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Jerry Miller
Jerry Miller (July 10, 1943 – July 20, 2024) was an American songwriter, guitarist and vocalist. He performed as a solo artist and as a member of the Jerry Miller Band. He was also a founding member of the 1960s San Francisco band Moby Grape, which continues to perform occasionally. Rolling Stone included Miller at number 68 on their list of the 100 greatest guitarists of all time and Moby Grape's album Moby Grape at number 124 on their 2012 list of 500 greatest albums of all time. Miller's longtime (since the early 1960s) guitar was a Gibson L-5 CES Florentine guitar which he called "Beulah".
Miller was born in Tacoma, Washington on July 10, 1943. He attended Lincoln High School in Tacoma through the mid-1960's.
His career began in the late 1950s, playing and recording with popular Northwest dance-rock bands including the Elegants and the Frantics. He contributed guitar work to an early version of the hit record "I Fought the Law" by The Bobby Fuller Four, and toured with Bobby Fuller in his predecessor group to The Bobby Fuller Four.
While both were playing locally in Seattle, prior to becoming internationally famous, Jerry Miller befriended Jimi Hendrix. Along with Larry Coryell, who was developing his reputation as a guitarist while attending the University of Washington in Seattle, they would regularly get together to watch touring bands visiting the Seattle area. One particular club was the Spanish Castle, in Des Moines, Washington, between Seattle and Tacoma. The later Hendrix song, "Spanish Castle Magic", was based on his experiences with fellow guitarists at the Spanish Castle in Des Moines.
Before co-founding Moby Grape, Miller and bandmate Don Stevenson were members of The Frantics, a Pacific Northwest bar band based in Seattle, who had some local fame with records on Dolton, a Seattle record company. The band relocated to San Francisco and, with the addition of Bob Mosley, formed the nucleus of what would become Moby Grape. Moby Grape was formed in San Francisco in 1966. Jerry Miller was the lead guitarist in the three-guitar band. The Grape signed with Columbia and recorded four albums for that label, released between 1967 and 1969. During this period, Miller co-wrote (with Don Stevenson) three of Moby Grape's best known songs, "Hey Grandma" and "8.05", both from the self-titled first Moby Grape album (1967) and "Murder In My Heart for The Judge", from the Wow album (1968). The latter song was covered by both Three Dog Night and Lee Michaels, while Robert Plant covered "8:05" and The Move covered "Hey Grandma". More recently, "Hey Grandma" was included in the soundtrack to the 2005 film, The Interpreter, as well as being covered in 2009 by the Black Crowes, on Warpaint Live.
Moby Grape toured the U.S. and Europe, but fell apart in 1970. Members regrouped for the album 20 Granite Creek on Reprise Records in 1971 and played and recorded intermittently thereafter, in various configurations. Moby Grape continues to perform occasionally.
In the late summer of 1969, subsequent to the release of Truly Fine Citizen, Moby Grape's last album for Columbia, Jerry Miller and Don Stevenson joined with John Barrett (bass) and John "Fuzzy" Oxendine (drums) to form The Rhythm Dukes. Don Stevenson played guitar, rather than drums. It is speculated that he left the band shortly after its formation for that reason, preferring to remain a drummer. The band came together at Jerry Miller's initiative, at a time when the future of Moby Grape was uncertain. The band lived together in Santa Cruz, and was later joined by Bill Champlin on organ and vocals. Champlin, along with Miller, became the group's principal songwriters. The Rhythm Dukes shared the stage with such artists as Albert Collins, Lee Michaels, The Flying Burrito Brothers, Canned Heat, The Grateful Dead and Cat Mother & the All Night Newsboys, generally being second-billed. They recorded one album in 1970, which saw release in 2005 as Flashback, featuring three Jerry Miller songs. The Rhythm Dukes disbanded in 1971, when Moby Grape reformed to record 20 Granite Creek.
Miller went on to share the stage with Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton, B.B. King, and The Doors. His admirers include Jimmy Page, Stephen Stills, David Crosby, Taj Mahal, David Fricke, Eric Clapton, and Robert Plant. Clapton called Jerry the "best guitar player in the world" when he first came to the U.S. Plant cites Miller as a major influence for Led Zeppelin – the band even played Moby Grape songs at its first rehearsal. Led Zeppelin and the Grateful Dead are just two of the bands that have covered Miller songs live and on record.
