Talk show host and TV producer Merv Griffin died yesterday (August 12th) in Los Angeles. He was 82, and had been battling prostate cancer for the past decade.

Griffin began his show biz career as a band singer whose big hit was "I've Got A Lovely Bunch Of Coconuts." After that, his self-titled syndicated talk show collected 15 Emmy awards during its 21-year run. Behind the camera, Griffin's claim to fame was as producer and creator of Wheel Of Fortune and Jeopardy, and the composer of Jeopardy's catchy "thinking" music.

Griffin was one of Hollywood's richest men -- he sold his production company for $250 million in 1986, and turned that money into millions more in hotel, casino, and real estate investments. He owns resort properties in Scottsdale, Arizona; Ireland; and La Quinta, California, and also had a hand in closed-circuit coverage of horse racing at major venues throughout the country, casinos and riverboats, radio stations, and equestrian facilities. His estimated worth is $500 million, according to Inc. magazine.

Wheel Of Fortune host Pat Sajak said in a statement, "Like his family and so many of his close friends, I'm dealing with deep sadness and the realization that I will never hear that wonderful laugh of his again. He meant so much to my life, and it's hard to imagine it without him."



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