Mervyn Edward "Merv" Griffin, Jr. (July 6, 1925 – August 12, 2007) was a U.S. television host, musician, singer, actor, and
media mogul. He began his career as a radio and big band singer who went on to appear in film and on
Broadway. From 1965 to 1986 Griffin hosted his own talk show,
The Merv Griffin Show, produced by
Westinghouse Broadcasting (also known as Group W). He also created the game shows
Jeopardy!,
Wheel of Fortune,
Click,
Ruckus, and
Merv Griffin's Crosswords with his own television production companies,
Merv Griffin Enterprises and
Merv Griffin Entertainment. During his lifetime, Griffin was considered an entertainment
business magnate.