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Arthur Griswold was a blues guitar player and vocalist born in 1939 in Toledo, Ohio, USA. He passed away in 2003. Growing up in a family of sharecroppers near Pine Bluff, Arkansas, he was one of 13 children. His musical journey began in childhood when he started creating melodies on a wire nailed to the wall, adjusting the pitch with a glass bottle. At the age of 14, he purchased his first guitar for $14 and played blues throughout his teenage years in Little Rock. In 1957, Griswold intended to move to Detroit but stopped in Toledo to visit relatives. There, he had the opportunity to share the stage with renowned harmonica player Little Walter, which led him to settle in Toledo. He performed blues alongside his sister Gladys and brother Roman, forming a house band at Hines Farm during the late 1950s and early 1960s, a notable blues club that hosted acts like B.B. King, John Lee Hooker, and Freddie King. Throughout the 1960s, Griswold owned several bars in Toledo. In the 1970s, he and Roman formed a duo known as The Griswolds, performing across the area. Both brothers sang, with Roman playing piano, while various musicians rotated in and out of the band over the years.
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