Buddy Merrill
A guitar wizard whose flashy, melodic solos brought rock and roll energy to the polite bubbles of The Lawrence Welk Show for over two decades.
1936–2021 (age 85)·American musician·Birthday: July 16·The Silent Generation
Biography
Born Leslie Merrill Behunin Jr. in 1936, Buddy Merrill was a self-taught guitar prodigy who turned a childhood fascination with the instrument into a national television career. Discovered by Lawrence Welk in 1955, Merrill became the youngest and most electrifying member of the maestro's orchestra. While the show was known for its champagne music, Merrill's segments were a jolt of caffeine; he wielded his custom Gibson electric with a rockabilly verve and technical flair that captivated a mainstream audience. His style, a clean but aggressive fusion of Chet Atkins' fingerpicking and early rock and roll, made him a hero to aspiring guitarists. Beyond his TV fame, he was a respected session musician and a dedicated teacher, publishing instructional materials and influencing the instrument's place in popular entertainment long after the show's final bubble floated away.
The Silent Generation
1928–1945
Born between the Depression and the end of WWII. Too young to fight, old enough to remember. They became the conformist middle managers of the 1950s — and the civil rights leaders who quietly dismantled Jim Crow.
Buddy was born in 1936, placing them squarely in The Silent Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Buddy Was Born
The biggest hits of 1936
#1 Movie
San Francisco
Best Picture
The Great Ziegfeld
Buddy's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1936Born
Jesse Owens wins four golds at the Berlin Olympics
Gas: $0.19/galPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"The Way You Look Tonight" — Fred AstaireBest Picture: The Great Ziegfeld
1941Started school
Pearl Harbor attack brings the US into WWII
Gas: $0.19/galHome: $3,060Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Chattanooga Choo Choo" — Glenn MillerBest Picture: How Green Was My Valley
1949Became a teenager
NATO founded; Mao proclaims the People's Republic of China
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $7,450Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Riders in the Sky" — Vaughn MonroeBest Picture: All the King's Men
1952Could drive
Queen Elizabeth II ascends the throne
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $8,350Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Blue Tango" — Leroy AndersonBest Picture: The Greatest Show on Earth
1954Could vote
Brown v. Board of Education desegregates US schools
Gas: $0.29/galHome: $8,925Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Little Things Mean a Lot" — Kitty KallenBest Picture: On the Waterfront
1957Turned 21
Sputnik launches the Space Age
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $10,550Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"All Shook Up" — Elvis PresleyBest Picture: The Bridge on the River Kwai
1966Turned 30
Star Trek premieres on television
Gas: $0.32/galHome: $14,200Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"The Ballad of the Green Berets" — SSgt Barry SadlerBest Picture: A Man for All Seasons
1976Turned 40
Apple Computer founded; US bicentennial
Gas: $0.59/galHome: $29,300Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Silly Love Songs" — WingsBest Picture: Rocky
1986Turned 50
Challenger disaster; Chernobyl nuclear meltdown
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $66,600Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"That's What Friends Are For" — Dionne & FriendsBest Picture: Platoon
1996Turned 60
Dolly the sheep cloned
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $99,700Min wage: $4.75/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Macarena" — Los del RioBest Picture: The English Patient
2006Turned 70
Twitter launches; Pluto reclassified as dwarf planet
Gas: $2.59/galHome: $174,700Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Bad Day" — Daniel PowterBest Picture: The Departed
2016Turned 80
Donald Trump elected president; Brexit vote
Gas: $2.14/galHome: $181,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Love Yourself" — Justin BieberBest Picture: Moonlight
2021Died at 85
January 6 Capitol breach; COVID vaccines roll out globally
Gas: $3.01/galHome: $298,900Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"Levitating" — Dua LipaBest Picture: CODA
Key Achievements
- Performed as the featured guitarist on The Lawrence Welk Show for 22 years, from 1955 to 1977.
- Released numerous solo albums showcasing his virtuosic guitar work, such as 'Guitar Magic' and 'Buddy Merrill Plays the Hits.'
- Designed and played a signature double-neck electric guitar, a rare and innovative instrument for its time.
- His instructional book 'Buddy Merrill's Guitar Method' taught a generation of players his distinctive techniques.
Did You Know?
He was entirely self-taught on guitar, never taking a formal lesson.
His first television appearance was on Ted Mack's 'The Original Amateur Hour' as a teenager.
He built his first electric guitar by attaching a pickup from a record player to his acoustic.
Merrill was an accomplished steel guitar player in addition to his standard electric guitar work.
“I just played the guitar the way I felt it.”
