Buddy Merrill
Encyclopedia
Buddy Merrill is an American guitar
player and musician who was best known as a regular on The Lawrence Welk Show
. His style of guitar playing is known as multi-tracking
.
, Utah
. At age eight, he got his first guitar and soon enough, began performing live with his father's band, The Fremont River Rangers. When he was eleven, he even appeared with his dad live on local television station KDYL in Salt Lake City.
When the family moved out to Los Angeles
, California
in the early 1950s, Buddy continued to perfect his musical skills, playing both the acoustic guitar and the steel guitar
. He also began to do home recordings of himself playing rhythm guitar
to a song, which was how the legendary Les Paul
did in the recording studios, though Paul overdubbed multiple guitar parts. He also continued to perform live throughout high school in dances, social functions and at clubs.
. At nineteen his youth and energy made him very popular with the ladies and his artistry with the guitar made him highly-sought after as a live performer, studio musician and also garnered him respect within the music industry. He briefly left the show from 1959 to 1962 when he was drafted by the Army. On his return to the Music Makers he was joined in the band's rhythm section with fellow guitarist Neil Levang
. For the next twelve years the two would be television's most dynamic guitar duo, attracting a whole legion of fans and admirers.
with his wife Connie, whom he married in 1983.
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
player and musician who was best known as a regular on The Lawrence Welk Show
The Lawrence Welk Show
The Lawrence Welk Show is an American televised musical variety show hosted by big band leader Lawrence Welk. The series aired locally in Los Angeles for four years , then nationally for another 27 years via the ABC network and first-run syndication .In the years since first-run syndication...
. His style of guitar playing is known as multi-tracking
Multitrack recording
Multitrack recording is a method of sound recording that allows for the separate recording of multiple sound sources to create a cohesive whole...
.
Early Beginnings
The oldest of four children whose father was also a musician, he was born in TorreyTorrey, Utah
Torrey is a town located on State Route 24 in Wayne County, Utah, eight miles from Capitol Reef National Park. As of the 2000 census, the town had a total population of 171....
, Utah
Utah
Utah is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state to join the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the...
. At age eight, he got his first guitar and soon enough, began performing live with his father's band, The Fremont River Rangers. When he was eleven, he even appeared with his dad live on local television station KDYL in Salt Lake City.
When the family moved out to Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
in the early 1950s, Buddy continued to perfect his musical skills, playing both the acoustic guitar and the steel guitar
Steel guitar
Steel guitar is a type of guitar or the method of playing the instrument. Developed in Hawaii in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, a steel guitar is usually positioned horizontally; strings are plucked with one hand, while the other hand changes the pitch of one or more strings with the use...
. He also began to do home recordings of himself playing rhythm guitar
Rhythm guitar
Rhythm guitar is a technique and rôle that performs a combination of two functions: to provide all or part of the rhythmic pulse in conjunction with singers or other instruments; and to provide all or part of the harmony, ie. the chords, where a chord is a group of notes played together...
to a song, which was how the legendary Les Paul
Les Paul
Lester William Polsfuss —known as Les Paul—was an American jazz and country guitarist, songwriter and inventor. He was a pioneer in the development of the solid-body electric guitar which made the sound of rock and roll possible. He is credited with many recording innovations...
did in the recording studios, though Paul overdubbed multiple guitar parts. He also continued to perform live throughout high school in dances, social functions and at clubs.
On the Lawrence Welk Show
Merrill joined the Lawrence Welk Show in 1955, the same year it first went national on ABCAmerican Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
. At nineteen his youth and energy made him very popular with the ladies and his artistry with the guitar made him highly-sought after as a live performer, studio musician and also garnered him respect within the music industry. He briefly left the show from 1959 to 1962 when he was drafted by the Army. On his return to the Music Makers he was joined in the band's rhythm section with fellow guitarist Neil Levang
Neil Levang
Neil LeVang is an American born musician who is best known from television's The Lawrence Welk Show, playing guitar, violin and banjo.-Early years:...
. For the next twelve years the two would be television's most dynamic guitar duo, attracting a whole legion of fans and admirers.
Accomplishments after Welk
In 1974, Buddy left the Welk orchestra to devote more time to writing music and recording for Accent Records (US). He had signed with the latter in 1964, creating a lasting partnership with owner Scott Seely on both a personal and professional level. Buddy continued to perform live, either as a solo artist or with a band, until 1988 when he retired from the road. He also continued to perform as a studio musician. He even penned a symphonic work, "Living Sea," as well as original compositions for tape programmers and television commercials. Today he lives in Lake Elsinore, CaliforniaLake Elsinore, California
For the lake see Lake Elsinore.Lake Elsinore or LE is a city in western Riverside County, California. The population was 51,821 at the 2010 census...
with his wife Connie, whom he married in 1983.
Discography
- Classics in Rhythm, Accent ACD 5054, 2001
- Classic Guitars, Accent ACD 6042, 2001
- Guitars Express, ACD 6041, 1998
- The Exciting Guitars of Buddy Merrill, ACD 5038, 1998
- World of Guitars, ACD 6030, 1994 (sampler of Buddy's compositions)
- Beyond the Reef, ACD 5034, 1992
- Classics in Rhythm, ACS 5054, 1980
- Guitar Sounds of Buddy Merrill, ACS 50100, 1977
- Buddy Merrill Today, ACS 5052, 1975
- Upbeat M.O.R., ACS 5048, 1975
- World of Guitars, ACS 5042, 1972
- Country Capers, ACS 5040, 1972
- 25 Great All-Time Hits, ACS 5038, 1971
- Steel Guitar Country,ACS 5036, 1970
- Beyond the Reef,ACS 5034, 1970
- Guitar Sounds of the 70's, ACS 5032, 1970
- The Best of Buddy Merrill, ACS 5034, 1969
- Electrosonic Guitars, ACS 5028, 1969
- Land of a Thousand Guitars, ACS 5026, 1967
- Sounds of Love, ACS 5024, 1967
- The Many Splendored Guitars of Buddy Merrill, ACS 5022, 1967
- Guitars on Fire, Accent SQBO 91997
- The Exciting World of Buddy Merrill, ACS 5020, 1966
- Latin Festival, ACS 5018, 1966
- Holiday from Guitars, Accent AC 5016, 1965
- The Guitar Sounds of Buddy Merrill, ACS 5010, 1965
- Songs of the Islands (with Lawrence Welk), Dot DLP 3251, 1960 (re-issued by Ranwood R 8022 and R 2007)