Entertainer and former TV talk-show and game-show host Merv Griffin passed away on Sunday at the age of 82.
He had apparently been suffering from prostate cancer and was admitted to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles about a month ago due to a relapse. He died overnight Saturday at the hospital.
Best known for creating popular shows "Jeopardy" and "Wheel of Fortune," Griffin began his career in the 1940s as a bandleader and singer.
In 1950, his Cockney-accented rendition of I've Got a Lovely Bunch of Coconuts earned him a Number 1 hit.
He launched a talk show in 1962 and it ran until 1986. He also launched "Jeopardy" in 1964, and over 40 years later it is still on the air and has been exported to networks around the world. "Wheel of Fortune" made its debut in 1975 and was recently extended to 2012.
Griffin was friends with numerous celebrities, including Californian Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, who credits the TV mogul with launching his career.
"Merv was an entertainment and business giant who excelled at whatever he put his mind to, and he will remain a legend in the hearts and minds of Californians forever," Schwarzenegger said.
"We became good friends, and Merv has always been a big part of my success."
