Ken Griffis

When he moved from Missouri to California in 1940, Ken Griffis was pleased to find that Country & Western music was in full bloom throughout the greater Los Angeles area. In addition to the newly formed Spade Cooley group, there were dozens of bands appearing in most every city. Burt (Foreman) Phillips, a leader in promoting Country & Western music, had several bands operating throughout Southern California. In this setting, Ken became acquainted with many of the artists.

In the early fifties, Ken found satisfaction with the music and enjoyed the friendship of the Sons of the Pioneers. This led to an association that has lasted to this day. In the early seventies he became associated with the non-profit, educational organization, The John Edwards Memorial Foundation (JEMF), housed at the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA). The central purpose of the JEMF is to gather recordings and written material, as well as to record the history of participants in folk, country and western music. For some 15 years Ken was responsible for raising funds to keep the organization alive.

Through his activities on behalf of the JEMF he made friends with a great number of Westeern artists. Feeling the contributions of these legends was of great importance, Ken began to assemble a collection of personal interviews. It was through these efforts that so much of the background and contributions of these artists has been documented. It has become apparent that, had Ken not recorded so much of the history of a number of artists, an important segment of this history would have been lost forever.

This engulfing interest in the history of country & western music led to Ken's writing numerous articles and books that have proved to be of interest to the fans. His book, HEAR MY SONG - THE STORY OF THE CELEBRATED SONS OF THE PIONEERS, was the first full accounting of this legendary group. Two additional books, THE REINSMEN - PAINTERS OF THE WEST IN SONG and SONS OF THE SAN JOAQUIN - THE SONGS, THE MUSIC, THE MEN, provide insight into the contributions made by two more of Western music's most impressive singing groups.

Sensing the need for an organization where the fans and the artists could come together to express their mutual admiration for each other, in August, 1988, Bill Wiley and Ken Griffis laid the foundation for the Western Music Association. Without question, the outgrowth of their efforts resulted in many enjoyable, informative gatherings for artists and fans alike. Ken was the second recipient of the Bill Wiley Award.