• October 5, 1943
• Miller is one of the most inconspicuous rock stars in history. He loves making and performing music, but hates doing promotion or appearing in public anywhere offstage. He became one of the top acts of the '70s, but most listeners didn't know anything about him, including what he looked like.
• Miller was born in Milwaukee and raised in Dallas. In 1966 he moved to San Francisco and formed The Steve Miller Blues Band, which was shortened to The Steve Miller Band when they signed with Capitol Records the next year.
• He's a huge fan of blues music. When music went digital, he hired college kids to transfer his blues albums onto a hard drive, and ended up with 6000 tracks. John Lee Hooker is one of his favorites.
• Miller uses a fluctuating lineup of musicians. About 30 different members have played in the band.
• In an interview to promote the Steve Miller Band Live In Chicago DVD, Miller talked about why his songs stand the test of time. His reply: "They're fairly simple tunes. There's a lot of harmony singing, and then when you go through the lyrics they have meaning to people. But I think the main thing is that they're positive lyrics that people like to sing."
• His biggest influences as a guitarist are Les Paul and T-Bone Walker. When Miller was 4 years old, Les Paul taught him his first chords. When Miller was 9, Walker taught him how to play lead guitar. Miller also learned a great deal about songwriting from Walker.
• Miller stopped touring in the early '80s when his crowds dwindled. In 1988, he went back on the road and learned he was as popular as ever, as his songs found new life on classic rock radio.

Comments: 3

• Jim from Lake Orion, MichiganI was a deaf teenager (now 59) without any exposure to music, until one day a friend of my brother's let me listen to a album he had. It was Steve's greatest hits '72-'78 and immediately I was hooked on music. I even bought a book with all of his lyrics and memorized every songs written/sung by the band. From that point on, I have attended the lion's share of great concerts yet I saw Steve Miller Band more than once and the concerts were top notch! Now, that my hearing has declined to the point where having a hearing aid wasn't helping so I'm waiting for a cochlear implant. Once I get that put in, the first concert I'll go to will be the Steve Miller Band...pure music really takes the cake!
• Eddie Rad from South Hadley, MaI graduated in 1975 from high school and definitely grew up with Steve Miller in my old Toyota Land Cruiser going 4 wheeling with my buddies. So thankful for all his music that he wrote that was the music of my life! My favorite is wild mountain honey!
• Brad from Barry, TxSteve Miller grew up with Boz Scaggs, who was the orignal lead singer for The Steve Miller Band.

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