rather than live openly as "one of them."

But how tremendously sad it is that a man of Merv's renown, of his gregarious nature and social dexterity, would feel compelled to endure such a stealthy double life even as the gay community's clout, and its levels of acceptance and equality, rose steadily from the ashes of ignorance.

What a powerful message Griffin might have sent had he squired his male companions around town rather than Eva Gabor, his longtime good friend and platonic public pal. Imagine the amount of good Merv could have done as a well-respected, hugely successful, beloved and uncloseted gay man in embodying a positive image.

I had more than a passing acquaintance with him, having worked on "The Merv Griffin Show" as a talent coordinator/segment producer in 1985-86 as the show was winding down. Around the office, Merv's being gay was understood but rarely discussed (and certainly never with him). We knew nothing of his relationships because he guarded his privacy fiercely, and we didn't pry.

Merv's secret gay life was widely known throughout showbiz culture, if not the wider America. It gained traction in 1991 when he was targeted in a pair of lawsuits: by "Dance Fever" host Denny Terrio, alleging sexual harassment; and by assistant Brent Plott seeking $200 million in palimony. Both ultimately were dismissed.

Over the past 16 years of his life, however, Griffin deflected the sexuality questions with a quip, determining that his private life remained nobody's business. He certainly didn't owe us an explanation, but maybe he owed it to himself to remove the suffocating veil he'd been forced to hide behind throughout his adult life. Then again, Merv carved his niche in the entertainment world at a time when being gay wasn't OK, when disclosure was unthinkable and the allegation alone could deep-six one's career.

If you're Griffin, why would you think a judgmental culture would be any more tolerant as you grew into middle and old age? Even in the capital of entertainment -- in a business where homosexuality isn't exactly a rare phenomenon -- it's still spoken of in hushed tones or, more often, not at all. And Merv's brush with tabloid scandal no doubt only drove him further into the closet.

While it would seem everything has changed today, little actually has. You can count on the fingers of one hand, or at most two, the number of high-powered stars, executives and public figures who have come out. Those who don't can't really be faulted, as rarely do honesty and full disclosure prove a boon to one's showbiz livelihood.

Nonetheless, the elephant that was his sexual orientation never really stopped following Griffin from room to room. He could duck it for a while, but it would always find him. It's disheartening that Merv had to die to shake it for good.

Reuters/Hollywood Reporter

[robviti]

Not exactly anything we didn't "know" already. I just find it interesting that it is the first and only mention that I have found of Merv's sexuality in all of the obits/tributes that I have read in the mainstream press.

maybe that's because the man made a personal decision not to make it public, and most other people have respected his wishes.

[Brad]

It brought back the memories when I was a kid of watching him and Arthur Treacher as the Ed McMahon-like sidekick. What an odd pairing. Whenever I see Charo, I always think of her and Xavier Cugat on the Merv Griffin show. What a hoot!