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Jerry Miller
Jerry Miller (July 10, 1943 – July 20, 2024) was an American songwriter, guitarist and vocalist. He performed as a solo artist and as a member of the Jerry Miller Band. He was also a founding member of the 1960s San Francisco band Moby Grape, which continues to perform occasionally. Rolling Stone included Miller at number 68 on their list of the 100 greatest guitarists of all time and Moby Grape's album Moby Grape at number 124 on their 2012 list of 500 greatest albums of all time. Miller's longtime (since the early 1960s) guitar was a Gibson L-5 CES Florentine guitar which he called "Beulah".
Miller was born in Tacoma, Washington on July 10, 1943. He attended Lincoln High School in Tacoma through the mid-1960's.
His career began in the late 1950s, playing and recording with popular Northwest dance-rock bands including the Elegants and the Frantics. He contributed guitar work to an early version of the hit record "I Fought the Law" by The Bobby Fuller Four, and toured with Bobby Fuller in his predecessor group to The Bobby Fuller Four.
While both were playing locally in Seattle, prior to becoming internationally famous, Jerry Miller befriended Jimi Hendrix. Along with Larry Coryell, who was developing his reputation as a guitarist while attending the University of Washington in Seattle, they would regularly get together to watch touring bands visiting the Seattle area. One particular club was the Spanish Castle, in Des Moines, Washington, between Seattle and Tacoma. The later Hendrix song, "Spanish Castle Magic", was based on his experiences with fellow guitarists at the Spanish Castle in Des Moines.
Before co-founding Moby Grape, Miller and bandmate Don Stevenson were members of The Frantics, a Pacific Northwest bar band based in Seattle, who had some local fame with records on Dolton, a Seattle record company. The band relocated to San Francisco and, with the addition of Bob Mosley, formed the nucleus of what would become Moby Grape. Moby Grape was formed in San Francisco in 1966. Jerry Miller was the lead guitarist in the three-guitar band. The Grape signed with Columbia and recorded four albums for that label, released between 1967 and 1969. During this period, Miller co-wrote (with Don Stevenson) three of Moby Grape's best known songs, "Hey Grandma" and "8.05", both from the self-titled first Moby Grape album (1967) and "Murder In My Heart for The Judge", from the Wow album (1968). The latter song was covered by both Three Dog Night and Lee Michaels, while Robert Plant covered "8:05" and The Move covered "Hey Grandma". More recently, "Hey Grandma" was included in the soundtrack to the 2005 film, The Interpreter, as well as being covered in 2009 by the Black Crowes, on Warpaint Live.
Moby Grape toured the U.S. and Europe, but fell apart in 1970. Members regrouped for the album 20 Granite Creek on Reprise Records in 1971 and played and recorded intermittently thereafter, in various configurations. Moby Grape continues to perform occasionally.
In the late summer of 1969, subsequent to the release of Truly Fine Citizen, Moby Grape's last album for Columbia, Jerry Miller and Don Stevenson joined with John Barrett (bass) and John "Fuzzy" Oxendine (drums) to form The Rhythm Dukes. Don Stevenson played guitar, rather than drums. It is speculated that he left the band shortly after its formation for that reason, preferring to remain a drummer. The band came together at Jerry Miller's initiative, at a time when the future of Moby Grape was uncertain. The band lived together in Santa Cruz, and was later joined by Bill Champlin on organ and vocals. Champlin, along with Miller, became the group's principal songwriters. The Rhythm Dukes shared the stage with such artists as Albert Collins, Lee Michaels, The Flying Burrito Brothers, Canned Heat, The Grateful Dead and Cat Mother & the All Night Newsboys, generally being second-billed. They recorded one album in 1970, which saw release in 2005 as Flashback, featuring three Jerry Miller songs. The Rhythm Dukes disbanded in 1971, when Moby Grape reformed to record 20 Granite Creek.
Miller went on to share the stage with Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton, B.B. King, and The Doors. His admirers include Jimmy Page, Stephen Stills, David Crosby, Taj Mahal, David Fricke, Eric Clapton, and Robert Plant. Clapton called Jerry the "best guitar player in the world" when he first came to the U.S. Plant cites Miller as a major influence for Led Zeppelin – the band even played Moby Grape songs at its first rehearsal. Led Zeppelin and the Grateful Dead are just two of the bands that have covered Miller songs live and on record.