Buddy Merrill - Former Guitarist For Lawrence Welk ripoff a loser dead beat father, 3 time divorcee adulterer, into porn in the 70's Hollywood California

my name is Justin Dickson. I am the son of melody Merrill. I was taken from my mother and placed in foster care when I was very young. I have met buddy once when my grandma Ruth took me to meet him. I can’t speak to the accusations made against him. What I am looking for is information on my mother. Im 27 and have a good life now but I have searched and searched and this is the first time I have even came close to learning about the woman who gave birth to me. If anybody has any information no matter how seemingly insignificant it may be please tell me.

Just a side note. I’ve searched for over ten years to find out about my mom. In 27 years I’ve only heard my aunts name. Now I see her writing and I can actually feel she is a real person. Many comments were compassionate and understanding and others were brutal and disgusting. To those who doubt, I issue a stern warning, be careful what you say. I happen to know that at least some of those things absolutely happened. I can’t speak to it all but some of it i have heard before. I can’t explain the elation I felt at finally finding a connection to my mother and then I see all these terrible things people are saying about my aunt who I’ve never met and searched and searched for not knowing if she was even alive, and it really hurts. It hurts for her because she has been through a lot and maybe could use a little love rather than the hate and disrespect she has endured her whole life. Can we all (myself included) be a little more compassionate to those around us who we might feel are different? Doesn’t mean we have to agree, we just should be respectful and kind. And to any of my long lost family, I feel the emptiness left by your absences.  don’t care if your a friend of a cousins friend. If you know anything please get ahold of me

 This is a total long shot, but I lived across the street from the Merrills when they lived in PV. I never witnessed anything bad regarding Buddy Merrill...he was nice to me...but, I’m trying to find out what happened to his younger daughter, Melody.

I haven’t seen or heard from her since 1985. She was so nice to my sister and I when we first moved to Palos Verdes Estates. I saw that Cheryl Merrill had written that her sister died but I don’t know if this is true. I hope not. Can anyone let me know?? I’m still in contact with the other kids that grew up on Via Boronada and they would like to know as well. Thanks!

This is a big rotting bunch of sour grapes from a kid who feels she was slighted by her dad.  #1 it doesn't belong on Rip-Off Report - Buddy Merril is not a "business" selling to the public.  #2 it's largely a fabrication of her imagination - hyperbole that cannot be proven or disproven.   This is one case where the "We do not remove reports" policy needs to be modified - since this "report" shouldn't have been here in the first place.  Personal stuff is your business Cheryl - sorry you don't get along with your dad but that's not reason to trash him here. 

I got this from this site.....


Cheryl Merrill has been arrested three times, once for stalking a fellow employee at a store where she worked. She tried to run him him down with her scooter. She was nailed on that account.

She faxed a death threat to to a Rolling Stone employee, she turned it over to the police, and spent two weeks in jail.

Thirdly, she had stolen gas from gas stations. Essentually driving off without paying. She eventually got caught in 1985 by the police, and spent another several weeks in jail.

Cheryl Merrill is a very despondant women. She apparently continues to write false reports on people even to this date.

Her hatred spews fourth from people that she grew up with, to her parents who she hates with a passion. This can be verified by the reports she writes about them. "Buddy Merrill" can be placed in the search engine of "RipOffReports", you can read the report for yourself on what she wrote about her dad. Read the authors name, "Cheryl" from San Francisco.

She has no friends, no family, no children, no money, no assets, and is a very bitter lonely women. Not only is she lonely and bitter, she has almost nothing to her name. She makes a meager wage at the age of 47. She does not even own a car. All she can afford is a scooter to get around.

She continually gets fired from her jobs. She can't even hold a job for more than a year without getting fired. At the age of 47, she can only hold menial jobs because of her job history.

No one likes her where ever she works, because of her poor working habits, and bad temper.

If you come across this person, steer clear of her. She is bad news.

