Alan Merrill composer of the hit “I Love Rock 'N' Roll” and lead singer of The Arrows , passed away last weekend at the age of 69 due to complications from COVID-19. The news was published by Laura Merrill , Alan's daughter, in a Facebook post.
Laura shared in the post that she received the news of her father's death minutes after arriving home from visiting him. “If anything can be gained from this, I implore you to take this seriously. Money doesn't matter. People are dying. You don't think this will happen to you or your strong family. It does. Stay home if not for yourself… for others. For my father. This is real,” Merrill wrote.
Joan Jett , the artist who brought Alan's composition to the books, spoke about the musician's death, "I still remember watching The Arrows on TV in London and being blown away by the music that screamed hit to me. With deep gratitude and sadness, I wish him a safe journey to the other side." You can read Joan Jett's full post here.
Merrill was still active with his current group, Alan Merrill Extravaganza , and released his last album in 2019, titled Radio Zero .
Rest in peace, Alan Merrill.
Check out The Arrows' performance of "I Love Rock 'N' Roll" below:
