{{Short description|American vocalist, guitarist and songwriter (1951–2020)}} {{Use mdy dates|date=March 2020}} {{Infobox musical artist | image = Alan Merrill 2013.jpg | caption = Merrill in 2013 | name = Alan Merrill | birth_name = Allan Preston Sachs | birth_date = {{birth date|1951|02|19}} | birth_place = New York City, U.S. | death_date = {{death date and age|2020|03|29|1951|2|19}} | death_place = New York City, U.S. | occupation = Musician, songwriter, singer | years_active = 1968–2020 | instrument = Vocals, guitar, bass guitar, keyboards, harmonica | genre = Glam rock, pop, rock | label = RCA, RAK, Atlantic, Polydor, Toshiba-EMI, Denon/Columbia | past_member_of = Arrows, The Lead, Vodka Collins, Runner | website = [http://www.alanmerrill.com Official website] }}
'''Alan Merrill''' (born '''Allan Preston Sachs'''; February 19, 1951 – March 29, 2020) was an American vocalist, guitarist and songwriter. In the early 1970s, he was one of the few resident foreigners in Japan to achieve pop star status there. He wrote the song "I Love Rock 'n' Roll",<ref>{{cite web|url=https://lifeonaledge.tumblr.com/post/156483534184/fascinating-interview-with-alan-merrill-lead|title=Edgy Edgy Edgy — Fascinating interview with Alan Merrill, lead...|website=Edgy Edgy Edgy|date=January 2017 |access-date=January 8, 2018}}</ref> and was the lead singer on the original recording of it, made by the band the Arrows in 1975.<ref name="Outsight Radio Hours interview">{{cite web|title=Outsight Radio Hours interview, February 12, 2012|url=https://archive.org/details/AlanMerrillOnOutsightRadioHours|website=Archive.org|access-date=March 18, 2012}}</ref> The song became a breakthrough hit for Joan Jett in 1982.
Merrill was primarily a vocalist and songwriter, but also played the guitar, bass guitar, harmonica, and keyboards.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.allmusic.com/artist/alan-merrill-mn0000931512/credits|title=Alan Merrill profile|publisher=AllMusic.com|access-date=September 25, 2016}}</ref> He died during the COVID-19 pandemic due to complications brought on by the virus.
==Early life== Merrill was born in The Bronx, New York City on February 19, 1951,<ref name="nytobit" /> the son of two jazz musicians, singer Helen Merrill<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.jazzwax.com/2009/02/interview-helen-merrill-part-1.html|title=Interview: Helen Merrill (Part 1)|website=JazzWax.com|date=February 2, 2009|access-date=October 18, 2016}}</ref> and saxophone/clarinet player Aaron Sachs.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://forum.saxontheweb.net/showthread.php?214785-Remembering-Aaron-Sachs!|title=Remembering Aaron Sachs!|website=Forum.saxontheweb.net|date=July 4, 2014|access-date=October 18, 2016|archive-date=April 3, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190403120912/https://forum.saxontheweb.net/showthread.php?214785-Remembering-Aaron-Sachs!|url-status=dead}}</ref> He attended Aiglon College<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.aiglon.ch/|title=Aiglon – International boarding school in Switzerland|website=Aiglon}}</ref> in Switzerland from age 9 to 13,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://alanmerrill.tumblr.com/post/44644732896/milano-1960-when-mosquitos-ruled-the-earth|title=Alan Merrill: Milano 1960, When Mosquitos Ruled The Earth|website=Alanmerrill.tumblr.com|date=January 25, 2014|access-date=October 18, 2016}}</ref> schools in New York and Los Angeles and, briefly, Sophia University in Tokyo. He started his semi-professional career in New York City at age 14, when he began playing in Greenwich Village's Cafe Wha? with the bands The Kaleidoscope, The Rayne, and Watertower West, all of which played the club from 1966–1968.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://merrilly-merrilly-we-go.tumblr.com/post/121325419130/in-1967-new-york-city-there-was-a-band-called-the|title=Merrilly Merrilly We Go — In 1967 New York City there was a band called the...|website=Merrilly-merilly-we-go.tumblr.org|date=June 2015 |access-date=September 25, 2016}}</ref>
==Professional career== ===Japan=== In 1969, Merrill auditioned for the New York City band, the Left Banke. According to Merrill, the audition was successful, but the band dissolved. Shortly thereafter, he left to reside in Japan, where his mother was living, and began his professional career there by joining the band The Lead, who were contracted to RCA Victor Records. The group was a foreign Tokyo-based act, and had an urgent requirement for a fill-in musician after one of its American members was deported. The Lead had previously had some chart success, but the project soon fell apart when a second member was also deported.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://nippop.com/artists/The_Lead|title=The Lead|website=Nippop.com|access-date=September 25, 2016|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130826115114/http://nippop.com/artists/The_Lead|archive-date=August 26, 2013}}</ref>
Merrill subsequently signed a solo management deal with Watanabe Productions, who contracted him to Atlantic Records, and changed his professional surname from Sachs to Merrill<ref name=":0"/> (his mother's stage name) apparently because "Merrill" was thought to sound less lascivious and more commercially viable when spoken by young Japanese pop music fans.<ref name="Outsight Radio Hours interview"/> He recorded one album with Atlantic, ''Alone in Tokyo'' (February 1971) which yielded a single, "Namida" (Teardrops).