As an investigator, I have done a lot of investigating into Cheryl Merrill. I have come to the conclusion that she is a disgruntled person that blames everyone else except herself for her short comings. Sure, try to ruin your parents' image by trash talking them on the internet. Believe me when I tell you that you need to look long and hard at yourself in the mirror.

Is it a possibility that he cut you off because of all your past endeavors? Buddy is a good man, and I am sure he tried as a father, but the story you tell here just does not fit the Buddy Merrill I know. And yes, Buddy is my cousin, which makes you CHERYL, my cousin too.....LOL

I grew up listening to my Great Uncle Less and my cousin Buddy's music. I have heard many stories that OUR family has shared about Buddy. From his Lawrence Welk days to the time he hung up his guitar to care for Connie after she suffered a stroke. 

Maybe you are frustrated at him for not being the best father, but at least he gave you a place to sleep at night that had a roof over your head, and I'm quite sure he fed you as well. 

Life is too short to hate anyone. I would recommend that you cut all ties or patch things up. No matter what you may say about him or your mother, you are still his daughter and a part of the family....

What do you mean "This is long over due." ? Maybe for you to get in your two cents.

I have known Buddy Merrill for years. The only problem the writer of this complaint has is that she feels he owes her a living. Buddy gave his Fender guitar back to the Fender people (museum). Somehow his daughter felt it should have been hers. This is a case of a child wanting money. As long as I have known Buddy Merrill and have seen him in different settings, he never used bad language or had a bad temper. When we are young we do things that we don't think through. It's a learning step in our lives to becoming an adult. Buddy cared for his wife Connie in such an amazing way. She had a stroke and was in a wheelchair. He totally took care of her. So maybe we all have made choices that we would have done differently. This sounds like his daughter has tried to get something out of him. So, she couldn't. So what can she do now? Say things to try and ruin his reputation. Sorry kiddo, your father has an excellent reputation and a world of admiring players and listeners. Shame on you. Go find something else to do! Brandy Lane

HI Cheryl... I was your neighbor(lived next door) and friends with Melody.... I have to say I agree some of what you have said... I loved your mom but I felt she didnt realize what was going on.... Melody was messed up at an early age and I believe it was due to her father and possible sexual abuse. I am sorry life has been hard. I am sorry it was so hard on Melody. I hope you are in counseling and getting through your pain. I remember sitting outside your house on the curb across the street with Peter and and other kids from the street in PVE and rating your parents fights... with cardboard signs... how sad. I am sad that we knew little of what was going on behind closed doors. Take care Cheryl. I wish I knew what happened to your sister. I dont really other than her passing etc....

Michelle McC

Your father was a very talented man. I was not aware that he played guitar for Lawrence Welk, but I thought he was really funny on the d**k Van d**e show. Especially when he was making fun of co-worker Mel Cooley.

Did you ever get to meet Mary Tyler Moore?

Just a note that I get an e-mail sent to me whenever there is a response to this report file on Buddy Merrill. I read the first one partially, but since that time I have not read any others.

Every time someone posts a rebuttal, I simply add to the list of injustices this sick man and his shallow abusive wife committed that caused damages to my future.

I honestly despise both of these people and view them as strangers who committed criminal injustices against their two children while hiding behind a false public image. They both once threatened to kill me and my sister for nothing as we hid in the bathroom!

Both my sister and I should have been legally removed from this abusive home. My parents were unfit, and the one paying the bills was Lawrence Welk for many years, providing a higher quality of life these two losers were incapable of without such support. And this pair of clowns were incredible losers, abusive, lying, criminal elements as parents who squandered the incredible opportunities they were given, to provide their children with a loving, safe home.

The few times I came back to visit my parents after I left the home in 1978, the memories are of my mother alone after her divorce, playing tarot cards during the day, not even stopping to say hello at my arrival. When I once was allowed to stay there two whole weeks when I was having a hard time as a college student my mother's plan for me was to get f**ked while I was there to flaunt what a w***e she had become while her daughter was suffering from depression as a college student. (Note: Ms. w***e alerted the neighbor I used to clean house for next door that I would be staying in order to watch over the house while she was gone as if I was a criminal element unable to watch over the house I grew up in - I had no criminal record at all of anything!)

