R.I.P. Bo Griffin “The Party Animal”

I was immediately shocked and saddened.  How could she be gone?  She wasn’t that old.  What happened?  Well, you can read that story at one of the links below.

• Bo Griffin, former South Florida radio host, dead at 51
• Bo Griffin dies at 51
• SC’s Bo Griffin, Boutique Owner, Radio Personality Dead

However, I’d like to share my personal experiences of Bo “The Party Animal” Griffin, and I hope you will do the same by leaving a comment below.

I remember the first time I heard Bo Griffin on the radio.  I had recently started listening to freestyle music on Power 96 in Miami, and she was introduced for the 6pm time slot.  I hadn’t heard of Bo Griffin before, but I was intrigued.

Her voice was nothing like I had ever heard, but what was more infectious was her seemingly endless supply of energy.  She seemed (and was) so kind to everybody she talked to on the radio.  I even called a few times and spoke to her.  She made me feel special. 

I also met Bo Griffin a couple times, and her personality off the radio was just as warm and inviting as it was on the radio. 

When I first heard she was moving to the morning drive, I had mixed feelings.  However, they subsided very quickly.  She and Mindy Frumkes put on a wonderful show.  Bo was always awesome.

I knew Bo had been on television, but I never watched those shows.  Every once in a while, I searched for her online to see what she was doing.  From her boutique to the game show, Bo always seemed to attract love and support.

Bo Griffin is gone too soon.  She was a significant part of my freestyle experience, and it is sad to see her leave this earth so early. 

R.I.P. Bo Griffin

DJ Rick Dare

Who is April?

April Kelly is a Freestyle singer, popular in the early 1990s.

What was her biggest hit?

The dance hit “Someone To Hold” in the Freestyle era, the nineties. It was also the first track on her album Magical.

Who produced April’s music?

Joey Gold was her producer at Metropolitan Recording.

Who is Laura Enea?

Laura Enea is a Freestyle artist who released a self-titled album on Next Plateau Records in 1992.

What were some of her biggest hits?

“This is the Last Time” and “Better the Devil You Know.”

Who produced most of Laura Enea’s music?

All of her songs were produced, mixed, arranged, and engineered by Mauro de Santis, Jerry Melillo, and Matthew Facchini.

Who is Yvonne?

Yvonne DeLeon, a freestyle singer from Brooklyn, New York.

She started off in 1988 with “What About Me,” then made the charts big time with “There’s a Party Going On” in 1989. In 1990, she put out “I Can’t Face the Fact,” and in 1992, “Don’t Take My Love and Run.” All of these were on Cutting Records, but her last single, 1992’s “Miss You,” was on Demand Records.

Who were Voyce?

Voyce was a trio of cousins of Puerto Rican descent. They lived in Brooklyn, New York. Lead singer was Carlos Colon, with Danny Madera and Miguel Cordero.

What song was their biggest hit?

“Within My Heart,” released in 1991 by Atco Records, a subsidiary of Warner Brothers.

Didn’t a lot of people compare Voyce to TKA?

Yes, indeed, for a couple of reasons. One of their producers was Angel Lebron, a member of TKA. Unfortunately, Voyce did not have as much success.

Why not?

Well, 1991 was the end of Freestyle’s height of popularity.

Who is Tony Marino?

Tony Marino is a musician, singer, producer, and songwriter.

How did Tony Marino enter the music industry?

In Cuba, young Tony would sing with his friends, but in 1987, his professional music career began.

What songs did he release?

He started by unleashing the massive hit “Love You Feel,” produced by Tolga Katas. Tony found such success collaborating with Tolga that the partnership continued with the early-’90s singles “One Love” and “Scars on my Heart.”

Where was Tony Marino’s music enjoyed?

All over the world! Miami was his biggest venue, but DJs spinned his records as far and wide as Boston, Italy, and Brazil.

What has Tony Marino been doing recently?

He recorded some new songs, “Paradise,” “Waiting for You,” and “Freedom.” These were collaborations with Saul Alvarez (A.K.A Wisdom), Secret Society’s Frank Lords, and Giuseppe D.

Who was Secret Society?

They were one of the most popular Miami bands during the Freestyle era. They came out of the group Perfect Strangers: Rudy Gil, born in Cuba, formed the group with Frank Lords. They also had some members of Erotic Exotic.

Aside From Rudy and Frank, who was in the band?

Originally, there was also Manny Taylor on bass, Bobby Martinez on saxophone, Paco Echevarria on piano, Tani Gil assisted on percussion, and vocals were supported by Olgui and Angie Chirino. In 1988 Rudy, Frank, and Bobby were joined only by Dave Cordoves on keyboards. The final line-up in 1990 was Rudy, Frank, Bobby, Doug Emery on keyboards, David Johnson on drums, and Tany Gil on the congas.

What were Secret Society’s hits?

“Find Yourself” was released in 1987, and “We Belong Together” in 1988.

Did they perform live?

Yes, all over Miami and South Florida. While so many freestyle groups were synthesizer-based, Secret Society was truly a live band. Crowds lined up in anticipation of watching Frank Lords go wild in his percussion solos.

What happened later?

Frank Lords formed another group, LatinXpress, which had success with the song “Discarga.” His biggest hit was in 2002 when he collaborated with Oscar G and Ralph Falcon of Murk, to form Darkbeat.

What songs did Sasha release?

“So Good For You,” “Open Up My Heart,” and “Falling For Your Love.”

Which one was first?

“So Good For You” was released first, in 1987. Sasha’s brother Rick played the instruments on the track. Sadly, Sasha has passed away.

So, who was Reinald-O?

If you listen to Reinald-O’s songs, you may notice that the vocals sound different from song to song. That’s because record label used 3 men to sing on the albums. One used the name Reinald-O, another of them was Rei Summers, and the third was Sammy Zone.

What songs did Reinald-O release?

“My Sweet Love” and “Another Night” were his/their biggest hits.