Bevis M. Griffin

Last updated

Bevis Griffin
BevisGriffinRecent.jpg
Bevis Melvin Griffin
Background information
Birth nameBevis Melvin Griffin
Born (1953-04-26) April 26, 1953 (age 71)
Los Angeles, California
Genres
Occupations
  • Musician
  • songwriter
  • producer
  • drummer
  • CEO
  • creative consultant
  • artist manager
Instruments
  • Drums
  • vocals
Years active1971–present
Website www.bevismgriffin.com

Bevis Melvin Griffin[ pronunciation? ] (born April 26, 1953) is an American musician, businessman, and educator. [1] In 1998, Griffin was honored by the City of Austin as a musician of cultural significance and awarded a mayoral proclamation by Mayor Kirk Watson for 25 years of musical contributions as one of the earliest pioneers of Texas glam rock, punk rock, and hard rock. [2] [3] [4]

Contents

Griffin made his public music performance debut in 1971 and has since been recognized by many as an influential genre-defining artist. Living Colour guitarist Vernon Reid described Griffin as "a veritable missing link in a transitional period in American popular music." [3] Music critic Greg Tate wrote that "in retrospect, [Griffin’s style] may have been the most provocative challenge to the hierarchy and status quo of rock imaging at the time." [5]

He is the founder and executive director of Deux Voix Ltd., LLC, an Austin-based artist development enterprise, working with afro-centric bands and artists such as Death, Francis M’Bappe, Living Colour, and Andre Cymone. [6]

Over the course of 40 years, Griffin was a part of many prominent Texas bands: Franklin’s Mast, Fools, the Skyscrapers, the Bats, the Shades, Banzai Kik, Chill Factor, Rawhead TechX, Spy vs. Spy, Solid Senders, the Cosmopolitans, Dino Lee’s Luv Johnson, One Fell Swoop, Papa Mali & the Instagators, R.C. Banks, the Paradigm, and Bevis & the Painkillers. [3] [7]

Early life

Griffin was born in Los Angeles, California, in 1953. His father, Melvin Griffin, owned a barbershop that was frequented by famous musicians such as Bobby Bland, Ike Turner, and Johnny Otis, who performed at the nearby Five-Four Ballroom.

He spent his adolescent years in Wichita Falls, Texas, where he practiced the drums every night throughout high school. During his time there, Wichita Falls High School was a newly integrated establishment. [2]

Career

Griffin is recognized as one of the earliest prominent Black contributors to the Austin music scene. [2]

In high school, Griffin met his first major collaborator, musician Jimmy Lee Saurage. In 1971, they formed the hard-rock trio Franklin's Mast with bassist Barry Minnick in Austin, Texas. During their tenure, the band played opening shows for notable Texas groups including ZZ Top and Trapeze. [8] [9]

While Franklin's Mast toured Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Kansas, Griffin was one of the few prominent Black Austin-based musicians. According to Living Colour guitarist Vernon Reid, Griffin was "integral to the dawn of Austin’s modern ascendency into the ranks of the world’s great music cities, back when the Armadillo World Headquarters had barely opened its doors, and the Vaughan Brothers were being whispered about." [10]

In 1978, Griffin joined Saurage, songwriter Christopher K. Bailey, and bassist Byron Davies to form the Skyscrapers. They frequently performed at Austin nightclubs such as the Continental Club on Congress Avenue. These performances upped their profile, leading them to open for the Ramones in a sold-out show at the Armadillo World Headquarters in 1979. [11]

After the success of the Skyscrapers, Griffin emerged as a frontman for the Bats (later renamed Banzai Kik), a band he formed with Bailey, bassist Courtney Audain, and drummer Billy Blackmon in 1980. In 1981, they recorded a 10-song demo with British producer John Rollo at Indian Creek Studios in Uvalde, Texas. [12] After a few more years headlining local clubs with Banzai Kik, Griffin moved to New York City to pursue recording opportunities in 1983. [13]

In the late 1980s, Griffin became a founding member of the Black Rock Coalition, a New York-based artists collective and nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting the creative freedom and works of Black musicians. [14] [7] [15] Griffin was a member of the Black Rock Coalition Orchestra, a 28-piece ensemble that received national coverage in publications including Rolling Stone. [16] [17]

In 1986, Griffin performed in the debut show of the Black Rock Coalition Orchestra in Brooklyn's Prospect Park. [18] Griffin later performed with the Black Rock Coalition Orchestra and Banzai Kik at the Stalking Heads of ’87, a two-day rock festival held at the CBGB music club.

