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{{Infobox person
| name = Blain Michael "Moon" Griffon<br>
("The Louisiana Limbaugh")
| image =
| birth_date=May 16, 1961
| birth_place=Plaquemine, Iberville Parish<br>[[Louisiana]]
| occupation=Statewide [[radio]] [[talk show]] host
| residence=[[Monroe, Louisiana|Monroe]], Ouachita Parish (1979-2014)<br>
[[Lafayette]], Louisiana (since June 2014)
|party=[[Republican Party|Republican]]-turned-No Party affiliation (2008)
|alma_mater=Redemptorist High School<br>
University of Louisiana at Monroe
|spouse=(1) Divorced from Connie Rene Moseley, since Connie Pace<br>
(2) Tonia Lou Digirolamo Griffon (married 1995)
Children:
From first marriaqe:<br>
Daniel Blain Griffon<br>
Derek Charles Griffon<br>
From second marriage:<br>
Mattie Griffon<br>
Andrew Walker Griffon (born 2001)<br>
Grandson James Michael Griffon (born January 8, 2014)<br>
Parents:
Charles Thomas and Dorothy Ann Berthelot Griffon
|religion=Reared [[Roman Catholic]]<br>
member of North Monroe [[Southern Baptist|Baptist Church]] while residing in Monroe
|website= http://www.moongriffon.com/
}}
'''Blain Michael Griffon''', known as '''Moon Griffon''' (pronounced gre-FONN, born May 16, 1961),<ref name=ancestry/> is an [[United States|American]] [[conservative]] [[radio]] talk show host broadcast statewide. Now based at KPEL 96.5 in [[Lafayette]] in southwestern [[Louisiana]], he formerly broadcast from KMLB 540 AM in [[Monroe, Louisiana|Monroe]] in Ouachita Parish in the northeastern portion of his state.
Griffon is sometimes likened to the national radio talk show host [[Rush Limbaugh]]<ref name=nolacom>{{cite web|url=http://voices.yahoo.com/bobby-jindals-criticism-gop-romney-signals-2016-11880100.html|title=Tim Morris, "Gov. Bobby Jindal not conservative enough for some in La.", February 23, 2009|publisher=''New Orleans Times-Picayune''|accessdate=December 10, 2012}}</ref> though his program reflects his distinct Louisiana accent and his own style of politics. ''The Moon Griffon Show'' debuted on August 23, 1993,<ref>''The Moon Griffon Show'', August 23, 2012</ref> five years after the beginning of ''The Rush Limbaugh Show''. Griffon left the [[Republican Party]] in 2008 to protest his discontent with non-conservative policies of the [[Bobby Jindal]] gubernatorial administration in the capital city of [[Baton Rouge]]. However, he has since mostly supported other candidates but remained a critic of Jindal and current Governor [[John Bel Edwards]] as well.
==Background==
Griffon was born and reared in Plaquemine]], the seat of government for Iberville Parish south of[Baton Rouge. His paternal grandfather, Charles A. Griffon, Jr., was a [[sheriff]] of Iberville Parish for sixteen years until he was unseated in 1964 by then 31-year-old Jessel ].<ref>''The Moon Griffon Show'', August 17, 2010.</ref> His maternal grandfather, Matherine J. "Matt" Berthelot (1904–1985), originally from Morganza in Pointe Coupee Parish, owned and operated a Shell Oil service station in Plaquemine.<ref name=berthelot>Matherine J. "Matt" Berthelot obituary, ''The Baton Rouge Morning Advocate'', June 7, 1985, p. 12C.ref> Griffon's father, Charles Thomas "Tommy" Griffon (November 1, 1935 – December 14, 2017)) of Plaquemine, served an unexpired term as an Iberville Parish police and was employed for thirty-four years at Dow Chemical Company in Baton Rouge.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://obits.theadvocate.com/obituaries/theadvocate/obituary.aspx?n=charles-t-tommy-griffon&pid=187541102|title=Charles T. "Tommy" Griffon obituary|publisher=''The Baton Rouge Advocate''|date=December 15, 2017|accessdate=February 14, 2018}}</ref>
Griffon's mother, the former Dorothy Ann "Dot" Berthelot (born January 9, 1936), is one of four children of Matt Berthelot and the former Nethla Morales.<ref name=berthelot/> Griffon has two brothers, Steven Thomas Griffon (born 1957) and Kurt Joseph Griffon (born 1962), and two sisters, Karen Faye Griffon Shipp (born 1958), formerly Carolyn Leach, and Suzanne Marie Griffon Lestage (born 1964).<ref name=ancestry>{{cite web|url=http://archiver.rootsweb.ancestry.com/th/read/LAORLEAN/2002-06/1024537432|title=LAORLEAN-L Archives|publisher=rootsweb.ancestry.com|accessdate=December 21, 2012}}</ref> His brother-in-law, attorney Brian Steele Lestage (born December 1961), a Republican,<ref>{{cite web|url=
https://voterportal.sos.la.gov/Home/Home?uid=3151505
