Merv Griffin, the multi-talented entrepreneur and television host, passed away at the age of 82 on August 12, 2007. Griffin was best known for having created two of the most iconic and successful intellectual properties in entertainment history – the Emmy-winning game show Jeopardy!, and the Grammy-winning talk show The Merv Griffin Show. He hosted the television program from 1965 to 1986. Griffin's career began as an actor, appearing uncredited in nearly 50 films, including Small Town Girl and Forever, Darling. He came into prominence in the late 1950s and early '60s as a singer and composer of "I've Got a Lovely Bunch of Coconuts" and "Merv Griffin Show" theme song. As a producer, he created Wheel of Fortune and many other successful shows – Play Your Hunch, Say When!!, and Word for Word. Griffin was also well-known for breeding horses, and he established the Merv Griffin Ranch in Northern California, where he bred his Thoroughbred horseracing champions What A Summer, Invisible Inks, and Rich Impact. In 2003, he was inducted in the Broadcasting and Cable Hall of Fame, and in 2005, he was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Emmy. Griffin is survived by his son Tony and his daughter, Washington, D.C. journalist Mervyn Jr.