It was in the 1940s in
Aurora,
Illinois, that Griffin broke into the
nightclub circuit, playing at the Rivoli Cafe nightly. The sessions at the Rivoli were broadcast on the
radio station,
WMRO, and the program became popular.
Griffin died on March 11, 1956, in
Chicago, Illinois, at the age of 46, of a
heart attack, and was buried at Lincoln Memorial Park in
Aurora.
Columbia had many hours of Griffin's unreleased recordings on tape, and continued to release "new" recordings of Griffin's music for a number of years after his death. His version of "
Ebb Tide" was played in the fifth-season premiere of the TV drama Mad Men.
Partial discography
Anniversary Songs Columbia 10-inch Lp CL 6177; 12" Lp CL-586/CS-8781*
Skating Time Columbia 12" Lp CL-610 (Also available on 10" Lp)
Lost In A Cloud Columbia 12" Lp CL-662
The Music of Irving Berlin Columbia 10" Lp CL-6120
Christmas Carols Columbia 10" Lp CL-6130
Hawaiian Serenade Columbia 10" Lp CL-6206
When Irish Eyes Are Smiling Columbia 10" Lp CL-6245
Latin Americana Columbia 10" Lp CL-6263
Cruising Down The River Columbia 12" Lp CL-761/CS-9042*
Hymns Of America Columbia 10" Lp CL-6298
You Can't Be True, Dear Columbia 12" Lp CL-907/CS-8790*
Moonlight And Roses Columbia 12" Lp CL-1207/CS-8848*
The Organ Plays At Christmas Columbia 12" Lp CL-692