"Angel Of The Morning" was written by songwriter Chip Taylor, who is actor Jon Voight's brother and who also wrote "Wild Thing". (It boggles my mind a bit that the same man wrote both of those songs.) It was originally recorded by Evie Sands in 1967 before Merrilee Rush recorded it in 1968. Juice Newton also reached the top 10 with her version in 1981. The song is a bit too melodramatic for my taste, but I prefer Ms. Rush's version best of the three.
Merrilee Rush (born 1944) formed Merrilee Rush and the Turnabouts with her then-husband, Neil Rush, in 1965. Her version of "Angel Of The Morning" reached #7 on the Billboard Hot 100 and eventually sold over a million copies. The musicians on this song were the session musicians who played on Elvis's recordings in Memphis.
Ms. Rush later went on to a solo career, without significant success. In later life, she has toured in oldies shows and has become a champion breeder of Old English Sheepdogs.
Created January 15, 2026.