In other activities, Merrill acted on the TV soap opera ''Jikan Desu Yo'' and occasionally had his own 'corner' on the TBS's ''Young 720'', a morning show for teens. He was a model in ads for Nissan cars, Jun clothing, AnnAnn, Non-no, and GT Jeans.
In January 1972, an LP of his own compositions titled ''Merrill 1'' was released on the Denon/Columbia record label produced by Mickey Curtis. Later that year, the singer Tiny Tim covered a song from the album, "Movies", on Scepter Records. Merrill then formed the band Vodka Collins, which became a prominent glam rock act.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://nippop.com/artists/Vodka_Collins |title=Vodka Collins profile |website=Nippop.com |access-date=September 25, 2016 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120229141510/http://nippop.com/artists/Vodka_Collins/ |archive-date=February 29, 2012 }}</ref> The band included notable Japanese musicians Hiroshi "Monsieur" Kamayatsu and Hiroshi Oguchi. Vodka Collins recorded an LP in 1973, ''Tokyo – New York'', on the Toshiba-EMI Express label The band are best known for recording and releasing the first popular glam rock songs in Japanese, including the double A-sided single "Sands Of Time" and "Automatic Pilot", released June 1973.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/tokyo-new-york-mw0000603259|title=Tokyo-New York – Vodka Collins – Songs, Reviews, Credits|publisher=AllMusic|access-date=September 25, 2016}}</ref>
A dispute with management led to Merrill's abrupt departure from Japan.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2020/apr/05/alan-merrill-obituary | title=Alan Merrill obituary | newspaper=The Guardian | date=April 5, 2020 | last1=Sweeting | first1=Adam }}</ref>
===UK=== In 1974, in London, Merrill formed the band Arrows (as lead singer and bass guitarist), with drummer Paul Varley and guitarist Jake Hooker. Peter Meaden was the Arrows' first manager, but later they signed with Mickie Most's RAK Records. In March 1974, the Arrows were in the top 10 in the UK charts with the song "Touch Too Much". The Arrows became a popular band with teenagers, and once again Merrill had slid back into the teenage market he had fought hard to get out of in Japan.