These people were just absolute white trash. The planet will be a better place when they are gone. Not really my parents - pure strangers who used, abused me and had nothing to offer of any value but hardship that they so wanted me to endure at every turn.

Hi Cheryl,

I'm so sorry to hear the stories of your painful childhood. Unfortunately, if you haven't been there yourself, through the constant mental anguish of mentally abusive parents, you don't always understand, like these 2 people who have left comments. I have shared stories with others too, of my horrible childhood- only to be told to "get over it". Right. Get over it- this coming from people who truly have no clue and think the little minor "unpleasantries" of their childhoods give them some sort of clue. Like they can compare that to truly emotionally abusive parents. I'm not over it either and will never be, but I am a strong woman who lives a good life and would never treat her child that way- and I know you are capable of and probably doing the same.

Giving birth to a child does not make you a good person! People who have normal or even nice/good parents do not understand that and think only a monster of a person would say something like that about their parents! That is simply not true.

You have my support and sympathy and I commend you for sharing your story- especially about someone famous! That just makes you that much more brave in my eyes.

Do you sound angry? Yes! Maybe even bitter? Yes! And do you absolutely have a right to be? YES YES AND YES! Good for you for sharing your story and if nothing else, I hope it was some sort of catharsis for you. And I hope it makes you stonger. Be better than that! I always remind myself, too.

Best wishes to you and keep striving to be that better and better person that you had no help becoming! I'm very sorry for your poor sister; I know she is being well taken care of now and she feels no more pain.

Sincerely,

Jessica

Cheryl, I think you could use some counciling.

My parents were also well off. And guess what? I mowed the lawn, weeded the plant beds, did all the yard work, even cleaned the pool. I cooked and cleaned the house. I had 2 younger sisters, and 1 younger brother. I did not receive any graduation gifts, although my friends did. My friends got cars for their 16th birthdays, not me.

I also worked to buy my own things, no allowance. I earned my way thru college, my parents did not pay it. They didn't even cosign ANY loans for me.

Instead of being bitter, I am grateful. I am a confident, resourceful woman. I learned that I needed to be able to rely on myself. In high school I attended classes, played flag football, got a drivers license, and even learned to rollerskate... on a broken ankle.

I am happy to say that while I may never raise my children as I was raised, I won't make the mistake of giving my children everything. I appreciate my college diploma more because I earned it totally. I went to classes, I paid for my classes, I earned the grades.

You and I are about the same age. You need to get a grip. If you don't like how you were raised then do something about it. If you feel you were abused, make a difference, volunteer. I suggest working with truly abused kids, or a homeless shelter.

It can make a difference. Maybe you can get rid of some of your anger and move on with your life.

Cheryl, I think you could use some counciling.

My parents were also well off. And guess what? I mowed the lawn, weeded the plant beds, did all the yard work, even cleaned the pool. I cooked and cleaned the house. I had 2 younger sisters, and 1 younger brother. I did not receive any graduation gifts, although my friends did. My friends got cars for their 16th birthdays, not me.

I also worked to buy my own things, no allowance. I earned my way thru college, my parents did not pay it. They didn't even cosign ANY loans for me.

Instead of being bitter, I am grateful. I am a confident, resourceful woman. I learned that I needed to be able to rely on myself. In high school I attended classes, played flag football, got a drivers license, and even learned to rollerskate... on a broken ankle.

I am happy to say that while I may never raise my children as I was raised, I won't make the mistake of giving my children everything. I appreciate my college diploma more because I earned it totally. I went to classes, I paid for my classes, I earned the grades.

You and I are about the same age. You need to get a grip. If you don't like how you were raised then do something about it. If you feel you were abused, make a difference, volunteer. I suggest working with truly abused kids, or a homeless shelter.

It can make a difference. Maybe you can get rid of some of your anger and move on with your life.

