Buddy Merrill
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Leslie Merrill Behunin, Jr. (July 16, 1936 – December 5, 2021), known professionally as Buddy Merrill, was an American guitar player and steel guitar player, best known as a regular on The Lawrence Welk Show.
Early life
Leslie Merrill Behunin, Jr. was the oldest of four children, born to Leslie Merrill Behunin, Sr. and Juanita Marie Ortego Behunin, in Torrey, Utah. Nicknamed "Buddy", at age eight he got his first guitar and soon began performing live with his father's band, The Fremont River Rangers. Three years later, he appeared with his father live on local television station KDYL in Salt Lake City.
When the family moved to Los Angeles, California in the early 1950s, Buddy continued to perfect his musical skills, playing both the acoustic guitar and the steel guitar. Buddy also began to do home recordings of himself playing rhythm guitar to songs.
In 1963, Buddy’s new home was washed away from the historic Baldwin Hill Dam Break in Los Angeles while rehearsing at the Hollywood Palladium. Buddy’s wife Ruth and child Cheryl were evacuated successfully.
The Lawrence Welk Show
Buddy Merrill joined The Lawrence Welk Show in 1955, the same year it first went national on ABC. On the Welk Show, he performed his guitar version of "Blue Suede Shoes," a massive hit for Carl Perkins in 1956. 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 perform together on television. Merrill used a Stratocaster guitar from Fender for many of his TV appearances, and in 1959 was featured in a print advertisement for the instrument.
Life after Welk
In 1974, Buddy left the Welk orchestra to devote more time to writing music and recording for Accent Records.
In 1975, Buddy sent a letter to Fender complaining he wasn’t getting any support from them for his 1971 album . Buddy was returning his free provided for publicity.
Wanting to explore new musical ventures, in 1976 Buddy penned a symphonic work, Living Sea as well as original compositions for tape programmers, TV and various radio jingles.
After passing at the age of 85 on December 5, 2021, Buddy Merrill left behind his proclaimed unwanted illegitimate daughter Cheryl Merrill, a violist and singer, who lived with he and his former wife Ruth Merrill (1960-1978) along with Melody Behunin, his second daughter. Melody died in 2001 of bacterial meningitis.
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)