Mike Merritt (musician)

Michael Monroe Merritt (born July 28, 1955) is an American bassist best known for playing with the Conan O'Brien house bands: The Max Weinberg 7 on Late Night with Conan O'Brien in New York, Max Weinberg and The Tonight Show Band on The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien in Los Angeles, and The Basic Cable Band on Conan also in Los Angeles.

Mike began lessons on upright with Eligio Rossi then studies with percussionist/composer Warren McLendon.

While on the road with Copeland, he backed up Chuck Berry pianist Johnnie Johnson which led to Mike working with him off and on for the next several years.

[1] It was also around this time that Mike started gigging around the New York scene where he regularly played with future members of The Max Weinberg 7.

In 1993, guitarist Jimmy Vivino called Mike about a group being put together by Max Weinberg to audition for the house band on what would become Late Night with Conan O'Brien.