The Arrows had another hit single with "My Last Night With You" which reached the UK top 30 in 1975, but the band's single releases were few. Recorded at Morgan studio in London 1974 Merrill played bass guitar on drummer Cozy Powell's chart hit single "The Man In Black" and the B-side "After Dark" produced by Mickie Most on RAK records. The recording hit a peak position of No. 18 on the British charts.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://alanmerrill.tumblr.com/post/58633001272/cozy-powell-the-man-in-black-sessions-1974-in|title=Cozy Powell, The Man In Black sessions|date=1974|website=Alanmerrill.tumblr.com|access-date=September 25, 2016}}</ref>
With the Arrows, Merrill sang three chart hit records as the band's lead singer, all produced by Mickie Most, "Touch Too Much" (No. 8 UK charts) "Toughen Up" (No. 51 UK charts) and "My Last Night With You" (No. 25 UK charts).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.musicvf.com/Arrows.art|title=Arrows Songs • Top Songs/Chart Singles Discography • Music VF, US & UK hits charts|website=Musicvf.com|access-date=September 25, 2016}}</ref> They made one more single that would be an important one. "I Love Rock 'n' Roll" (1975) that started out as a B-side to the 45 rpm Arrows single "Broken Down Heart". The song "I Love Rock 'N Roll" was composed by Alan Merrill whilst he was living in Nell Gwynn House in Chelsea. A credit as co-writer went to Arrows bandmate Jake Hooker, to whom Merrill owed some money.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.guitarworld.com/features/alan-merrill-tells-the-story-of-i-love-rock-n-roll-in-his-final-guitar-world-interview/ |title=Alan Merrill tells the story of I Love Rock 'n' Roll in his final Guitar World interview|website = GuitarWorld.com |access-date=March 29, 2020}}</ref>
The recording was later flipped to A-side status, and the band made only one television performance with the song. The show's producer Muriel Young was so impressed with the Arrows that she made a pitch to Granada ITV for them to have their own television series. The Arrows then got their own weekly TV series ''Arrows'' in 1976, taking over from the Bay City Rollers Granada TV series ''Shang-a-Lang''. The Arrows signed with MAM Management. Their producer Mickie Most was so angry at the band for signing the management deal, that he vowed to never release another Arrows record. So it came to pass that Arrows had their own weekly television series and no records released during that time. Their ratings were so good that they got a second weekly series, but they released no new recordings. The Arrows disbanded shortly after the end of the second series.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://alanmerrill.tumblr.com/post/39427829851/the-arrows-enduring-legacy-from-bill-harrys|title=The Arrows Enduring Legacy – From Bill Harry's "Rock N Pop Shop"|website=Alanmerrill.com|access-date=September 25, 2016}}</ref>
In 1977, Merrill formed a new group, the album-oriented rock act Runner, with Steve Gould (Rare Bird), Mick Feat (Van Morrison band), and Dave Dowle (Whitesnake). The ''Runner'' album charted in the ''Billboard'' top 100 in the United States.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://thelosangelesbeat.com/2012/11/follow-the-arrow-an-interview-with-alan-merrill/ |title=Follow the Arrow: an Interview with Alan Merrill |last=Pena |first=Shirley |website=TheLosAngelesBeat.com |date=November 24, 2012 |access-date=March 29, 2020}}</ref>
'''Relationships'''
In 1977 Merrill met and married fashion model Cathee Dahmen in London, and had their wedding reception at Mr Chow's in Knightsbridge.<ref>{{Cite web |last=littlequeenies |date=July 2013 |title=🌸Little Queenies🌸 |url=https://littlequeenies.tumblr.com/post/56684282311/catheedahmen-cathee-dahmen-alan-merrill |access-date=6 January 2023 |website=Tumblr}}</ref> They subsequently had two children, Laura Ann Sachs and Allan Preston Sachs Jr. In 1980 they relocated to Queens, New York together with Cathee's daughter Sarah Beth Whiting from her previous marriage to Leonard Whiting. Their marriage ended in divorce, and in 1987 Merrill went on to marry Joanna (née Lisanti), with whom he had a second daughter, Allegra Sachs.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |date=2020-04-05 |title=Alan Merrill obituary |url=http://www.theguardian.com/music/2020/apr/05/alan-merrill-obituary |access-date=2023-01-06 |website=the Guardian |language=en}}</ref>
