Billy Griffin, a singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer rooted in R&B, grew up in Baltimore, Maryland. As part of the Last Dynasty, he earned a shot at an RCA recording contract after the group won a televised talent contest, although the opportunity ultimately collapsed. Griffin then auditioned to replace his idol Smokey Robinson in the Miracles, securing the role and leading the group as frontman, writer, and producer from 1972 to 1978. That stretch included the multi-platinum concept album City of Angels, which yielded the number one Billboard Hot 100 single “Love Machine,” one of numerous Miracles tracks Griffin co-composed.
Launching a solo career in the 1980s, he signed with Columbia and delivered the albums Be with Me (1982), featuring the track “Hold Me Tighter in the Rain,” Respect (1983), and Systematic (1985). From the mid-1980s into the early 1990s, Griffin released singles on Atlantic and Motorcity while contributing to projects by Limahl, Rodney Franklin, and Mary Wells. Working closely with creative partner Ian Levine, he co-produced and co-wrote material for the Pasadenas and Take That. Griffin resurfaced as a solo artist in 2006 with Like Water, issued on the U.K. label Expansion.
