Robert and Marion Merrill : Human being first, artist second
Robert Merrill, possessor of one the most beautiful male voices in operatic history, not only inspired us but also made us believe that nice guys do indeed finish first. His wife, Marion, seems to keep it all together and is revealed as the driving force behind the artist. “I don’t know how she does it, but she is amazing!” Merrill said to me while we ate our Chinese food at his favorite restaurant in upstate New York. Meanwhile, on-lookers marveled at the fact that at a table nearby was that man who sings for the Yankees and, oh yeah, the Met, too. But the coffee shop around the corner is really where he meets his fans. They can never resist saying hello to the octaginarian. “I want to write a book about all the wonderful people I have met here,”
declares the baritone, “their stories are so interesting.” My first thought was, “Look who’s talking!”
