Gerry Griffith, the former vp of A&R at Arista Records who discovered Whitney Houston and worked with other prominent artists, has died. Griffith passed away Nov. 5 in Brooklyn, New York, after a five-year battle with dementia. He was 87 years old.
Houston was 16 years old and performing with her mother, Cissy Houston, when label executive Griffith first heard the teenager’s undeniable vocal talent in 1979. He was even more captivated in 1983 when he saw Houston singing with her mother again. Amid rumors that another label was close to signing the newcomer, Griffith persuaded then-Arista chief Clive Davis to attend a showcase. The global superstar-to-be signed with Arista that same year.
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Reflecting on that memory in 2012 following Houston’s death, Griffith told Billboard, “It takes more than just talent, and that’s what Whitney had at such a young age. Besides the voice, with its range, tone and emotion, she displayed a fearless confidence and stage presence.”
Brenda Andrews, former senior vp of the publishing company Rondor Music International, said of Griffith, “Gerry never got the accolades he so deserved for discovering Whitney Houston. But we knew the real deal. He gave me two hits out of the box with her: ‘I Wanna Dançe With Somebody (Who Loves Me)’ and ‘How Will I Know.’ He knew hit songs! All of us will miss him. May he rest peacefully with all of our brothers and sisters that have made their place in heaven.”
Manager and publisher Deirdre O’Hara commented, “Early in my music publishing career, I was very fortunate to connect with Gerry. One of my proudest moments was urging him to see Whitney Houston, and he subsequently brought Clive Davis to see her. The rest is history.”
During his Arista tenure, Griffith collaborated with a diverse range of artists including Aretha Franklin, Dionne Warwick, Phyllis Hyman, Minnie Riperton, Jennifer Holiday and jazz musician Dave Valentin. Griffith also worked with Carlos Santana during the latter’s career resurgence with the Grammy Award-winning album Supernatural. The project’s tracklist included the Hot 100 chart-topping “Smooth” featuring Rob Thomas.
A Chicago native who served in the U.S. Army before starting his music career, Griffith also held an A&R senior executive post at Manhattan Records, part of EMI. Among the artists he worked with during his time there was singer-songwriter Richard Marx. Working in artist development across pop, R&B, soul and jazz, Griffith parlayed that experience into contributing to seminal film soundtracks, including 1990’s Pretty Woman and 1992’s The Bodyguard. Featuring the massive Houston hits “I Will Always Love You,” “I Have Nothing” and “Run to You,” the latter album won the Grammy Award for album of the year.
“The music industry has lost a truly great record executive and a truly nice guy,” shared Ray Harris, chairman emeritus and co-founder of the Living Legends Foundation. “Those of us who knew Gerry complimented his talent and character. Speaking on behalf of our chairman David Linton and president Azim Rashid, our sympathy and condolences go out to the family and everyone who loved him.”
Griffith is survived by two daughters and two sons. A memorial service will be held at a later date.
