"They see the possibility of a black president as natural as Tiger Woods winning the Masters"
Noah Griffin (talking about his children)
Noah Griffin regularly performs in San Francisco, New York, Boston, London, Rome and Paris. Noah Griffin’s Tribute to Cole Porter took the world by storm and he regularly sells out at such classical venues as Birdland in NY. He sang with Duke Ellington, Nat Cole and has appeared in New York, Boston, London, Rome and Paris.
Noah, since the age of 7, has delighted audiences with his marvelous voice. From 1953 to 1958 he sang as a soloist with the San Francisco Boys Chorus under the direction of the late Madi Bacon, performing in Carmen, Boris Gudenov, Turandot, and soloing in La Boheme with the San Francisco Cosmopolitan Opera Company. The Boys Choir performed at the 1956 Republican convention in San Francisco, sharing the stage with Nat King Cole, Johnny Ray, Leontyne Price and Paul Robeson all legends with whom the Boys Choir collaborated.
In the late 50?s Noah helped formed a Rock group called the Kings covering Ricky Nelson’s “Lonesome Town” on a USO recording which played overseas to our troops stationed in Europe. By 1960 he was off on his own singing at various local venues, teen dances and school rallies. He began study with the respected Judy Davis. The highlight of his high school career was winning a coveted opportunity to audition at the world renowned “hungri i” nightclub. It was also during those years he was signed to a minor record label and performed on the bill with the “Shirelles.” College years at Fisk University began more intense voice study under James Van Lowe and an association with the Fisk University Choir and the famed Jubilee Singers.
While attending Harvard Law, Noah nurtured his singing career performing regularly in and around the Boston area at the “Point After,” the “Ramada Inn on the Charles” and various other venues. It was during that period he was selected to solo with Duke Ellington in his Boston for debut of his “Sacred Concert.” Returning to San Francisco Noah was a regular at the “Sea Witch”, “Cobb’s Pub”, the “Plantation Inn”, “Roland’s” the “Forbidden City” and other night spots. For ten years Noah was the soloist for the Walt Tolleson Big Band. In addition to singing, Noah hosted a talk show for many years on KGO radio as well as a television appearances and wrote a syndicated column for the Hearst Examiner and newspaper chain. A fan favorite at Giants games, Noah along with collaborator Bob Voss, wrote the opening day song for the Giants at the former PacBell Park. The two collaborated for the dreamy anthem and official Ballad of the Golden Gate Bridge re-released for the Bridge’s 70th anniversary in May 2007. This version is produced by former Motown producer and writer Michael B. Sutton. Noah and Bob collaborated on a highly popular Christmas CD with two original songs Noah wrote for the production which merit annual local airplay.
Eddie Fisher has called him a “great singer” and George Shearing “loves his work.”
After graduating from Harvard Law School in Boston, Noah Griffin returned to the San Francisco Bay Area where he has lived ever since. While raising his children, Noah Griffin had an illustrious career as a syndicated newspaper columnist, radio talk show host, singer and songwriter.
Noah Griffin has been hosted by the Nations of Great Britain, Nassau, Japan, Brazil, and Taiwan. He has met six United States Presidents and several World Leaders — all from whom he has been fortunate to learn.
Noah Griffin’s vast range of experience uniquely qualifies him to speak on a wide range of topics. Educated at Harvard Law, Yale and Fisk University in history, he’s been the recipient of two Fellowships: CORO Foundation Public Affairs and Phelps-Stokes History Fellowship. He has spent 35 years in government, politics, media and journalism. In those capacities he served on statewide staff in two Presidential Campaigns, as an administrative aide to Dianne Feinstein and Press Secretary to San Francisco Mayor Frank Jordan. He served as Director of Public Affairs at Charles Schwab Company and was Public Information Officer at San Francisco City College under Chancellor Evan Dobelle.
He was an on air Disc Jockey at the old KFOG in San Francisco and WJIB in Boston. He produced and hosted weekly interview shows on K-101 and KFRC radio. Griffin hosted Public Affairs Interview Program on San Francisco TV Stations KMPT Channel 32 and KTSF Channel 26.
Noah Griffin writes for the Marin IJ. He wrote for 5 years for the Hearst Examiner and was nationally syndicated with Scripps Howard. In that capacity he appeared twice on the PBS News hour with Jim Lehrer. He has been featured in the Boston Globe, the NAACP Crisis Magazine, the San Francisco Chronicle, The San Jose Mercury News, The Saint Petersburg Times, and Jet Magazine. He’s appeared on CNN, CBS Sunday Morning and Talk of the Nation. He has been written about and or covered in the New York Times Magazine, the Wall Street Journal and San Francisco Magazine.
Noah Griffin has worked with George Lucas. Griffin also worked alongside the late Bernie Averbuch to establish the Court of Historical Review and Appeals in which capacity he brought Anna Hauptman to San Francisco to retry the Lindbergh Kidnapping Case in a moot court setting. He’s dined with Lauren Bacall, shared the stage with Nat Cole, Leontyne Price, and Johnny Ray. He has interviewed notables from Gore Vidal, Louis L’Amour, Milton Berle, Peggy Lee, John Huston, Paul Henried, Howard Koch, the Smothers Brothers, Cesar Chavez Peter, Paul and Mary. He’s opened in song parody for the Capitol Steps. He’s been blessed to have counted William Warfield, George Shearing and Eddie Fisher among his musical admirers. California Historian Kevin Starr has praised the work he has done on the documentary on the Golden Gate Bridge. He wrote the preface for the book on “Who Killed Martin Luther King”, is cited in 10 books and is a student of the Kennedy Assassination. He is a published poet and has committed more than 50 poems to memory. He has written and recorded the official ballad of the Golden Gate Bridge and the College of Marin Anthem.
© 2013 Noah Griffin
Noah Griffin is married with the glamorous Meredith Browning Griffin. Learn more about their whirlwind romance by visiting this link.
How Noah met Meredith, a Whirlwind Romance