About Bill Merritt
One of the best bass players ever to come out of Winnipeg, Bill Merritt played with many legendary bands during the city’s golden age of rock ’n’ roll in the 1960s and 70s such as Mood Jga Jga, Fab George and the Zodiacs, Be Bop Beluga, Rocki Rolletti, and Prairie Dog. Merritt was the general manager of the Winnipeg Folk Festival and guided the iconic annual concert event through its early years into the late 1980s. He was also a founder of the Winnipeg International Children’s Festival and has contributed greatly to the evolution of Winnipeg’s world-renowned music scene.
Merritt was diagnosed with cancer 17 years ago and at the time given only five years to live. With the support of his wife Luci, he was able to overcome that obstacle, but has now been diagnosed with another brain tumour that is proving to be a difficult challenge. All proceeds from this concert will go towards paying the cost of living for Bill and Luci as Bill undergoes treatment in this second battle with cancer.
