James Arthur Griffin

August 10, 1943 – January 11, 2005

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James, Jimmy, Jim, Jimbo, JAG, Uncle Bubba, Dad, Son, Cuz.  He was known by all these variations, but to the family, he was mostly known as “Jimmy.”  My uncle Jimmy was cool … the coolest of the cool.  And he has been making music as far back as I can remember.

Jimmy was fourteen when I was born.  We grandchildren spent a lot of time over at Gramma (Maw) and Papa’s over on 796 Maria Street.  I have been told one story about when I was a baby.  I was sick when I was little.  I had tuberculosis and eventually had to have lung surgery.  I understand I would cry a lot, especially at night.  Jimmy, who was still in high school and must have been about sixteen, woke up one night and took me out of my crib and into the family car.  He took off with me.  No one knew where he went or what he was doing, but he finally returned with me, asleep and put me back in my crib.  Then, he quietly went back to bed so that he could catch a few winks before having to go to school in the morning. 

 nother time, he worked as a box boy at the grocery store down on Macon Road.  He brought home some Easter chicks for us grandkids to play with.  They were so cute and soft, and colored if memory serves me correct.  And I also remember Gramma telling Jimmy to get those chicks out of her house because chickens were nasty.  We kids cried.  L   Jimmy meant well.  He always meant well.

I remember Jimmy’s dog, a black and white Spitz named Poochie Pie.  Poochie would “sing” along with Jimmy.  I believe there is a recording of Jimmy and Poochie singing somewhere.  Poochie is buried in the backyard at 796 Maria Street under a tree.

The relationship between Jimmy and Gramma was so funny to us kids.  Jimmy could get away with things we younger kids would never be allowed to do.  He would “Skeetie Wheetie” Gramma until she would yell at him to stop.  He took great joy in aggravating her.  One Christmas, she was pretty fed up with his pestering … and Santa brought Jimmy a bag full of switches and ashes!  We kids couldn’t believe it!  Most of all, Jimmy thought it was funny.  Gramma was funny and entertaining and was Jimmy’s biggest fan, the typical, pushy stage mother.  And she loved her grandchildren!

My uncle left Memphis soon after he graduated from Kingsbury High School and moved to Southern California to record for Reprise records.  Over the next ten years, we would occasionally see Jimmy on his return trips to Memphis and later in Dallas when my family moved there.  It was always great fun when he came to town.  Jimmy was a big kid.  He would take his nieces and nephews to amusement parks, and he loved to golf.  We would go with him to the driving range or to ride in golf carts.  Golfing was something Jimmy and Papa had in common.

Later, when I was ten, we moved to Southern California to Orange County, the county below Los Angeles County where Jimmy lived.  We would see him more often, especially at the holidays and during and after the time that Papa passed away.  I believe that was 1969.

I’d never seen my mother or my uncle more upset than they were during this time.  And while Jimmy had seen some success with recordings and films/TV, Papa didn’t live to see his greatest success.  That always bothered Jimmy, although I truly believe Papa was around to see all of Jimmy’s successes and children.  Papa was very proud of Jimmy.  Papa always sang and whistled while driving the car:  “Bill Bailey,”  “Up a Lazy River.”   But he would also whistle some of Jimmy’s songs in the car.  I don’t know if Jimmy ever knew that.  I bet he does now. J

Bread did not become a phenomenon overnight.  I remember one time when Jimmy came to visit us in Newport Beach, CA and brought a wax copy of an LP called, “Bread.”  We all sat around and listed to all 12 tracks.  Just as with everything Jimmy had ever done, I immediately liked it.  And of course, that LP was played over and over again until it finally warped.  The more it was played, the more it was loved by all.  To this day, some of Bread’s finest song writing and harmonies are on that album, although the mainstream public never heard it.  Only die-hard Breadheads know the words to all the songs on the album, “Bread.”

To fill their time and pockets, David Gates, Jimmy and Robb Royer also wrote and recorded jingles for television commercials ("Feeling Groovy, Just Had My Cherios,"  “Winchester’s Somethin’ Else”), television and movie scores, songs for other artists.  For the record, no one who was cool in the ‘70’s ever used the word "groovy," not in real life anyway.   And they played in the clubs.