In 1987, Griffin signed a two-year management agreement with Bad Brains manager Anthony Countey and production company Shake the Earth. [14] In 1987, producer Jack Douglas offered to record and sign Griffin and Banzai Kik to a new record label called Supertrack in partnership with EMI Records. [18] Douglas, who had previously worked with John Lennon and Aerosmith, was said to have been impressed with Griffin's songwriting and vocal talent. [19] Banzai Kik played a preliminary session at Chung-King House of Metal and was set to continue recording at other notable New York studios. [18] Banzai Kik recorded the first six songs of the deal at the Record Plant, the same studio where Jimi Hendrix recorded Electric Ladyland. [14] Griffin temporarily left New York after his father died from gun violence. When he returned, he learned that there was a protracted legal dispute between his management and Douglas’ production company. The deal eventually collapsed. [14] [18]

Griffin continued to perform for many years after the Douglas deal. He left New York for Los Angeles before returning to Austin and forming the Chill Factor with guitarist Denny Freeman in 1988. [3] Griffin continued to perform with various other bands until 2010.

Cultural impact and later career

Impact and style

Griffin is considered by many as an often overlooked pioneer of Black rock music. He has been regarded as both "the Black Rock Maverick of Texas" and a "champion of alternative Black culture." [20] [21] [5] [6]

As a performer, Griffin was known for his androgynous and theatrical style. [22] [5] He took major inspiration from performers such as Jimi Hendrix, David Bowie, Sly Stone, and the New York Dolls. [21] [2] Music critic Tim Stegall writes that Griffin would reportedly carry nunchuks while touring as a means of self-defense against those who took issue with his flamboyant manner of dress. [23] [24] With the Bats, Griffin's performances have been noted for their commentary on racial anxieties and sexual ambiguities in Texas. [25]

In the late 1980s, Griffin became a founding member of the Black Rock Coalition, a New York-based artists collective and nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting the creative freedom and works of Black musicians. [7] [14]

In 1998, Griffin was honored by the City of Austin as a musician of cultural significance and awarded a mayoral proclamation by Mayor Kirk Watson for 25 years of musical contributions as one of the earliest pioneers of Texas hard rock, punk rock, and glam rock. [3] [2]

In the early 2020s, Griffin was the featured artist on 40th Anniversary Edition of the magazine for the Texas Music Museum, an organization that collects and preserves artifacts, documents and reference material surrounding the diverse traditions of Texas music. [26] He was also the cover and feature story of Volume 23 of Journal of Texas Music History. [27]

Executive and Educator

After playing his last live performance in 2010, Griffin pivoted to the administrative side of the industry.

As of 2021, Griffin oversees three development entities: Deux Voix Ltd., LLC, an artist development and management consultant firm; Deux Voix Apex Solutions LLC, a Black music history education firm; and Deux Voix Apex Creative LLC, which focuses on film and TV production. The education initiatives of Deux Voix Apex Solutions LLC have been well regarded by Black American musician community members. [6] [5] [28] [29] [30] As of 2023, the musical curriculum created by Griffin is utilized in School of Rock franchises. It focuses on providing students with a firm grasp of popular music history to expand their personal palette and understanding. [27]

Griffin has managed and/or consulted notable bands and artists such as Death, Living Colour, Prince alumnus Andre Cymone, Norwood Fisher of Fishbone, Francis M’Bappe, Freekbass, and Kelvyn Bell. [6] [31]

Personal life

In 2024, Griffin became a Recovery Support Peer Specialist through the Texas Certification Board, granting certification to assist those with "chemical dependency, mental health, and/or co-occurring disorders." [32] [33]

Selected discography

With The Shades (4 Song Vinyl EP) [34]

With Diamond Joe Siddons [34]

With Dino Lee & The Love Johnson

With Bevis Griffin's One Fell Swoop

With Bevis Griffin's Rawhead TechX [37]

With Papa Mali & The Instagators [34]

With RC Banks [34]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Daniel Johnston</span> American musician (1961–2019)