===Later=== In 1980, Merrill joined forces with Rick Derringer as a guitarist/vocalist in New York City. They recorded three albums, ''Good Dirty Fun'', ''Live at The Ritz'',<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/live-at-the-ritz-new-york-mw0000806501/credits|title=Live at the Ritz, New York – Rick Derringer – Credits|publisher=AllMusic|access-date=September 25, 2016}}</ref> ''Rick Derringer and Friends'',<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.oldies.com/product-view/22138G.html|title=King Biscuit Flower Hour Presents... Rick Derringer & Friends|website=Oldies.com|access-date=September 25, 2016}}</ref> and a film, ''The Rick Derringer Rock Spectacular''. Merrill wrote three songs on the Derringer ''Good Dirty Fun'' album, "White Heat" (Alan Merrill), "Shake Me" (Alan Merrill/Jake Hooker) and "Lesson Learned" (Alan Merrill/Rick Derringer). "Shake Me" was included in the soundtrack of the film ''Where the Boys Are '84'' (1984).<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1139130/|title=Alan Merrill|website=IMDb.com|access-date=September 25, 2016}}</ref>
In 1982, Joan Jett released a cover of "I Love Rock 'N Roll", which was No. 1 on the U.S. ''Billboard'' charts for seven weeks and helped launch her career.<ref name="nytobit"/><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.lomography.com/magazine/272293-today-in-history-1982-joan-jett-and-the-blackhearts-cover-of-i-love-rock-n-roll-peaks-at-1-on-billboard-hot-100-and-stays-there-for-the-next-six-weeks|title=Lomography - Today in History (1982): Joan Jett and The Blackhearts' Cover of 'I Love Rock 'n' Roll' Peaks at #1 on Billboard Hot 100 (and Stays There for the Next Six Weeks)|website=Billboard.com|access-date=September 25, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160923173915/https://www.lomography.com/magazine/272293-today-in-history-1982-joan-jett-and-the-blackhearts-cover-of-i-love-rock-n-roll-peaks-at-1-on-billboard-hot-100-and-stays-there-for-the-next-six-weeks|archive-date=September 23, 2016|url-status=dead}}</ref> The following year Lou Rawls recorded Alan Merrill's song ''"When The Night Comes"'' as the title track of his 1983 Epic Records album.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://imgur.com/gallery/rMPRxvl|title=Lou Rawls, When The Night Comes, 1983|website=Imgur.com|access-date=September 25, 2016}}</ref> The Rawls' version of the song was taken into space by astronaut Guion Bluford, the first music taken to and played in outer space.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://rateyourmusic.com/release/album/lou_rawls/when_the_night_comes_f1 |title=When the Night Comes by Lou Rawls |website=Rateyourmusic.com |access-date=September 25, 2016 }}{{dead link|date=June 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes}}</ref>
In 1983, Merrill recorded a solo album for Polydor Records, simply titled ''Alan Merrill'', a collection of self-composed tracks. Some friends contributing to this record were Steve Winwood, Mick Taylor and Dallas Taylor. It was released in 1985 and received critical acclaim. In 1986, Merrill joined the Meat Loaf band for the promotional tour of his ''Blind Before I Stop'' album, and stayed for several years, and appears on Meat Loaf's 1987 ''Live at Wembley'' (1987) album for Arista Records.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/live-at-wembley-mw0000082858/credits|title=Live at Wembley – Meat Loaf – Credits|publisher=AllMusic|access-date=September 25, 2016}}</ref> In 1989, Merrill was offered a role on the television series ''Encyclopedia Brown'' on HBO, and was a part of the successful series in his role as principal character Casey Sparkz.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0096576/fullcredits?ref_=tt_cl_sm#cast|title=Encyclopedia Brown|date=January 1, 2000|publisher=IMDb.com}}</ref> Merrill wrote a song for the production, "Who Done It?" which he performed on the series and was featured in the concert scene.
In 1990, a Vodka Collins reunion tour was organized due to popular demand as a result of the successful CD reissue of their vinyl LP ''Tokyo – New York''. The Tokyo-based band toured Japan, then several years later recorded the first in a series of reunion albums, ''Chemical Reaction'' (1996) which was followed by ''Pink Soup'' (1997), ''Boy's Life'' (1998) and ''Boys in The Band'' (2004). The Vodka Collins ''Tokyo – New York'' album has been reissued again as recently as October 2011 on EMI Japan.
While working in Japan with his main project Vodka Collins, Merrill also had a side project in New York, starting with a tribute to Don Covay he began recording with R&B producer Jon Tiven. This led to the "Yes I Ram"<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/yes-i-ram-mw0000048480/credits|title=Yes I Ram – Jon Tiven, Jon Tiven Group – Credits – AllMusic|website=AllMusic|access-date=January 8, 2018}}</ref> and "Blue Guru"<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/blue-guru-mw0000084612/credits|title=Blue Guru – Jon Tiven – Credits – AllMusic|website=AllMusic|access-date=January 8, 2018}}</ref> albums in the mid-1990s featuring Merrill on lead vocals.