|title=Brian S. Lestage, 70634, December 1961|publisher=Louisiana Secretary of State|accessdate=February 14, 2018}}</ref> has been since July 2008 the clerk of court inDeRidder in Beauregard Parish.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.laclerksofcourt.org/Parishs/Beauregardparish.htm|title=Louisiana Clerks of Court|publisher=laclerksofcourt.org|accessdate=May 21, 2013}}</ref><ref>''The Moon Griffon Show'', May 21, 2013.</ref>
Griffon received his nickname "Moon" because as a small boy he particularly enjoyed the [[Andy Williams]] song "[[Moon River]]".<ref>''The Moon Griffon Show'', February 4, 2014.</ref> He graduated in 1979 from [[Roman Catholic]]-affiliated Redemptorist High School in Baton Rouge, which has since closed.<ref>''The Moon Griffon Show'', January 25, 2013.</ref> He was then recruited by coach and later athletic director Benny Hollis (1939–2011) to the University of Louisiana at Monroe to play [[basketball]].<ref>''The Moon Griffon Show'', March 14, 2011.</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/thenewsstar/obituary.aspx?n=benny-hollis&pid=149330852|title=Benny Hollis obituary|publisher=''The Monroe News Star'', March 14, 2011|accessdate=March 14, 2011}}</ref> Griffon subsequently graduated in 1983 from ULM, then known as Northeast Louisiana University. On his radio program on May 13, 2009, Griffon revealed that he had kept a pistol for protection in his ULM dormitory<ref>''The Moon Griffon Show'', May 13, 2009.</ref> In 2013, Griffon said on his program that he owns weapons but has never been compelled to use one for either personal or family protection.<ref>''The Moon Griffon Show'', February 20, 2013.</ref>
Griffon is divorced from the former Connie Rene Moseley (born March 1962).<ref name=ancestry/> She remarried and is now known as Connie M. Pace. Griffon has two sons from his first marriage, Daniel Blain Griffon (born 1987),<ref name=ancestry/> like his father a graduate of the University of Louisiana at Monroe, and Derek Charles Griffon (born 1989), a graduate of Northwestern State University in [[Natchitoches, Louisiana|Natchitoches]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.facebook.com/derek.griffon#!/photo.php?fbid=3639638108836&set=a.3639638028834.2136260.1210770129&type=1&theater|title=Derek Griffon|publisher=facebook.com|accessdate=December 21, 2012}}</ref> In December 2012, Daniel Griffon wed the former Elizabeth Morgan Ernst; both are from Monroe.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thelegalrecorder.com/files/47_12-19-2012.pdf|title=''Ouachita Legal News'', December 19, 2012|publisher=thelegalrecorder.com|accessdate=January 25, 2013}}</ref>
His second wife is the former Tonia Lou Digirolamo (born April 1963), a nurse at a specialty hospital. She is the daughter of Joseph John Digirolamo of Greenwell Springs in East Baton Rouge Parish, and the late Lucille "Mama Lou" Digirolamo. She had worked as a secretary for the Greenwell Springs Baptist Church, and died in 2011 at the age of eighty-five.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/theadvocate/obituary.aspx?n=lucille-digirolamo&pid=153616918|title=Lucille "Mama Lou" Digirolamo|publisher=legacy.com|accessdate=November 20, 2013}}</ref> From the second marriage, Griffon has two children, including a son, Andrew Walker Griffon (born 2001), and daughter, Mattie (born 1996), whom Griffon frequently mentions on his program regarding her special needs. He attributes his move to Lafayette in large part to meet Mattie's special needs.<ref>''The Moon Griffon Show'', June 23, 2014</ref>
He is an avid fisherman and frequently makes light on the radio program of his fishing success. Griffon was a caterer for nine years before he began his radio career.<ref name=autogenerated1 /> Griffon also addresses dinners and private gatherings as an entertainer and a motivational speaker.<ref name=autogenerated1 />
While in Monroe, he was affiliated with the North Monroe Baptist Church.<ref>''The Moon Griffon Show'', November 21, 2013.</ref>
==Talk show host==
Besides his Monroe and Lafayette outlets, Griffon broadcasts from stations in [[Alexandria, Louisiana|Alexandria]], Baton Rouge, [[Lake Charles]], Natchitoches, [[Shreveport]], Thibodaux, andWinnfield as well as Natchez, [[Mississippi]]. He acquired a [[New Orleans]]-area station in nearby Slidell in 2008.<ref name=autogenerated1>http://www.moongriffon.com/aboutmoon.html</ref> ''The Moon Griffon Show'' debuted on August 23, 1993.