Daniel Dale Johnston was an American singer, musician and artist regarded as a significant figure in outsider, lo-fi, and alternative music scenes. Most of his work consisted of cassettes recorded alone in his home, and his music was frequently cited for its "pure" and "childlike" qualities.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Music of Texas</span>

The U.S. state of Texas has long been a center for musical innovation and is the birthplace of many notable musicians. Texans have pioneered developments in Tejano and Conjunto music, Rock 'n Roll, Western swing, jazz, Piano, punk rock, country, hip-hop, electronic music, gothic industrial music, religious music, mariachi, psychedelic rock, zydeco and the blues.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Music of Austin, Texas</span>

Austin's official motto is the "Live Music Capital of the World" due to the high volume of live music venues in the city. Austin is known internationally for the South by Southwest (SXSW) and the Austin City Limits (ACL) Music Festivals which feature eclectic international lineups. The greatest concentrations of music venues in Austin are around 6th Street, Central East Austin, the Red River Cultural District, the Warehouse District, the University of Texas, South Congress, and South Lamar.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Patty Griffin</span> American singer-songwriter and musician

Patricia Jean Griffin is an American singer, songwriter, and musician. She is a vocalist and plays guitar and piano. She is known for her stripped-down songwriting style in the folk music genre. Her songs have been covered by numerous musicians, including Emmylou Harris, Ellis Paul, Kelly Clarkson, Rory Block, Dave Hause, Sugarland, Bette Midler and The Chicks.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Flaco Jiménez</span> American accordionist, singer and songwriter

Leonardo "Flaco" Jiménez is an American singer, songwriter and accordionist from San Antonio, Texas. He is known for playing Norteño, Tex Mex and Tejano music. Jiménez has been a solo performer and session musician, as well as a member of the Texas Tornados and Los Super Seven.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kathy Valentine</span> American guitarist and bassist

Kathryn Valentine is an American musician who is the bassist for the rock band the Go-Go's. She has maintained a career in music through songwriting, recording, performing and touring as well as additional academic and creative pursuits. Valentine was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in October 2021 as a member of The Go-Go's.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Britt Daniel</span> American musician

John Britt Daniel is an American musician. He is the co-founder, lead singer and guitarist of the indie rock band Spoon, as well as the co-founder, guitarist, bassist, and singer of the band Divine Fits. Daniel also founded numerous other bands in the early 1990s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Doug Sahm</span> American musician, singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist (1941–1999)

Douglas Wayne Sahm was an American musician, singer-songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist from San Antonio, Texas. He is regarded as a key Tex-Mex music and Texan Music performer. San Antonio's conjunto and blues and later the hippie scene of San Francisco helped create his blend of music, with which he found success performing in 1970s Austin, Texas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ephraim Owens</span> American musician, composer, and jazz bandleader

Ephraim Owens is an American musician, composer, and jazz bandleader who plays trumpet and flugelhorn. He has toured and recorded with the Tedeschi Trucks Band since 2015. He is one of the most highly regarded jazz musicians living in Austin, Texas, and he focuses on performing in that genre when he is not touring.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alejandro Escovedo</span> American musician

Pedro Alejandro Escovedo is an American rock musician, songwriter, and singer, who has been recording and touring since the late 1970s. His primary instrument is the guitar. He has played in various rock genres, including punk rock, roots rock and alternative country, and is most closely associated with the music scene in Austin, Texas but also San Francisco and New York. He comes from a family of musicians.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jack Ingram</span> American country music singer (born 1970)

Jack Owen Ingram is an American country music artist formerly signed to Big Machine Records, an independent record label. He has released eleven studio albums, one extended play, six live albums, and 19 singles. Although active since 1992, Ingram did not reach the U.S. Country Top 40 until the release of his single "Wherever You Are" late-2005. A number one hit on the Billboard country charts, that song was also his first release for Big Machine and that label's first Number One hit. Ingram has sent six other songs into the country Top 40 with "Love You", "Lips of an Angel", "Measure of a Man", "Maybe She'll Get Lonely", "That's a Man", and "Barefoot and Crazy".

