Kevin Griffin

Kevin Michael Griffin (born October 1, 1968)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>Template:Better source is an American singer, songwriter, and record producer. He is best known as the lead vocalist of the rock band Better Than Ezra, with whom he has released nine studio albums. He has also issued one solo record.

His songs have been performed and recorded by artists such as Taylor Swift, Train, James Blunt, Christina Perri, Howie Day, Barenaked Ladies, Blondie, and Missy Higgins, among others. He is a co-founder and partner of the Pilgrimage Music & Cultural Festival in Franklin, Tennessee.

Early life and education

Griffin was born in Atlanta, Georgia, and grew up in Monroe, Louisiana. He attended River Oaks School, where he met future bandmate Jim Payne.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=":6">Template:Cite web</ref> He received a bachelor's degree in English and a minor in political science<ref name=":9" /> from Louisiana State University in 1990.<ref name="aq" /> He was a member of the Kappa Sigma fraternity. He took the LSAT with the intention of attending law school and working in entertainment law.<ref name="aq" /> He then took a job with Creative Artists Agency in Los Angeles in the early 1990s.<ref name=aq>Template:Cite news</ref>

Music career

Better Than Ezra

Griffin formed the alternative rock band Better Than Ezra in 1988.<ref name=":9" /> It reached the top of the Modern Rock Tracks chart with the 1995 single "Good",<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> which stayed atop that chart for seven weeks.Template:Citation needed "Good" also reached No. 3 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks chartTemplate:Citation needed and No. 30 on the Billboard Hot 100.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>

The band enjoyed further success with hits such as "In the Blood", "Rosealia", "King of New Orleans", "Desperately Wanting", "One More Murder", and "At the Stars".<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In 2010, the Better Than Ezra song "Breathless" was covered by Taylor Swift at the Hope for Haiti Now telethon,<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1" /> the most widely distributed telethon in history.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Solo career and Ezra Ray Hart

Griffin's first solo album, Anywhere You Go,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> was released on October 4, 2019.<ref name=":5" /> Griffin also performs as part of the supergroup Ezra Ray Hart, with Mark McGrath of Sugar Ray and Emerson Hart of Tonic.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

As a performer, Griffin is known for singing in falsetto, inviting audience members onstage to play guitar, and interrupting his own songs with verses of well-known rock songs. He is also a mimic, imitating singers such as Aaron Neville, Bruce Springsteen, and Dave Matthews.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Griffin has won numerous BMI pop and country awards.<ref name=":5" />

Songwriting

Griffin has produced, written, and co-written platinum albums and songs that have sold more than thirty million copies in total.<ref name=":6" /><ref name=":5" /> His number-one hits include Howie Day's "Collide" (2004)<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":6" /> and Sugarland's "Stuck Like Glue" (2010).<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=":0" /><ref name=":3">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=":6" />

Songs written by Griffin have been performed and recorded by artists such as Taylor Swift,<ref name=":0">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=":1">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=":2">Template:Cite web</ref> Train,<ref name=":1" /> James Blunt,<ref name=":1" /> Moon Taxi,<ref name=":5">Template:Cite web</ref> Christina Perri,<ref name=":4" /> Trombone Shorty,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Barenaked Ladies,<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":4">Template:Cite web</ref> Tom Morello, Boys Like Girls, Blondie,<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":5" /> Chase Rice,<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref><ref name=":7">Template:Cite web</ref> the Struts,<ref name=":5" /><ref name=":2" /> and Missy Higgins,<ref name=":5" /> among others.

Other endeavors

Griffin is a co-founder and partner of the Pilgrimage Music & Cultural Festival in Franklin, Tennessee.<ref name=":8">Template:Cite magazine</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=":9">Template:Cite web</ref> Rolling StoneTemplate:'s 2015 review of the festival's inaugural year was positive, saying it had "an A-list lineup (arguably the best curated of the year)"<ref name=":8" /> and "established itself as a festival to watch".<ref name=":8" /> Performers have included Justin Timberlake,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=":9"/> Foo Fighters,<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> Willie Nelson,<ref name=":11" /> Chris Stapleton,<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> the Killers,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Dave Matthews Band,<ref name=":10">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=":11">Template:Cite web</ref> Maren Morris,<ref name=":10" /><ref name=":11" /> the Black Keys,<ref name=":11" /><ref name=":7" /> Cage the Elephant,<ref name=":10" /> and Black Pumas.<ref name=":10" />

In 2018, Griffin was an adjunct professor at NYU's Clive Davis Institute of Recorded Music.<ref name=":9"/>

