Alan Merrill facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Alan Merrill
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Merrill in 2013
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Allan Preston Sachs |
| Born | February 19, 1951 New York City, U.S. |
| Died | March 29, 2020 (aged 69) New York City, U.S. |
| Genres | Glam rock, pop, rock |
| Occupation(s) | Musician, songwriter, singer |
| Instruments | Vocals, guitar, bass guitar, keyboards, harmonica |
| Years active | 1968–2020 |
| Labels | RCA, RAK, Atlantic, Polydor, Toshiba-EMI, Denon/Columbia |
| Associated acts | Arrows, The Lead, Vodka Collins, Runner, Meat Loaf, Rick Derringer |
Alan Merrill (born Allan Preston Sachs; February 19, 1951 – March 29, 2020) was an American musician. He was a singer, guitarist, and songwriter. In the early 1970s, he became a pop star in Japan.
Alan Merrill wrote and sang the first released version of the famous song "I Love Rock 'n' Roll". His band, the Arrows, recorded it in 1975. The song later became a huge hit for Joan Jett in 1982. Merrill played many instruments, including guitar, bass, harmonica, and keyboards. He passed away in 2020 due to complications from COVID-19.
Contents
Early Life and Music Beginnings
Alan Merrill was born in The Bronx, New York City, on February 19, 1951. His parents, Helen Merrill and Aaron Sachs, were both jazz musicians. From age 9 to 13, he attended a boarding school in Switzerland.
When he returned to the United States, he went to schools in New York and Los Angeles. He also studied at Sophia University in Tokyo, Japan. Merrill started playing music semi-professionally at 14. He performed in Greenwich Village's Cafe Wha? with bands like The Kaleidoscope and The Rayne.
Professional Music Career
Becoming a Star in Japan
In 1969, Merrill tried out for a New York City band called the Left Banke. He got the spot, but the band broke up. Soon after, he moved to Japan, where his mother lived. He joined a band called The Lead, which was signed to RCA Records. The band had some success, but it ended when two members had to leave Japan.
Merrill then signed a solo deal with Watanabe Productions. He started using his mother's last name, Merrill, as his stage name. He recorded an album called Alone in Tokyo in 1971. He also acted in a TV soap opera and had a spot on a morning show for teens. Merrill was also a model for car and clothing ads.
In 1971, he released another album of his own songs called Merrill 1. Later, he formed a glam rock band called Vodka Collins. This band became very popular in Japan. They recorded an album called Tokyo – New York in 1973. Vodka Collins was known for releasing the first popular glam rock songs in Japanese.
Success in the UK with Arrows
In 1974, Alan Merrill moved to London and formed the band Arrows. He was the lead singer and bass player. The band signed with Mickie Most's RAK Records. In March 1974, Arrows had a top 10 hit in the UK with "Touch Too Much".
Arrows had another hit with "My Last Night With You" in 1975. Merrill sang lead on three chart hits with Arrows. These were "Touch Too Much," "Toughen Up," and "My Last Night With You."
Their most important song was "I Love Rock 'n' Roll" (1975). Alan Merrill wrote this song. It was first the B-side of a single, but then it became the main song. The band performed it once on TV. The TV producer was so impressed that she gave Arrows their own weekly TV show in 1976. This show took over from the Bay City Rollers' show.
However, the band's producer, Mickie Most, was upset when Arrows signed a different management deal. He decided not to release any more of their records. So, Arrows had their own TV show but no new music coming out. They even got a second TV series, but still no new songs were released. The band broke up soon after the second series ended.
In 1977, Merrill formed a new rock band called Runner. Their album charted in the United States.
Later Career and Famous Covers
In 1980, Merrill joined Rick Derringer's band as a guitarist and singer. They recorded several albums and a film. Merrill wrote three songs on Derringer's Good Dirty Fun album. One of these, "Shake Me," was used in the movie Where The Boys Are (1984).
In 1982, Joan Jett released her cover of "I Love Rock 'N Roll." It was number one on the U.S. Billboard charts for seven weeks. This song helped make her a huge star. The next year, Lou Rawls recorded Alan Merrill's song "When The Night Comes." This song was even taken into space by astronaut Guion Bluford, becoming the first music played in outer space!
In 1983, Merrill recorded a solo album called Alan Merrill. Friends like Steve Winwood and Mick Taylor helped him with it. From 1986, Merrill toured with Meat Loaf for several years. He also appeared on Meat Loaf's Live at Wembley album.
In 1989, Merrill acted in the TV series Encyclopedia Brown on HBO. He played the character Casey Sparkz and wrote a song for the show called "Who Done It?".
In 1990, his old band Vodka Collins reunited for a tour in Japan. They later recorded several new albums together. Merrill also released many solo albums throughout the 1990s and 2000s.
His song "Touch Too Much" was used in the 2013 film The Look Of Love. Other Arrows songs were used on the BBC1 TV show Homes Under The Hammer. In 2015, Japanese singer Superfly covered "I Love Rock N Roll," with Merrill adding his guitar parts.
In 2016, he released duets with other rock stars. In 2017, he released a solo album called On A Blue Avenue. He also acted in a film called Re-Agitator / Revenge Of The Parody. On December 15, 2017, Eminem released his album Revival. It included a song called "Remind Me" that used parts of "I Love Rock N Roll," giving Merrill a co-writer credit. This album reached number one on the Billboard charts.
Merrill hosted a TV series called Across the Pond and wrote its theme song. In February 2019, he released a Valentine's Day song he wrote called "Your Love Song."
Family Life
In 1977, Alan Merrill married fashion model Cathee Dahmen in London. They had two children, Laura Ann Sachs and Allan Preston Sachs Jr. Cathee also had a daughter, Sarah Beth Whiting, from a previous marriage. In 1980, they moved to Queens, New York. Later, Merrill married Joanne (née Lisanti) and they had a daughter named Allegra.
Death
Alan Merrill passed away in Manhattan on March 29, 2020, at the age of 69. He died from problems caused by COVID-19. He was survived by his second wife, his three children, and his mother Helen Merrill.
See also
In Spanish: Alan Merrill para niños