The Black Rock Coalition is a New York-based artists' collective and nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting the creative freedom and works of black musicians.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Michael Boddicker</span> American composer

Michael Lehmann Boddicker is an American film composer and session musician, specializing in electronic music. He is a three times National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (N.A.R.A.S.) Most Valuable Player "Synthesizer" and MVP Emeritus, he was awarded a Grammy as a songwriter for "Imagination" from Flashdance in 1984. He is the president of The Lehmann Boddicker Group.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jimmy LaFave</span> American singer-songwriter

Jimmy LaFave was an American singer-songwriter and folk musician. After moving to Stillwater, Oklahoma, LaFave became a supporter of Woody Guthrie. He later became an Advisory Board member and regular performer at the annual Woody Guthrie Folk Festival.

The Skunks are an American three-piece rock band formed in 1977 in Austin, Texas. The band debuted in early 1978 at Raul's, quickly became a mainstay of the Austin music scene. They rapidly expanded their fan base beyond early punk/new wave into clubs whose audiences crossed the spectrum, including the Armadillo World Headquarters, the Continental Club, Dukes Royal Coach, Club Foot, Liberty Lunch, and many others in the late 1970s and early 1980s. The Skunks music channeled classic rock influences, such as The Rolling Stones and The Who, with 1970s cult figures such as the New York Dolls and The Velvet Underground.

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer+(LGBTQ+)music is music that focuses on the experiences of gender and sexual minorities as a product of the broad gay liberation movement.

<i>Buddy</i> (magazine) Music magazine, free, serving North Texas

Buddy is a free monthly music magazine serving the North Texas and Northeast Texas regions. It was first published in Austin, Texas, in October 1972 as a free bi-monthly. Stoney Burns (pseudonym of Brent Lasalle Stein; 1942–2011) and Rob Edleson (né Lewis Robin Edleson; born 1946) were the founders. The magazine's name is a tribute to Buddy Holly (1936–1959), who Burns said "changed my life." Buddy is described as a rock music magazine but, from its beginning, has included news and feature articles about performing artists and events of other genres, namely Texas progressive country, blues, jazz, folk, punk, and garage band music.

