Born in a small farmers village up north. Music freak from the day I was born.
Started with accordeon at four and the piano at seven.
I was playing all the time during my school period and got more and more into jazz.

After school my plan was to attend Oscar Petersons jazz school in Toronto in the beginning of the sixties, but instead I went to New York to get a band together. I was digging jazz in the famous jazz club Birdland almost every night and even sat in with Miles Davis band at Village Vanguard.
Got piano lessons from both Joe Zawinul and Lalo Shifrin.
Formed a band in the US with four black female jazz musicians, altosax, trumpet, bass and drums and myself on the piano. We were touring in Sweden for six months, "Merit H. and her Girl Stars".

Merit Hemmingson's Quintet (Trumpeten 1963)

Left the jazz scene and found my real big "Love" the Hammond B3 organ and started the group Meritones, with which I made my first album in 1967.

In the beginning of the seventies Swedish folk music entered my life which resulted in three gold discs ”Huvva”, ”Trollskog” and "Bergtagen". At this time I also recorded a double album together with the great poet Beppe Wolgers. With two fiddlers and a rhythm section I toured all over Sweden with this quite new concept and had great success.

Later on I explored other musical fields also with synthesizers, playing with different artists, writing and co-writing songs.

But after that I was attracted back to the roots and to the organ playing.
A compilation album from the seventies ”Merit – Queen of Swedish Hammond Folk Groove” was released in 2005 and the album ”Touch” in 2006.

With my move to Gotland, I got a new wonderful music life.

My album ”EQ”, released in 2011, produced by Tobias Fröberg, was principally based on my own material and Swedish folk songs. Recorded in Sandkvie studio in Visby, the old Hanseatic town in the island of Gotland, where I also live today.

While I was working on the tribute album to the late pianoplayer Jan Johansson, I got the Jan Johansson award. ”Hommage till Jan”, recorded and produced by Tobias Fröberg, was then released in 2014.

Tours with drummer Ola Hultgren.

Received ”The Honour Prize” of the Year” in the Folk & World Music Gala 2016.

My latest album MERIT with my own songs 2016.

Elected into the Swedish Music Hall of Fame 2017.

My new song and video PEACE for the Planet 2019.

Received the Gannevik award of 500 000 SEK in the Music category 2019.

Radio broadcast "Sommar i P1" 2021

My new album "Huvva! Vad tiden går" was recorded and released in 2021 - exactly 50 years after my album Huvva was released in 1971! Boom!

Awarded the royal medal Litteris et Artibus in June 2022.

Performing and touring with "Huvva-bandet", Anders Norudde, Milton Öhrström and Ola Winkler.

"Huvva! Tredje sviten" (The third suite) was released on vinyl in december -22.

The TV documentary about me, Huvva vad tiden går, (Huvva how time flies), was broadcasted on Swedish television, SVT2 in december.
You can watch it here.

Recieved LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT from Riksförbundet Svensk Jazz 2024.