REX GRIFFIN
Rex Griffin (1912–1958) was an Alabama singer, guitarist, and songwriter whose deeply personal compositions helped shape the emerging honky-tonk style. Best remembered as the author of classics such as The Last Letter and Everybody's Trying to Be My Baby, he was also a gifted solo performer. His recordings feature a steady alternating-bass guitar style, tasteful bass runs, and an unhurried vocal delivery that gave equal weight to melody and storytelling. Griffin's songwriting would later influence generations of country artists, from Ernest Tubb to Hank Williams.
AN OLD FADED PHOTOGRAPH
Recorded March 2, 1936 — New Orleans, Louisiana
Matrix: NO-60607-A - Decca 5318
"An Old Faded Photograph" is a sentimental ballad built around one of country music's enduring themes: the memories preserved in a single photograph. Griffin's understated guitar accompaniment, played in standard tuning, provides a steady alternating bass with restrained melodic movement between vocal phrases. The simplicity of the performance allows the emotional weight of both the lyric and melody to remain at the forefront.
ANSWER TO THE LAST LETTER
Recorded September 25, 1939 — New York, New York
Matrix: 66650-B - Decca 5678
"Answer To The Last Letter" was written by Rex Griffin as a sequel to his immensely popular "The Last Letter." Rather than retelling the original tragedy, the song gives voice to those left behind, extending the story with the same emotional restraint that made the first song so successful. Griffin's understated guitar accompaniment, built on a steady alternating bass and smooth chord transitions, perfectly supports the narrative while allowing the lyric to remain the emotional focus.
IF YOU CALL THAT GONE' GOOD BYE
Recorded March 2, 1936 — New Orleans, Louisiana
Matrix: NO-60601-A - Decca 5288
“If You Call That Gone, Goodbye” is a fine example of Rex Griffin’s early songwriting, built around a simple but memorable idea and delivered with his characteristic directness. The sparse guitar accompaniment keeps the focus on the vocal and gives the performance the intimate quality found in many of his earliest recordings.
