NewsCoronavirus

Actions

Alan Merrill, guitarist who co-wrote 'I Love Rock and Roll,' dies of COVID-19 at 69

Alan Merrill, guitarist who co-wrote 'I Love Rock and Roll,' dies of COVID-19 at 69
Posted

NEW YORK — His daughter says Alan Merrill — who co-wrote the song “I Love Rock and Roll" that became a signature hit for fellow rocker Joan Jett — died Sunday in New York of complications from the coronavirus. He was 69.

Laura Merrill says on her Facebook account that he died in the morning.

Merrill says her father was in good spirits recently. She went to a show of his about two weeks ago and had taken a photograph of him for his new album.

Jett scored a major hit with “I Love Rock and Roll" in 1982. Alan Merrill wrote the song for his band The Arrows and recorded it in 1975.

,

Weather

Daily Forecast

View Hourly Forecast

Day

Conditions

HI / LO

Precip

Sunday

05/24/2026

Clear

-° / 61°

1%

Monday

05/25/2026

Clear

89° / 58°

2%

Tuesday

05/26/2026

Partly Cloudy

76° / 56°

2%

Wednesday

05/27/2026

Partly Cloudy

75° / 56°

14%

Thursday

05/28/2026

Mostly Clear

76° / 56°

2%

Friday

05/29/2026

Clear

83° / 59°

1%

Saturday

05/30/2026

Clear

89° / 60°

1%

Sunday

05/31/2026

Clear

90° / 61°

0%