Griffon frequently hosted the Hammond [[attorney]] and state government watchdog Charlton Bath "C. B." Forgotston, Jr. (1945-2016), known for his carefully crafted words, fiscal conservative views, and opposition to [[gambling]] and political corruption.<ref name=cbf>{{cite web|url=http://forgotston.com/2008/06/17/jindal-breaks-word-to-voters/|title=C.B. Forgotston biographical sketch|publisher=forgotston.com|accessdate=January 23, 2009|deadurl=yes|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20081007002528/http://forgotston.com/2008/06/17/jindal-breaks-word-to-voters/|archivedate=October 7, 2008|df=}}</ref> Another occasional guest is Elliott Stonecipher, the political analyst, consultant, and pollster from Shreveport.
An occasional substitute host for Griffon has been the Monroe attorney Paul Loy Hurd, Sr. (born March 1954), the author of ''Louisiana's Governmental Cesspool: The Constitutional Solution,'' an expose of government waste and inefficiency.''<ref>{{cite book|url=http://bookstore.authorhouse.com/Products/SKU-000528428/LOUISIANA’S-GOVERNMENTAL-CESSPOOL.aspx|title=Louisiana's Governmental Cesspool: The Constitutional Solution, | isbn = 978-1-46852-209-9|publisher=bookstore.authorhouse.com|accessdate=February 21, 2013}}</ref>
Another substitute host, John William Sutherlin, a native of El Dorado, [[Arkansas]], who holds a [[Ph.D.]] from University of New Orleans, is an associate professor of political science at Griffon's alma mater, ULM, at which he is the co-director of the Social Science Research Laboratory.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ulm.edu/universityrelations/news/nov12/sutherlin.html|title="ULM professor published in Joint Force Quarterly", November 13, 2012|publisher=ulm.edu|accessdate=February 21, 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.noodls.com/viewNoodl/13745335/university-of-louisiana-at-monroe/ulms-sutherlin-presents-at-international-security-conferenc|title="ULM's Sutherlin presents at International Security Conference," March 30, 2012|publisher=noodls.com|accessdate=February 21, 2013}}</ref>
Griffon's former co-host, [[Ruth L. Ulrich]] of Monroe, is a former member of the Louisiana Republican State Central Committee and a former [[Republican National Committee]woman]. The co-host role was exercised daily from 2010 to 2014 by Gregory Francis "Greg" Gulyas (born December 1950), a [[Democratic Party|Democrat]]<ref>{{cite web|url=https://voterportal.sos.la.gov/Home/Home?uid=3896612|title=Gregory Gulyas, 71201, December 1950|publisher=Louisiana Secretary of State|accessdate=February 14, 2018}}</ref> and a native of [[Flint]], [[Michigan]], and the news director of KMLB in Monroe, which carries Griffon's program. Gulyas did not follow Griffon to Lafayette,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mondotimes.com/1/world/us/18/1013/33532|title=KMLB AM 540: Contact Information|publisher=mondotimes.com|accessdate=February 21, 2013}}</ref> and Brandon Comeaux, a political [[Independent]] who covers news and sports for KPEL, became the co-host of the program.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://999ktdy.com/author/bcomeaux/|title=Brandon Comeaux|publisher=999ktdy.com|accessdate=April 29, 2016}}</ref>
A frequent guest is Dallas Long Hixson (born March 1970), an Alexandria automobile dealer and an advocate limited government.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bbb.org/shreveport/business-reviews/auto-dealers-new-cars/hixson-autoplex-of-alexandria-in-alexandria-la-208|title=Hixson Autop0lex of Alexandria|publisher=bbb.org|accessdate=October 30, 2013}}</ref>
==Political commentary==
At times, Griffon has irritated the GOP leadership. In 2006, he invited the Shreveport [[catfish]] restaurateur Chester T. Kelley for a full segment on the program. At the time the conservative Kelley was unsuccessfully opposing the reelection of [[Moderate Republican]] James Otis "Jim" McCrery, III, of Shreveport in Louisiana's 4th congressional district.<ref>"Griffon Schedules Maverick Republican, Chester T. Kelley", ''The Moon Griffon Show'', August 29, 2006.</ref> In 2008, Kelley emerged as an independent candidate for the U.S. House against Republican [[John Fleming]], who barely managed to hold the seat that McCrery vacated after twenty-one years. Fleming, who has since joined the [[Donald Trump]] administration, has been an occasional guest on the Griffon program.
