Born in Chicago in 1928, Griffin played alto as a youngster, switching to the bigger horn on the initial day of his first professional gig, with Lionel Hampton’s Orchestra in 1945. He continued to perform around Chicago on both the Jazz and R&B scenes with people like fellow tenorman Arnette Cobb and trumpeter Joe Thomas before joining the army for two years.

In the mid ‘50s, Griffin began to draw serious attention through a series of excellent Blue Note recordings and his work with Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers. During his stint with the Messengers they recorded an album with Thelonious Monk, and Griffin continued that working relationship, touring and recording with the enigmatic pianist in 1958.

While working with some of the music’s top names, like Dizzy Gillespie, Bud Powell, Count Basie and John Coltrane on recordings and live dates, Griffin began to record for Riverside in the late ‘50s.

Soon Johnny hooked up with another powerful, soulful tenor man in Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis. Together they revived the "tough tenors" concept that had been a staple of Jazz history. Often taking on Monk tunes as launching points, their "battles" produced some of the most joyous and exuberant music of the era.