Paul Griffin

Pianist Paul Griffin built an extensive recording history alongside Aretha Franklin, Bob Dylan, the Isley Brothers, Don McLean, Steely Dan, the Shirelles, and Dionne Warwick. One signature contribution appears on Warwick’s rendition of “Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head,” where his understated fills supported the lyric’s emotional weight. First issued on the album I’ll Never Fall in Love Again, the track later surfaced on the Dionne Warwick collection Sings the Bacharach & David Songbook issued by Empire. Griffin supplied piano throughout every Warwick album made with Burt Bacharach and Hal David.

Equally fluent on organ, Griffin acquired his technique by watching others. Regular attendance at Paradise Baptist Church in Harlem placed him in the front pew, where he studied the keyboardist’s movements; after that musician’s death, the church hired Griffin to take over. The gospel-rooted approach continued to shape his performances in subsequent decades. While serving as staff pianist at the Apollo Theater, he encountered saxophonist King Curtis. The two formed an immediate rapport, and Curtis invited him into his band, an opportunity that opened the door to session work heard on countless releases across a wide range of artists.

Paul Griffin suffered a fatal heart attack at his New York residence on June 26, 2000, at the age of 62.