Bob Merrill, born Henry Robert Merrill Levan on May 17, 1921, in Atlantic City, New Jersey, was one of the most prolific American songwriters of the 1950s. Remarkably, he composed without reading music or playing a conventional instrument, instead tapping out melodies on a toy xylophone and using a personal numbering system for notation. His pop hits include If I Knew You Were Comin' I'd've Baked a Cake, That Doggie in the Window, and Mambo Italiano, recorded by Eileen Barton, Patti Page, and Rosemary Clooney respectively. Merrill also achieved major success on Broadway, writing the lyrics for Funny Girl in 1964 with composer Jule Styne, producing standards such as People and Don't Rain on My Parade for Barbra Streisand. His score for Carnival! in 1961 yielded Love Makes the World Go 'Round. On AllSolos, Walking in the Sunshine is featured among his compositions. Merrill died on February 17, 1998, in Los Angeles.
