Bob Merrill

Among popular music’s most prolific and popular songwriters, Bob Merrill was most widely known for any string of strikes which range from novelty smashes want “JUST HOW MUCH Is That Doggie in the Windows?” to much more serious fare including Barbra Streisand’s “People.” Given birth to in Atlantic Town in 1921, Merrill hitchhiked to NY at age 17, where his 1st job discovered him adding titles on film marquees. After some short-lived theatrical careers, he relocated to Hollywood, ultimately obtaining his big break like a radio article writer and composer. Among Merrill’s 1st songs had been “HOW COME It Need to Rainfall on Weekend?,” “Enthusiasts Platinum” and “Fool’s Heaven”; while all three discovered buyers, none had been strikes. Teaming with songwriters Al Hoffman and Clem W, he following co-authored “EASILY Knew You Had been Arriving I’d’ve Baked a Wedding cake”; when vocalist Eileen Barton had taken it to the very best of the graphs, Merrill’s profession was coming. During the past due 1940s and 1950s, Merrill’s music were seemingly all over the place, his string of strikes including “Pittsburgh, Pa,” “My Truly, Truly Good,” “Sparrow in the Tree Best,” “Appreciate Makes the Globe Go ‘Circular” and “Mambo Italiano.” Struggling to browse or compose music, he constructed most of his focus on a cheap gadget xylophone, numbering the tips to be able to transcribe the melodies. Merrill’s ingratiating music was typified by its upbeat, wholesome sensibilities; he had taken fees of clichéd lyrics in stride, openly admitting that he held a notebook filled up with clichés to be able to pencil more universal music. Later time for Broadway, Merrill have scored his biggest strike using the Streisand automobile Funny Female, which furthermore to “People” also released the perennial “Don’t Rainfall on My Parade.” In 1964, he gained the brand new York Dilemma Critics prize for his focus on Carnival and New Female around. After an extended illness, Merrill had taken his own lifestyle on Feb 17, 1998 at age 74.