Merrill released the solo albums ''Never Pet A Burning Dog'' (1998), ''Cupid Deranged'' (2002), ''A Merrilly Christmas'' (2001), ''Double Shot Rocks'' (2003) - a tribute to songwriters Otis Blackwell and Arthur Alexander, ''Aleecat'' (2004), ''At The Candy Shop'' (2006), and ''Rive Gauche'' (2007) - a tribute to The Left Banke. The reissue ''Alien in Tokyo'', EP single ''Hard Road'', and an in concert album ''The Aleecat, Live In Japan'' were all released in 2008. Albums by Merrill titled ''The Face Of 69'' (2010), ''Numbers'' (2011), ''Snakes and Ladders'' (2012), ''Songer Singwriter'' (2013), ''Arrows, 40th Anniversary Edition'' (2014), ''Demo Graphic'' (2016) ''On A Blue Avenue'' (2017) and ''Radio Zero'' (2019 ) were also released.<ref name="cdbaby.com">{{cite web|url=https://store.cdbaby.com/cd/alanmerrill24|title=♫ On a Blue Avenue - Alan Merrill. Listen @cdbaby|website=Store.cdbaby.com|access-date=January 8, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171201042650/https://store.cdbaby.com/cd/alanmerrill24|archive-date=December 1, 2017|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cdbaby.com/Artist/AlanMerrill|title=Alan Merrill - CD Baby Music Store|website=Cdbaby.com|access-date=September 25, 2016}}</ref>
The Arrows 1974 top 10 UK hit "Touch Too Much", featuring lead vocals by Merrill appears on the soundtrack of the feature film ''The Look Of Love'', a 2013 biopic of Paul Raymond.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1951216/soundtrack|title=The Look of Love|date=July 7, 2013|publisher=IMDb.com}}</ref> "Restless Soul", a song Merrill co-wrote with Shinohara Nobuhiko<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.letssingit.com/alan-merrill-lyrics-restless-soul-r53gdwl|title=Alan Merrill – Restless Soul Lyrics|website=Letssingit.com|date=August 1, 2015|access-date=October 18, 2016}}</ref> that was on air nightly on the Asahi TV travel show ''Sekai No Kaido Wo Yuku'' (''Traveling on the roads of the world'')<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cdjapan.co.jp/product/PCCR-537|title="Sekai no Kaido wo Iku" Original Soundtrack Original Soundtrack CD Album|website=CDJapan.co.jp|date=April 18, 2012|access-date=October 18, 2016}}</ref> in Japan broadcast from 2014 to 2015. The Arrows' songs "We Can Make It Together" and "Moving Next Door To You" (composed by Merrill and Jake Hooker) were used on the BBC1 TV show ''Homes Under The Hammer'' series 18 episode 70 and series 19 episode 53<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f7HmgVWTCaU |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211212/f7HmgVWTCaU| archive-date=2021-12-12 |url-status=live|title=Arrows, We Can Make It Together, Homes Under The Hammer BBC|date=May 8, 2017 |publisher=YouTube|access-date=May 24, 2017}}{{cbignore}}</ref> respectively in England, first aired on February 5, 2015.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aaglXseaud8 |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211212/aaglXseaud8| archive-date=2021-12-12 |url-status=live|title=Arrows, Moving Next Door To You, Homes Under The Hammmer|publisher=YouTube|date=June 5, 2015|access-date=October 18, 2016}}{{cbignore}}</ref> The songs were B-sides of the Arrows RAK records top 30 hit singles "Touch Too Much" and "My Last Night With You" produced by Mickie Most in 1974 and 1975 with lead vocals by Merrill.<ref>{{cite web|author=David Knights|url=http://www.ilkleygazette.co.uk/news/14749522.Arrows_singer_Alan_Merrill_performs_at_Korks_in_Otley/?ref=mr&lp=20|title=Arrows singer Alan Merrill performs at Korks in Otley|website=Ilkleygazette.co.uk|date=September 17, 2016|access-date=May 24, 2017}}</ref> In September 2015, Merrill added his guitar parts to popular Japanese vocalist Superfly's cover of his composition, "I Love Rock N Roll", released three months later on Warner Brothers-Japan records.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://spice.eplus.jp/articles/21591|title=Superfly 新作に「Saikko!!」なR&Rの名曲カバー収録 - SPICE - エンタメ特化型情報メディア スパイス|website=Spice.eplus.jp|access-date=September 25, 2016}}</ref>