And then there was the time I fell on our steep driveway and injured my hand when I was 16 - parents wouldn't even take me to see a doctor. My friend gave me her own hand brace to use. I had to play an instrument with an injured hand. It really hurt.

These were sick people and I'm glad I haven't had anything to do with them for 25 years or so. I did try to do something nice for my father in 1998 when I surprised him with a nice web site about him as a guitarist. Then he told me about my sister being gang raped in a matter of fact way, said he was happy in the same converation. She was going to die from AIDS and he and my mother didn't provide her with any medical support except on the day she died. When I offered for him to purchase it from me after I had it up a year, he didn't want to pay for my time and labor as an example of what a stubborn a*****e this man is. I didn't want much for it - just for my labor time on it.

My father had money after retiring 20 years from the Lawrence Welk Show - they pay them off huge after 20 years. He denied the family access to the money for such things as medical expenses. He cut off the finances to us except basics like food. He had top real estate in Palos Verdes he bought for $90,000 in the 1971 with an ocean view, that they later sold in 1986 for $400,000, making a huge profit. They made me their child labor slave while never providing an allowance and I was among very wealthy children of attorneys, doctors and others in our school who were spoiled and given a lot of support.

This man was a mentally ill passive aggressive. He was jealous of his own daughter, whatever little success I had at that time in music. He was just a sick, deeply flawed man who never, ever should have been allowed to be on the Lawrence Welk Show, let alone 20 years.

I didn't even get as much as flowers for my high school graduation - not even a celebrative dinner. They treated me like criminal trash who burdened their lives - and that is why I find it necessary to report about the extremely flawed, delusional character of these people who hide behind a false image of the Lawrence Welk Show.

1. He was such a horrible father, he never attended any of my musical events. He was absent from my music camp performance of his arrangement of Ben Hur. The conductor announced his name as the arranger, looking for him in the audience and wasn't impressed he missed his daughter's performance of it. This same conductor, who was the father of a future Hollywood Bowl, highly rated violinist in the music industry, told my father I was the most improved of all the players he witnessed that year. Yet, my father didn't get me a viola teacher or try to encouraged my development. The next year, my violinist friend responded to my letter and asked why I wasn't there at the camp -- my father had just used my youth orchestra to promote himself as an arranger - it asn't for my benefit whatsoever.

2. I'll never forget when this idiot walked out of my singing solo performance in my senior year of high school, becuase he arrived late and didn't have a seat. This is the nature of t he selfishnishess of this man - he was no support whatsoever. He was just a a*****e who used and abused me for his image. He used my mother to abuse me because he was largely absent in the household.

He can burn in hell for all I care. I'll never forgive these people, they were just plain beyond the realm of human and wanted their children to suffer in life. As I wrote, my father spoke via phone with me for the first time in years, telling me he was happy, while in the same conversation mentioning my sister had been gang raped 5 times, had AIDS, was a drug addict. How can a man of any human conscience claim to be happy when his daughter has been gang raped several times, has a death disease? My sister had a high I.Q. that the school district of Palos Verdes recognized her as gifted. She wanted to be a marine biologist. They gave her ritilin at a very young age that ruined her future making her a drug addict later in life.

My parents were below animals. Cats and dogs care better for their young. My pet dog kelly had more love, more humanity then my parents, who they subseqently caused to suffer with brutal treatment of continual drowning in her digging holes (mother), hanging her in the air from her choker collar during walks (mother), cutting all her hair off to the bone during the winter (mother), not getting her proper grooming allowing matting to occur in a Puli that needed special care (mother), allowing a blind/deaf dog to live outside to fend for itself for years when it should have been put to sleep.

These are just plain dumb people -- white trash of the highest order. They had everything given to them on a silver platter from the Lawrence Welk organization for mediocre guitar playing. They had a talented daughter who was respected and worked hard in the community (me), and another one with a high I.Q.. They just trashed us and enjoyed our suffering. They get worst parents awards on a grand scale. I'll never forgive this scum and look forward to their departure from the planet out of this life and eventually out of my memory.