Griffon repeatedly holds Republican former Governor Bobby Jindal, whom he has referred to as "Campaign Bobby", accountable for a lack of reform in state government though a surplus of political rhetoric. Griffon claims that Jindal, who frequently appeared on the radio program prior to his election as governor in 2007, has failed to tackle the state's financial woes, used one-time funds in the state budget, and spent too much time campaigning out-of-state to raise funds for himself and other Republican candidates.<ref name=nolacom/> Because of his opposition to [[U.S. President]] [[Barack H. Obama]], Griffon supported [[Mitt Romney]] in the 2012 presidential election, but he disagreed with many Romney positions. He criticized Jindal, who had campaigned in other states for Romney, for then having made critical remarks about Romney just a few days after the Republican nominee lost the general election to Obama.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://voices.yahoo.com/bobby-jindals-criticism-gop-romney-signals-2016-11880100.html|title=Bobby Jindal's Criticism of GOP, Romney Signals 2016 Aspirations, November 15, 2012|publisher=voices.yahoo.com|accessdate=December 10, 2012}}</ref>
On December 10, 2007, Griffon announced his opposition to Jindal's expected support for incoming state Representative Noble Ellington as the chairman of the House Appropriations Committee. Ellington, who was term-limited in the state Senate and hence ran for the state House, was closely tied to the Democratic former administrations of [[Edwin Edwards]] and [[Kathleen Blanco]] and was a strong supporter of numerous tax increases. Ultimately, Jindal, acting on the advice of then incoming House Speaker James Wilton "Jim" Tucker did not recommend Ellington for the chairmanship.<ref>''The Moon Griffon Show'', December 10, 2007.</ref> Griffon further voiced strong opposition to Republicans for accepting Ellington into the party when the lawmaker defected in December 2010 in what was mistakenly believed to have been a prelude to a run for House Speaker in 2012. Griffon questioned the defection too of state Senator John Alario of Jefferson Parish to the Republican Party in preparation for a 2012 run as State Senate President. Griffon considers Ellington and Alario "big government" advocates, not conservatives.<ref>Various Moon Griffon broadcasts in mid-December 2010.</ref> On October 25, 2011, Jindal endorsed the election of Alario as State Senate President; the selection was confirmed with a single dissenting vote, that of freshman Senator [[Barrow Peacock]] of Shreveport.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.businessreport.com/article/20120123/BUSINESSREPORT0203/301239986|title=John Maginnis, "Standing Up to Jindal", January 23, 2012|publisher=businessreport.com|accessdate=January 31, 2012|deadurl=yes|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20131005003607/http://www.businessreport.com/article/20120123/BUSINESSREPORT0203/301239986|archivedate=October 5, 2013|df=}}</ref> In 2017, Griffon was still critical of Alario, whom he said because of patronage issues controls the votes of nearly all of the state senators with a couple or three exceptions. Griffon predicted that Alario will guide additional tax increases through the legislature in 2017 advocated by Jindal's Democratic successor, John Bel Edwards,<ref>''The Moon Griffon Show'', April 3, 2017.</ref> whom Jindal has strongly opposed on numerous fronts.
In 2008, Griffon endorsed the Republican U.S. senatorial candidate [[John Neely Kennedy]], the state treasurer, in Kennedy's unsuccessful challenge to incumbent Democratic [[U.S. Senator]] [[Mary Landrieu]]. Kennedy has occasionally appeared on Griffon's program. Griffon criticized several state Republican leaders for having endorsed Landrieu over Kennedy.<ref>''The Moon Griffon Show'', October 24, 2008.</ref> Landrieu defeated Kennedy with 52 percent of the vote in the general election. In 2016, Kennedy was elected to the Senate to succeed Republican [[David Vitter]] with Griffon's support.