But Bread would eventually rise.  As a teenager living in Southern California, I cannot begin to tell what a thrill it was for our family to witness it.  I vividly remember the first time we heard my uncle's music on the radio for the first time.  My siblings and I watching in total disbelief one summer as "Make It With You" climbed to Billboard's No. 2 slot!  (The Carpenter's "Close To You" never budged from the No. 1 slot.  I admit it; I liked Karen Carpenter.)  That entire decade was so much fun for us.  Can you imagine?  Concerts, events, sneak previews of songs and album covers, tickets and passes for our friends. 

When Bread finally did become a household word, that part happened very fast.  At times, we all had jobs to do, even us kids.  It was a family adventure.  Jimmy had no wife or children at that time, so he enlisted his mother, his sister and her kids.  My mom, Carol, came up with names for publishing companies (Candlewyck was one of hers) and short lists for the albums.  My grandmother entertained local press at her home and corresponded with the press and fan club president.  I can’t say it enough; Neva Griffin was Jimmy’s undisputed biggest fan.

After "Make It With You," "It Don't Matter To Me" also became a hit.  Then, "If".  And so on, and so on.

Of course, David Gates is the most famous member of the group.  David wrote and sang lead on all of Bread's hits.  But the other guys were/are equally talented in their own rites.  I toot their horns whenever possible because David is very good at tooting his own.  J

If you've ever listened to a Bread album, Jimmy co-wrote with Robb Royer, another Bread member, and sang lead on exactly half of every album.  Bread recorded a total of 5 original albums (not counting "Greatest Hits" and "Retrospective").  David owned 50% of Bread with Jimmy owning the other 50%.  Jimmy is the one who sang the vocal harmonies on all of David's songs, and David did the same on his.  Jimmy was best known for his falsetto and the vocal blends of Bread's music is what made them unique.  And David is an incredible lyricist.  (Rumor has it that his wife wrote or co-wrote many of his lyrics, but never received any writing credit.)  The lyrics of "If" are some of the most poetic I've heard (second only to Cat Stevens' "Morning Has Broken").  Each member of Bread is/was a phenomenal writer, musician, and recording and mixing technician with each playing multiple instruments.  (Larry Knechtel played that incredible piano on Simon and Garfunkel's original recording of "Bridge Over Troubled Water."  He's a phenom.  Mike Botts was Linda Ronstadt's studio and tour drummer during her rise.)

Jimmy and former Bread member, Robb Royer (who remained his writing partner until the end) wrote the Carpenters hit, "For All We Know," along with Fred Carlin.  It won the Academy Award for Best Song in 1970 from the movie, Lovers and Other Strangers.  The night Jimmy won the Academy Award, their song was sung by British Pop star, Petula Clark.  We were watching from Gramma’s living room.  She had a sinus headache and a hot, wet washcloth on her head when he won.  I’ll never forget it.  How many people can say they have an Academy Award wining songwriter in their family?  I don’t know of any.

After Bread disbanded, there was more than a decade of corporate lawsuits between Jimmy and David, with Elecktra Records in the act.  It started with a 'use of name' violation, but it really stemmed from bad blood going back to the beginning and how the singles were selected from an album for airplay.  Before Bread was formed, Jimmy and Robb were the ones who had enjoyed the most commercial success.  The group was formed in the first place to give David, Jimmy, and Robb artistic autonomy.  Elektra disagreed and it dearly cost all Bread's members.  After "Make It With You," Bread was quickly slotted as a "sweet, soft rock band" and commanded to produce more cookie cutter songs.  Their albums; however, are so much more diverse and tell a different story. 

Many bands in the 70's disbanded for the same reasons as Bread, thus why modern bands and artists who need to reinvent themselves form independent recording labels.  During the 70's many blamed disbandments on the artists' egos.  It really wasn't that, but more like trying to tell a creative type, "You must create THIS."  If a person is truly an artist, it can't be done ... at least not for very long.  And besides, the artists know the public is fickle and tastes change.