In early June 2016, he released a duet with fellow 1970s UK rock star Bob Bradbury of the band Hello titled "Brothers in Rock" and another duet, this one in Japanese with Bruce Bauer, "Hello Japan", out June 20, 2016.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://lifeonaledge.tumblr.com/post/150530390604/sunday-sept-18th-2016-first-preview-exclusive|title=Edgy Edgy Edgy — Sunday Sept 18th 2016, first preview exclusive...|website=Lifeonaledge.tumblr.com|date=September 2016 |access-date=September 25, 2016}}</ref> On November 28, 2017, he released a 15-song solo album, ''On A Blue Avenue''.<ref name="cdbaby.com"/> He also did live concerts internationally, both with backing bands and solo acoustic.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.alanmerrill.com/pages/tourdates/tourdates.php|title=AlanMerrill.Com|first=Allan|last=Sachs|website=Alanmerrill.com|access-date=September 25, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161114112759/http://alanmerrill.com/pages/tourdates/tourdates.php|archive-date=November 14, 2016|url-status=dead}}</ref> A film featuring Alan Merrill as a principal actor was released July 1, 2017, titled ''Re-Agitator / Revenge Of The Parody''.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt7078986/|title=ReAgitator: Revenge of the Parody|date=July 1, 2017|access-date=January 8, 2018|website=IMDb.com}}</ref> On December 15, 2017, Eminem released his album ''Revival'' including the title "Remind Me" crediting Allan Sachs (professionally known as Alan Merrill) as one of the song's co-writers for use of "I Love Rock N Roll" samples. The Eminem album made its debut at #1 in the Billboard album charts.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/pro/eminem-revival-debuts-at-no-1-on-billboard-200-albums-chart-g-eazy/|title=Eminem's 'Revival' Debuts at No. 1 on Billboard 200 Chart, G-Eazy & Jeezy Bow in Top 10|magazine=Billboard |date=December 24, 2017}}</ref>
He hosted the television series ''Across the Pond'' for the MyJam Music Network.<ref>{{Citation|title=Across the Pond|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt8223870/|others=Alan Merrill|access-date=April 2, 2018}}</ref> He also wrote and recorded the show's theme song "Across the Pond" which was released March 2018.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://store.cdbaby.com/cd/alanmerrill25|title=♫ Across the Pond - Alan Merrill. Listen @cdbaby|website=Store.cdbaby.com|access-date=April 8, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180408205913/https://store.cdbaby.com/cd/alanmerrill25|archive-date=April 8, 2018|url-status=dead}}</ref>
In mid-February 2019, Merrill released a Valentine's Day song he wrote titled "Your Love Song."<ref>{{cite web |url=https://store.cdbaby.com/cd/alanmerrill27 |title=Alan Merrill : Your Love Song |website=Store.cdbaby.com |access-date=January 18, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190302090610/https://store.cdbaby.com/cd/alanmerrill27 |archive-date=March 2, 2019 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
==Death== Merrill died of COVID-19 in Manhattan on March 29, 2020, aged 69.<ref name="nytobit">{{cite web|title=Alan Merrill, a Songwriter of 'I Love Rock 'n' Roll,' Dies|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/30/arts/music/alan-merrill-dead-coronavirus.html|work=The New York Times|date=March 30, 2020|last=Sisario|first=Ben|access-date=March 30, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://bestclassicbands.com/alan-merrill-i-love-rock-n-roll-arrows-obituary-3-29-20/|title=Alan Merrill, 'I Love Rock 'N Roll' Writer, Dies at 69|website=Bestclasscibands.com|date=August 2, 2017|access-date=March 29, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|last=Savage|first=Mark|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-52089768|title=I Love Rock 'N' Roll writer dies of coronavirus|date=March 30, 2020|work=BBC News|access-date=March 30, 2020|language=en-GB}}</ref> He was survived by his second wife, his three children and his mother.<ref name=":0" />
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== * {{IMDb name|1139130}} * {{Discogs artist|Alan Merrill}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Merrill, Alan}} Category:1951 births Category:2020 deaths Category:American male singers Category:American rock singers Category:American rock guitarists Category:American rock bass guitarists Category:American male guitarists Category:American rock musicians Category:American people of Croatian descent Category:American people of Jewish descent Category:Songwriters from New York (state) Category:Musicians from the Bronx Category:Neverland Express members Category:American expatriates in Japan Category:American expatriates in England Category:American expatriates in Switzerland Category:Deaths from the COVID-19 pandemic in New York (state) Category:Alumni of Aiglon College Category:Arrows (British band) members