Griffin is active with MusiCares and St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.<ref name=":14">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=":15">Template:Cite web</ref> In 2020, through a series of livestreamed acoustic performances, he was able to raise more than $220K for various charities helping those adversely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.<ref name=":14" /><ref name=":15" />

Personal life

Griffin and his family largely resided in the Uptown neighborhood of New Orleans until Hurricane Katrina devastated the city in 2005.<ref name=":12">Template:Cite web</ref> He purchased a home in the Silver Lake neighborhood of Los Angeles in July 2006,<ref name=":12" /> and in 2011, he sold it and moved to Franklin, Tennessee, with his family.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Griffin's first marriage ended in divorce, and "substance abuse was a factor".<ref name="auto">Template:Cite web</ref> He has three children.<ref name="wifeno2" />

He married Erica Krusen, a senior executive with Gibson Guitar Brands, in 2022.<ref name="wifeno2">Template:Cite web</ref>

In a June 2025 interview, Griffin stated that he had been sober for ten years.<ref name="auto"/>

Selected songwriting credits

Year	Artist	Song	Album	Credit
2003	Blondie	"Good Boys"	The Curse of Blondie	Co-writer
	Howie Day	"Collide"	Stop All the World Now	Co-writer
		"Perfect Time of Day"		Co-writer
		"Sunday Morning Song"		Co-writer
	Meat Loaf	"Testify"	Couldn't Have Said It Better	Writer
2004	Missy Higgins	"Don't Ever"	The Sound of White	Co-writer
		"Scar"		Co-writer
		"Unbroken"		Co-writer
2005	Josh Kelley	"Lover Come Up"	Almost Honest	Co-writer
2007	Jon McLaughlin	"Human"	Indiana	Co-writer
2008	David Cook	"Avalanche"	David Cook	Co-writer
	Lenka	"Knock Knock"	Lenka	Co-writer
	Tristan Prettyman	"Madly"	Hello...x	Co-writer
2009	Howie Day	"Be There"	Sound the Alarm	Co-writer
		"Longest Night"		Co-writer
		"Sound the Alarm"		Co-writer
		"Undressed"		Co-writer
	Train	"I Got You"	Save Me, San Francisco	Co-writer
2010	Taylor Swift	"Breathless"	Hope for Haiti Now	Writer
	James Blunt	"I'll Be Your Man"	Some Kind of Trouble	Co-writer
	Sugarland	"Stuck Like Glue"	The Incredible Machine	Co-writer
		"Tonight"		Co-writer
2011	Augustana	"Counting Stars"	Augustana	Co-writer
	David Cook	"Fade into Me"	This Loud Morning	Co-writer
	Il Volo	"This Time"	Il Volo (international version)	Co-writer
2012	Boys Like Girls	"Crazy World"	Crazy World	Co-writer
	Missy Higgins	"Hello Hello"	The Ol' Razzle Dazzle	Co-writer
2013	Barenaked Ladies	"Did I Say That Out Loud?"	Grinning Streak	Co-writer
		"Gonna Walk"		Co-writer
		"Odds Are"		Co-writer
	James Blunt	"Kiss This Love Goodbye"	Moon Landing (deluxe edition)	Co-writer
		"Telephone"		Co-writer
2014	Christina Perri	"Lonely Child"	Head or Heart	Co-writer
		"One Night"		Co-writer
	Megan and Liz	"Night of Our Lives"	Simple Life	Co-writer
2015	Barenaked Ladies	"Get Back Up"	Silverball	Co-writer
		"Duct Tape Heart"		Co-writer
	David Cook	"Home Movies (Over Your Shoulder)"	Digital Vein	Co-writer
	Andrew McMahon	"Canyon Moon"	Andrew McMahon in the Wilderness	Co-writer
2016	Violent Femmes	"Issues"	We Can Do Anything	Co-writer
2017	Barenaked Ladies	"Canada Dry"	Fake Nudes	Co-writer
		"Bringing It Home"		Co-writer
		"Lookin' Up"		Co-writer
		"You + Me vs. the World"		Co-writer
	Trombone Shorty	"Where It At?"	Parking Lot Symphony	Co-writer
2018	The Struts	"Freak Like You"	Young & Dangerous	Co-writer
	Mike Love	"Must Be Christmas"	Reason for the Season	Co-writer
	Moon Taxi	"Good as Gold"	Let the Record Play	Co-writer
2021	Barenaked Ladies	"Flip"	Detour de Force	Co-writer
		"Good Life"		Co-writer
		"New Disaster"		Co-writer
		"Roll Out"		Co-writer
	Tom Morello	"Raising Hell"	The Atlas Underground Flood	Co-writer
	Chase Rice	"American Nights"	The Album	Co-writer