For the past 15 years, Jimmy had been in Nashville recording country music with a group called The Remingtons and writing music for others.  (I loved my uncle and his music, but my siblings and I do not like country music.  The twang causes us to twitch and have seizures.)  J

Ray Charles (who I do like) recorded a Griffin/Royer song a couple of years ago.  There have been so many others over the years.

When I married, Jimmy came to my wedding and reception.  For years and years, I would hear from our friends what a wonderful time they had and how nice Jimmy was to them.  He was a gracious and generous man, generous of himself and his time.  After Jimmy met and married Marty, my former husband Bill and I would see them more frequently in West Hollywood.  We all cooked out on the beach with some friends of Jimmy’s.  And we all spent time over at Marvin’s, Jimmy’s cousin, for family reunions.

After Erin was born and Marty was pregnant with Alexis, Jimmy and Marti babysat Erin for me on one occasion.  They said they really enjoyed it and that it was good practice for their upcoming bundle.  J

Jimmy eventually moved back to Tennessee, and I didn’t see him as often.  On one visit to Memphis, I can remember meeting Alex for the very first time.  She and Erin were in Gramma’s kitchen and Jimmy came in to bring them some French fries.  They were both so little and cute.  Gramma was in her glory having these two cuties together.

About 5 years ago, I was fortunate enough to take Erin to hear Bread perform during their 25-Year Reunion Tour.  I am so happy she was able to hear the same music I grew up with, live, and to see her great-uncle perform both Bread's songs and solos for genuinely adoring fans.  It was one thing to tell Erin about these good old Bread days, but to have her be able to experience it, for herself, was such a thrill.  What a blessing that was!   I never dreamed Erin would be able to hear Bread live!  I never dreamed David and Jimmy would make up to do a reunion tour!!  Erin will never forget it, and I am forever grateful for the experience.  Just as it had been 25 years earlier, Bread was cool, and Jimmy was the coolest of the cool.

One of the last recordings I have is one called, “Somethin.”  It was a demo for the title track to a movie, The Devil and Daniel Webster, which will probably never be seen.  L   This related Zapit article makes for great Alex Baldwin/Jennifer Love Hewitt trivia.  Rumor has it that Baldwin was a first time producer on this film and was sued by his associate producer for non payment after she was fired before production finished.

http://www.zap2it.com/movies/news/story/0,1259,---24128,00.html

I still can’t believe he’s passed on.  Wow, we will always miss him.  Jimmy’s greatest success was that he had 4 children, two under the age of 18 (from his long time marriage to his true love, Marti).  He was only 61, and only 6 months ago before his death, he was on top of the world with not a clue as to what was to come.  Lung cancer that did not respond to chemo ... had been a light smoker in his youth and had not smoked at all for a long, long time.  He did play in smoky venues when he was younger (as all musicians did).  Quite a life long health nut and a runner as a matter of fact.

My generation of the family idolized him.  Jimmy is so loved by his nieces, nephews and cousins.  He gave my brothers, Mike and Scott, their first guitars and amplifiers, and they have both been playing ever since.  My sister, Valerie, began playing the drums because of Jimmy.  He transcended the generations with his music and leaves probably the most far-reaching hole the family tapestry has ever sustained.  The number of people and lives he touched would go around the world at least seven times.

One important thing I feel I need to say about Jimmy is that he did not want to die.  Up until his final day, he said he wanted to live.  He loved life.  He loved his family and his faith.  He wasn't afraid to die; he didn't want to leave Marti and Alexis and Jake.  It wasn't his idea to go.  But when he was called, he bravely went.

And now he is in heaven with Gramma and Papa, Big Mama and Daddy Less, Grampa David,  Marvin, Kevin, Danny Sprecker, Johnny Burnett, and so many others who went before him.

We are so fortunate to have known and loved Jimmy.  He was a kind and loving husband, father, son, uncle, cousin, friend, artist, child of God.  As my mother has so often said, his voice just kept improving over the years like a fine wine.  Until his illness, he had never been in better voice.  God gave him his instrument and must have needed it up in heaven.

Whenever we really miss him, all we have to do is play one of his songs.  He will forever live through his music.  And he lives on through his children and each and every one of us.  How cool  is that?

Jimmy’s loving niece,