Angel of the Morning
Merrilee Rush (née Gunst; January 26, 1944)[1] is an American singer, best known for her recording of the song “Angel of the Morning“, a top-10 hit which earned her a Grammy nomination for female vocalist of the year in 1968.[2][3]
Early life and career
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Rush was born in Seattle, Washington to Reuben and Edith Gunst.[1] Her father was a homebuilder.[1] She grew up in north Seattle, and studied classical piano from a young age.[4] In 1960, she auditioned and became the singer for the Amazing Aztecs, a Seattle-area rock and roll band led by saxophone player Neil Rush, whom she would later marry. The two went on to form Merrilee and Her Men, doing mostly cover versions of pop hits, and then joined rhythm and blues group Tiny Tony and the Statics, whose regional hit “Hey Mrs. Jones”, on the Bolo label, featured Rush’s keyboard playing and vocals.[5]
