Merv Griffin

I had the pleasure of working with Merv Griffin, the talk show host, media mogul and real estate tycoon, several years ago. We were producing the 2nd annual Latin Grammy Awards in LA and had held our Person of the Year Tribute dinner at his hotel the Beverly Hilton. The day after the tribute were to be the Latin Grammy Awards telecast but that next day was September 11. We ended up having to cancel the show but we had all of this talent from across the globe so we, together with Mr. Griffin, created the very first fundraiser for rescue workers on September 15 at his hotel. For several days I worked with Merv and hung out with his bulldog "Charlie Chan." Merv was gracious and charming. I had grown up with Merv and the "Merv Griffin Show" and let him know he was a big part of my going into entertainment. We grew quite fond of each other and the night of the fundraiser was a wonderful, heartbreaking evening. I went up to Merv as he sat with his group of little hotties and I asked where Charlie Chan was. Merv looked at me with a little twinkle in his eyes -- and a little wine on his lips and said to me, "He's under the table. Can he lick you??" A fond farewell to a wonderful, sassy man.

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