Gerry Griffith Arista Records VP died on Nov. 5 in Brooklyn, New York, at 87 after a five-year battle with dementia. The former Arista Records A&R vice president is remembered for discovering Whitney Houston, a career move that changed the label’s history and helped set the arc of one of the decade’s defining voices.
Whitney Houston in 1979
1979 was the first time Griffith heard Houston sing, when she was 16 and performing with her mother, Cissy Houston. By 1983, he had seen her with her mother again and pushed Clive Davis to attend a showcase after hearing rumors that another label was close to signing her. Whitney Houston signed with Arista in 1983.
Deirdre O’Hara and Brenda Andrews
Deirdre O’Hara said, “Early in my music publishing career, I was very fortunate to connect with Gerry. One of my proudest moments was urging him to see Whitney Houston, and he subsequently brought Clive Davis to see her. The rest is history.” That account puts the decision chain in plain view: one recommendation, one showcase, one signing.
Brenda Andrews said Griffith “never got the accolades he so deserved for discovering Whitney Houston,” adding that he gave her “I Wanna Dançe With Somebody (Who Loves Me)” and “How Will I Know” “out of the box.” Her point is blunt: the industry celebrated the songs and the star, but not always the executive who helped identify the match.
Arista, Manhattan, and beyond
During his Arista tenure, Griffith also worked with Aretha Franklin, Dionne Warwick, Phyllis Hyman, Minnie Riperton, Jennifer Holiday and Dave Valentin. He later held a senior executive post at Manhattan Records, part of EMI, where he worked with Richard Marx, and he also worked with Carlos Santana during the career resurgence that led to Supernatural and the Hot 100 chart-topping “Smooth” featuring Rob Thomas.
His soundtrack credits tied him to Pretty Woman in 1990 and The Bodyguard in 1992. The latter included “I Will Always Love You,” “I Have Nothing” and “Run to You,” and it won the Grammy Award for album of the year. Griffith’s range mattered because it spanned record-making, artist development and soundtrack projects that moved records on more than one market lane.
Ray Harris on Griffith
Ray Harris said, “The music industry has lost a truly great record executive and a truly nice guy.” He also said those who knew Griffith complimented his talent and character, and extended sympathy to Griffith’s family and everyone who loved him. Griffith is survived by two daughters and two sons, and a memorial service will be held at a later date.
The cleanest reading of his career is also the hardest one for the business to admit: the signature discovery happened because he kept pressing after the first listen, then again after the second. That is the work labels pay for, even when the credit rarely lands where it should.
