Rex Griffin

American country musician and songwriter. (August 12, 1912 – October 11, 1959). Member of the WMC Plough Dixie Jamboree, Memphis, TN. 1930: Started playing professionally in 1930, and shortly thereafter moved to Birmingham, where he joined the Smokey Mountaineers and adopted the name "Rex", since the Mountaineers' announcer found it difficult to pronounce his given name. First recordings followed in 1935 for Decca Records, with Johnny Motlow playing banjo on his first session of ten songs. Found some success in the latter part of the decade, and recorded his biggest hit, "The Last Letter", in 1937. Rejoined the band of Billie Walker and Her Texas Cowboys in 1940, having previously played with them in the middle of the 1930s. In 1944 he recorded again for Decca on a series of transcription discs, which were never commercially issued by Decca. Rex Griffin died on October 11, 1959 in New Orleans, United States.