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George Merrill

b. 1957

American songwriter

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About George Merrill

Born 1957. George Merrill is an American songwriter, singer, composer, musician and librettist.

George Merrill (born January 10, 1956) is an American singer and songwriter whose songs have been recorded by Whitney Houston, Bette Midler, Graham Nash, Dolly Parton and Smokey Robinson, among others. He co-wrote "How Will I Know", which was a hit for Whitney Houston in 1986, as well as Houston's 1987 hit "I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)".

From the mid-1980s to the present day, Merrill and writing partner Shannon Rubicam have been the vocal duo Boy Meets Girl, who are best remembered for the 1988 hit "Waiting for a Star to Fall". They wrote the song and had initially offered it to Houston and Belinda Carlisle, but they both rejected it (though Carlisle did do a demo recording) and Boy Meets Girl decided to feature it on the next Boy Meets Girl album titled Real Life. Merrill and Rubicam also sang backing vocals for Deniece Williams' hit "Let's Hear It for the Boy".

Merrill has been married twice. His first marriage was with Rubicam from the mid-1980s until they divorced in 2000. Despite the divorce they have continued working together for various music projects. Merrill married his current wife, artist Rozalynd Roos Merrill, in 2004. He has a daughter, Hilary Rubicam Merrill (with Shannon Rubicam), and stepson Maxfield Roos Chandler. Hilary can be seen as the blond girl in her parents' video of "Waiting for a Star to Fall" also singing backing vocals on the Boy Meets Girl albums The Wonderground , Five , and the 2024 single, "We The People".

Discography Albums and EPs

Singles Songwriting credits

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Important facts

Birth century
Nationality
Also known as
George Robert Merrill

People in George Merrill's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped George Merrill's

Frequently asked questions

Who is George Merrill?

American songwriter

When was George Merrill born?

George Merrill was born on 28 August 1957 in Seattle.

What is George Merrill's occupation?

George Merrill is a songwriter, singer, composer, musician and librettist.

What nationality is George Merrill?

George Merrill is American.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: George Merrill

· Wikidata: Q5542418

· DBpedia: George Merrill (songwriter)

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). George Merrill. https://biography.guide/george-merrill-songwriter/

MLA: "George Merrill." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/george-merrill-songwriter/.

Chicago: "George Merrill." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/george-merrill-songwriter/.

Data last updated: 2026-09-20 · Spot an error? Report a correction.

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