In November 2008, Griffon left the Republican Party and re-registered as a "No-Party" voter. He cited Jindal's political moves during the first year in office as a reason for leaving the party. "My frustration with Bobby Jindal is that he is not being a conservative. Conservatives are mad as hell and they’re not taking it any more," Griffon said in an interview. Griffon has also criticized the late Republican Governor [[David C. Treen]] because Treen supported Senator Landrieu and Treen sought without success to obtain a pardon or commutation of sentence for Treen's former Democratic rival, former Governor Edwin Edwards. On several days in late November 2008, Griffon humorously suggested that listeners mail change-of-voter registration cards to Treen and urge the former governor to re-join the Democratic Party, from which he defected in 1960.<ref>''The Moon Griffon Show'', November 24, December 2, 2008.</ref>
In October 2010, former State Senator Mike Smith, a Democrat (subsequently an Independent) from Winnfield, using his first name, "Kenneth," called the program to allege that Griffon is controlled by two unnamed wealthy Republicans. Griffon denies the allegation and claims that he alone owns his company and urged Smith to call again for further discussion on the air.<ref>''The Moon Griffon Show'', October 22, 2010.</ref>
Griffon opposed Senator Mary Landrieu throughout her career and composed a parody song, "She's Gone" after Landrieu's defeat in 2014. He often noted that Landrieu could be considered the critical sixtieth vote in 2010 to implement the [[Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act]], Obama legislation which Griffon contends has been a particularly "unaffordable" law from his family perspective. Griffon questioned why Jindal did not endorse until after the 2014 primary election the Republican who unseated Landrieu, U.S. Representative [[Bill Cassidy]] of Baton Rouge. The Cassidy campaign fired Jindal operative Timmy Teepell in 2013, and Jindal, who campaigned nationally for various Republican candidates, had reportedly been lukewarm toward Cassidy. Griffon also criticized a wealthy cadre of Republican businesspeople for having crossed party lines to back Landrieu in 2008, such as former Republican state chairman .<ref>''The Moon Griffon Show'', October 9, 2013.</ref>
Early in 2017, Griffon called for the resignation of Michael David "Mike" Edmonson as the superintendent of the Louisiana State Police<ref>''The Moon Griffon Show'', February 28, 2017.</ref> after disclosure that Edmonson in October 2016 had taken seventeen of his high-ranking personnel, with one guest allowed for each employee, to [[San Diego]], [[California]], to attend a conference and to observe Edmonson's receiving a lifetime achievement award from the International Association of Chiefs of Police. The trip cost state taxpayers $70,000. It included a stay for four troopers traveling by car to the [[Grand Canyon]] and [[Las Vegas]], [[Nevada]]. U.S. Senator John Neely Kennedy agreed that Edmonson should leave his position but said he doubted if the official would be disciplined because of the "good ole' boys club."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.walb.com/story/34600748/zurik-kennedy-calls-for-state-police-heads-resignation|title=Zurik: Kennedy calls for State Police head's resignation|author=Lee Zurik|publisher=[[WALB]]|location=[[Albany, Georgia|Albany]], [[Georgia (U.S. state)|Georgia]]|date=February 24, 2016|accessdate=March 1, 2017}}</ref> Within a few weeks after the controversy surfaced, however, Edmonson took early retirement from the state police.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.theadvocate.com/baton_rouge/news/politics/article_95982132-09aa-11e7-b4f9-1753d06e262f.html|title=Mike Edmonson doesn't know 'what life will be' after retirement from Louisiana State|author=Jim Mustian|publisher=''The Baton Rouge Advocate''|date=March 15, 2017|accessdate=April 3, 2017}}</ref>
In recent broadcasts, Griffon has called for the defeat in 2019 of Governor John Bel Edwards and has long predicted that Edwards will be a one-term governor though no Republican opponent has yet surfaced.
==References==
{{Reflist}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Griffon, Moon}}
[[Category:Louisiana People]]
[[Category:Radio]]
[[Category:Business People]]
[[Category:Journalists]]
[[Category:Independents]]
[[Category:Conservatives]]
[[Category:Basketball]]
[[Category:Baptists]]