Steve Miller

Diagnoses

Vocation

Lifestyle

Notable

American musician, guitarist, singer and leader of the Steve Miller Band. His family moved to TX while he was young where he formed a band, playing school events, small clubs and dances. From 1961-63 he attended the University of Wisconsin, forming and playing in a band with Boz Skaggs, dropping out in '63 to take literature at Copenhagen University. Returning to the U.S. in 1964 he moved to Chicago, formed a band to do local performances and released a single, "The Mother Song." In 1966, Miller moved to San Francisco and there, with other musicians formed the Steve Miller Band, playing locally and signing with Capitol Records in 1967. From 1968 to 1992, the band toured extensively the U.S., Great Britain and Europe, accomplishing four platinum records, many band member changes, sold-out performances and a few concerts for charitable organizations. In January 1972, Miller was involved in a car accident and for many months performed in pain, until in March a final diagnosis of a broken neck was made. The injury coupled with hepatitis sidelined him for half of the year. In 1974, he purchased a 312-acre farm outside of Medford, OR., installing a 24-track studio. Embittered with business problems and a falling out with his girlfriend, Miller broke up the band and took a sabbatical on the ranch for 14 months. His come-back performances have been deemed as weak by the critics, but billboard numbers and sales are still strong as of 1992. Miller was bestowed a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame 7/14/1987. Singer and songwriter who emerged as a blues-rocker during the late 1960s. Miller’s group, the "Steve Miller Band," was one of the top-selling pop-rock acts during the late 1970s and early 1980s with hits like "Fly Like an Eagle" and "Rock’n Me." Miller’s mother was a singer, and his father, Dr. George "Sonny" Miller was a pathologist. Involved in the music world as an amateur recording engineer, his father knew many musicians, and the Miller house was often a gathering place for stars like Charles Mingus and Les Paul. At the age of four, Steve received his first guitar, and Les Paul taught him his first chords. At the age of 12, he formed a blues band, "The Marksmen Combo," which played locally until he went off to college at age 16. While attending the University of Wisconsin, he formed a new band called "The Ardells," and his friend, Boz Skaggs, joined the group. During his senior year, Miller went to Denmark for one semester, but upon his return to the United States, he left college, six hours short of obtaining his degree in literature, and moved to Chicago. Once the blues scene in the Chicago area cooled, Miller decided to go to the University of Texas and take some music courses; unfortunately, he was not admitted and barely made it to San Francisco in his used Volkswagen Microbus. In San Francisco, the immediately successful rock group bearing his name was formed. They debuted at the Avalon in January 1967 and were signed by Capital Records. "Children of the Future" established Miller’s early style, and the follow-up, "Sailor," was one of his best early releases. In 1973, "The Joker" met with instant success, but Miller was exhausted. In 1978, for the second time during his career, he decided to take some time off. He didn’t return until late 1981, and although the first effort after his return was a disappointment, he scored a hit with "Abracadabra." Unfortunately, it was his last major commercial success as well. In 1988, Miller gave his first live performance in five years, and in 1989, he began touring once again. In 1995, the "Steve Miller Band" reformed. In January 1972, Miller was involved in a car accident and for many months performed in pain, until in March a final diagnosis of a broken neck was made. The injury coupled with hepatitis sidelined him for the rest of the year and the next. It marked a turning point in his career in which he spent the time writing songs and reflecting on his life. In 1974, he purchased a 312-acre farm outside of Medford, OR., installing a 24-track studio. Embittered with business problems and a falling out with his girlfriend, Miller broke up the band and took a sabbatical on the ranch for 14 months. His come-back performances have been deemed as weak by the critics, but billboard numbers and sales are still strong as of 1992. Miller has been married three times. His first marriage took place in 1969-70 and lasted less than one year. He married again in the mid-1970s, but it also ended in divorce. During the 1990s, he and his third wife lived in Idaho. Link to Wikipedia biography