1950s-1960s Detroit TV Kids Host Johnny Ginger Passes
July 17, 2026
WXYZ-TV reported on July 9 that Galen Grindle, the Toledo-born entertainer who became a Detroit television legend under the stage name Johnny Ginger, died on July 5 at a senior living facility in Genoa, Ohio. He was 92.
Grindle was born in 1934 in Toledo, Ohio, and became part of his parents' comedy theater act at the age of 6. His three sons say their father was bitten by the performance bug early.
7 News Detroit's Tony Geftos sat down with Grindle's sons Jerry, Rocky, and Sean Grindle at Tony Packo's in Toledo to look back at their father's life and legacy.
Watch Tony Geftos' video report:
