Ian Griffin

About Ian

Born 1st June 1965 in Neath, South Wales, Ian won a talent contest produced by Swansea City Council at the age of ten.  He made his first live performance on Independent Local Radio in 1977 and followed this in 1978 by appearing twice on BBC 1 Television (Nationwide) Young Entertainers when he was voted heat winner by the studio audience. 

The same year he performed his first concert for an organ society in the capital of the principality of Wales, since when he has become a very popular performer on the UK organ circuit.

Ian has always been associated with electronic organ-keyboard festivals since the first one at Pontin's Barton Hall in 1980 and the subsequent mega events at Pontin's Tower Beach at Prestatyn, North Wales, where around 2,000 enthusiasts enjoyed weeklong holidays in the summer months of August/September.

In the early 1980's Ian played the 'Spring in Spain' Pontinental Holidays, which was organised by one a former keyboard magazine - bringing sunshine and music together.

In 1987 Ian joined with Richard Bower to form the Keyklix duo, and since then they have delighted audiences throughout the country with their unique brand of music. In 1989 they made their first broadcast by BBC Radio 2 from the Morecambe Organ Festival produced by the Association of Organ Enthusiasts featuring Keyklix 'live' on stage.

In 1996 Ian was appointed the musical director on the HTV's show - "Friday Night Live' with his Casual Affair cabaret show band, which provided the music for the Welsh talent contestants.  It was, in a way, an early form of the X-Factor except that a panel of television celebrities were the judges.  Included on the panel of the final show was Hughie Green who had vast experience of talent with his "opportunity Knocks' shows some years earlier.

In the 2000 years Ian has been proud to be associated with all the major organ-keyboard festival events in the UK.  in 2008 he appeared the first ever Rhine keyboard cruise with Richard Bower and Daniel Watt.

When  electronic manufactures stopped making portable electronic organs, Ian changed his set to to keyboards in organ configuration.  His present set-up includes two Ketron Keyboards with a Roland pedal, which, he claims, produces a sound that cannot be equalled with any other single instrument currently in production.   Occasionally he uses a Hammond XB1 keyboard as a  supplementary instrument to produce some breath taking effects.

 In 2010 Ian's X-Factor feature will be included in the Sand Bay Keyboard Cabaret weekend - making it different to all other events.

Ian's Photo Gallery

Ian's Concert Diary