Wow, you think I should grow up? I've been independent on my own all of my life. Interesting how this stereotype of me being a spoiled princess continues. That is exactly what my parents wanted people to believe, that I was spoiled living in a wealthy neighborhood while they provided the bare minimum required by law, yet abused me and prevented me from excelling in school academically due to their emotional burden of me in my teens. These were sadistic, cruel parents who hid behind an image from the Lawerence Welk Show, and it simply needs to be exposed as false by someone who suffered under their abuse.

1. My parents were sitting on gold mine real estate in Palos Verdes Estates in the 70's, yet we lived like poor people. I had no allowance yet I did all the household chores which were often extreme that a husband should have performed for his wife. I also cleaned other houses to pay for my clothes, transportation and viola lessons. They would later sell their home and profit hundreds of thousands of dollars while using me as a teen slave who they didn't give an allowance too. They didn't pay for my college education. I once borrowed $50 after leaving and paid it back right away. That was the only help they ever offered, a $50 loan.

2. My parents promised me a graduation gift in the form of their bedroom set, yet never delivered on it. Most of my peers got trips to Europe, money. I got nothing. I didn't even get a ride home on graduation or taken out to dinner.

3. I was given a small amount of time before I was required to move after graduation. I was given no money, the only help was in the form of a co-sign on a used car loan.

4. My father received a huge payoff after retiring from the Lawrence Welk Show in 1975 and never shared it with the family.

My parents were well off, yet were abusing, denying their children the support they needed to make it in life. They were abusive, jealous of the apperance we had it easy as kids compared to them, and enjoying our suffering.

They are just sickos who believe they are high status in society. I have every right to disclose my father's disgrace publically. It is all true. These parents damaged my life with their abusive activities and should be under no delusions about their failure as parents.

Had I been a bad kid, a criminal element, etc., one might think the above was appropriate in treating me in such a way. The fact was, I won three awards in music from a wealthy, highly competitive student body of Palos Verdes Estates. I worked hard in the community, was never reprimanded for any crime, I participated in a lot of music program funding events. I was not your typical teen, I worked hard and was not a trouble maker. I was given virtually no support from my parents in my teen years financially and emotionally. They were a tremendous burden who embarassed me by their loud, somtimes violent fights that echoed each night in the neighborhood.

I was treated by my parents as if I had been a criminal element and a bad kid all because of their insecurities and delusions of their status with the Lawrence Welk Show. My father should have been fired early on from the show for his highly immoral act in having a child out of wedlock, his 3rd marriage.

Fact: I was born out of wedlock and my parents viewed me as a burden and treated me throughout my life as if I was a criminal for coming into their lives as an unwanted guest. They used me for their image in the entertainment business for all it was worth and that was the only reason I really existed in their lives. My mother once told me I came into the world unwanted. These were inhuman beasts, not real parents.

You are 46 yrs old. It's time to grow up.

Nowhere in your missive do you claim he molested you. You searched his room, yet don't claim he ever violated your personal space. I never snooped in my parent's room, and they responded in kind.

You found some naked pictures. Oh boy. Guess what? EVERYONE has some. Even Ben Franklin was known to view "bawdy" sketches.

The rest of your post is equally vapid in content.

This will shock you, but lots of couples get divorced. Apparently, your father WAS there for you. Mine never was. The last time I saw the SOB, he didn't even know how old I was. That was 26 yrs ago. I was 18. We get along great. He stays away, and I don't look for him.

Another shocker for you. Lots of people fool around. Musicians, truck drivers, salesman, CATV installers, mechanics, IT Guys, Doctors, Lawyers, Butchers, Bakers, and even Candlestick makers. Newsflash!!! The people they fool around with have two things in common. One-They are willing participants, and Two-They are usually a member of the opposite sex. Yes Cheryl, women cheat on their spouses too. The percentage of women cheating is as high as the percentage of men.

I think you have real issues, and your father is NOT one of them. It's time to move on.