References

  1. ↑ Rahman, Tahera (February 23, 2022). "Honoring Black history: Austin School of Rock franchise has a new curriculum". KXAN-TV . Retrieved March 6, 2022.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 Fabello, Jade (February 9, 2021). "Celebrating Black Austin: Bevis M. Griffin, Trailblazing Musician". Austin Monthly. Retrieved April 14, 2021.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 "Bevis Griffin Biography". Bevisgriffin.com. Retrieved May 10, 2021.
  4. ↑ Lieck, Ken (May 22, 1998). "Dancing About Architecture Every Dog Has His Day". The Austin Chronicle. Retrieved May 10, 2021.
  5. 1 2 3 4 Tate, Greg (February 22, 2021). "28 Days of Bevis Griffin, Day 18: The Impeccable Warrior". Austin Music Foundation. Archived from the original on February 22, 2021. Retrieved May 10, 2021.
  6. 1 2 3 4 McNeill, Darrell (February 2, 2021). "28 Days of Bevis Griffin, Day 8: The Apex Mind of Bevis M. Griffin". Austin Music Foundation. Archived from the original on February 8, 2021. Retrieved May 10, 2021.
  7. 1 2 3 Maxwell, Madeline. "Musicians Off the Record: Bevis Griffin". Moody College of Communication. University of Texas at Austin. Archived from the original on December 1, 2023. Retrieved May 10, 2021.
  8. ↑ Spearman, Joah (February 14, 2021). "28 Days of Bevis Griffin, Day 14: Bevis – Black and Boundless, Part 1". Austin Music Foundation. Retrieved April 13, 2021.
  9. ↑ Rascoe, Rachel. "Faster Than Sound: Bevis M. Griffin Teaches Austin Youth the Evolution of the Blues". Austin Chronicle. Retrieved March 6, 2022.
  10. ↑ Reid, Vernon. "Foreword written by guitarist extraordinaire and Black Rock Coalition co-founder Vernon Reid, May 13, 2011".
  11. ↑ Griffin, Bevis (February 12, 2021). "28 Days of Bevis Griffin, Day 12: The Skyscrapers "Ultra-Sonic Architects" '78-'79". Austin Music Foundation. Retrieved April 13, 2021.
  12. ↑ Bailey, Chris (February 21, 2021). "28 Days of Bevis Griffin, Day 17: Flight of the Bats". Austin Music Foundation. Retrieved May 10, 2021.
  13. ↑ Bailey, Chris (February 27, 2021). "28 Days of Bevis Griffin, Day 23: Banzai, Kikkin' It From Texas to NYC". Austin Music Foundation. Retrieved May 10, 2021.
  14. 1 2 3 4 5 Thomas, Stanley. "Laughs Last: The Bevis Griffin Story" (PDF). YoYo. Retrieved May 10, 2021.
  15. ↑ Mellard, Jason (February 15, 2024). "This week in Texas music history: Bevis M. Griffin champions Black voices at the punk mothership in 1987" . Retrieved January 22, 2025.
  16. ↑ Fricke, David (September 24, 1987). "Back in Black". Rolling Stone. Retrieved May 9, 2021.
  17. ↑ Campbell, Alan (February 18, 2022). "People United".
  18. 1 2 3 4 Griffin, Bevis (March 5, 2021). "28 Days of Bevis Griffin, Day 28: Banzai Kik "Rock & Roll Heaven & Hell" '87-'88". Austin Music Foundation. Retrieved May 10, 2021.
  19. ↑ Estrada, John-Carlos (February 11, 2021). "#TBT: Texas' 1st Black glam rock star Bevis Griffin reminisces career, time at Austin club". CBS. Retrieved May 10, 2021.
  20. ↑ Garcia, Gavin Lance (February 2021). "The Original Black Rock Maverick of Texas". TODO Austin. Vol. II, no. 10. pp. 8, 10. Retrieved May 10, 2021.
  21. 1 2 Sengupta Stith, Deborah (February 9, 2021). "Bevis Griffin celebrates Black History Month with flashy tales of Austin's glam-rock past". Austin American Statesmen. Retrieved May 10, 2021.
  22. ↑ Roberts, Gordon (February 2, 2021). "28 Days of Bevis Griffin, Day 7: And The Wind's Just Right, Part 2". Austin Music Foundation. Retrieved May 10, 2021.
  23. ↑ Stegall, Tim (January 24, 2020). "The Glam Punks of 70s Austin Get Up to Their Gypsy Tricks". Austin Chronicle. Retrieved May 10, 2021.
  24. ↑ "Trailblazer Bevis M. Griffin recalls glam-rock beginnings in Texas". February 2, 2024. Retrieved January 22, 2025.{{cite news}}: |first1= missing |last1= (help)
  25. ↑ Graper, Julianne (2018). "Bat City: Becoming with Bats in the Austin Music Scene". MUSICultures. 45 No. 1-2 (2018 (1920–4221): 21. Retrieved May 10, 2021.
  26. ↑ "Texas Music Museum" . Retrieved January 22, 2025.
  27. 1 2 Crouch, Jason. "Get to Heaven, Some Sort of Way: The Career of Black Rock Maverick Bevis M. Griffin". The Journal of Texas Music History. 23: 8–27.
  28. ↑ Austin, We are (February 24, 2022). "School of Rock teams up with glam rock legend Bevis Griffin to teach black music history" . Retrieved March 6, 2022.
  29. ↑ Goudie, Johnny. "Bevis Griffin And Alex Vallejo Talk About School Of Rock's Deep Roots Of Rock And Blues Program!". How Did I Get Here?.
  30. ↑ Jackson, Markeshia (January 22, 2025). "Honoring Black History: Old High Graduate reflects on diversifying Texas Rock & Roll" . Retrieved January 22, 2025.
  31. ↑ "Black History Month / Bevis M. Griffin". DO512. Retrieved May 10, 2021.
  32. ↑ "Texas Certification Board". Tcbap.
  33. ↑ "Certifications" . Retrieved January 22, 2025.
  34. 1 2 3 4 "Bevis Griffin". Discogs.com.
  35. ↑ Smith, Jake (1995). Sortiment. Birmingham, Michigan: Zahmbee-Karlt.
  36. ↑ Smith, Jake (1995). Schauplatz Guitar. Birmigham, Michigan: Zahmbee-Karlt.
  37. ↑ Smith, Jake (1996). Series 1: Rock Cycle. Birmigham, Michigan: Zahmbee-Karlt.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.