Buddy Miller
Template:Short description Template:Use mdy dates Template:Infobox musical artist
Steven Paul "Buddy" Miller (born September 6, 1952)<ref name="AllMusic" /> is an American singer, songwriter, musician, recording artist and producer, currently living in Nashville, Tennessee. Miller is married to and has recorded with singer-songwriter Julie Miller.
Early life and music career
[edit]Buddy was born in Fairborn, Ohio, near Dayton, and his family ended up settling in Princeton, New Jersey.<ref name="BM-nodep-2008">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="AllMusic">Template:Cite web</ref> His grandfather gave him the nickname "Buddy."<ref name="BM-crossrhythms-1995">Template:Cite web</ref>
During the late 1970s he was in a country-rock band called the Desperate Men, which played in the NNJ and New York area, including clubs like Stanhope House, Cuss From Hoe and others.Template:Citation needed In 1975, he moved to Austin, Texas and played rockabilly music in Ray Campi's band. He auditioned for and played in the band Partners In Crime with Julie Griffin (soon to be his second wife).<ref name=BM-nodep-2008 /><ref name="BM-as-2009">Template:Cite web</ref>
In 1980, they moved to New York City, and Miller formed the Buddy Miller Band,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> which included singer-songwriter Shawn Colvin on vocals and guitar. He also performed with Jim Lauderdale and Larry Campbell.<ref name=BM-as-2009 /> Each Sunday, Miller performed in Kinky Friedman's band at the Lone Star Cafe.<ref name="BM-newyorker-2013">Template:Cite magazine</ref>
Miller moved to Nashville in the 1990s, after a stint in Los Angeles. He worked on recording sessions as a guitar player and vocalist, and began producing his own records in his living room studio named Dogtown.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="BM-paste-2002">Template:Cite web</ref>
Recordings
[edit]In 1995, Buddy along with the Sacred Cows recorded a gospel album, Man on the Moon.<ref name="BM-CrossRhythms-1995">Template:Cite web</ref>
His first solo recording, Your Love and Other Lies, was released in 1995.<ref name="BM-MKOC-2016">Template:Cite web</ref> It was followed by Poison Love in 1997<ref name="BM-nodep-1997">Template:Cite web</ref> and Cruel Moon in 1999.<ref name="BM-AVclub-2002">Template:Cite web</ref>
He and his wife, Julie Miller, released Buddy & Julie Miller in 2001, which won the Album of the Year Award from the Americana Music Association.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
In 2002, he released Midnight and Lonesome<ref name="BM-nodep-2002">Template:Cite web</ref> and in 2004 he released Universal United House of Prayer.<ref name="BM-PopMatters-2004">Template:Cite web</ref>
2009 brought another Buddy and Julie duet album Written in Chalk<ref name="BM-nodep-2009">Template:Cite web</ref> and in 2011 Buddy collaborated with Bill Frisell, Marc Ribot, and Greg Leisz to release The Majestic Silver Strings.<ref name="BM-PopMatters-2011">Template:Cite web</ref>
In 2012, Buddy and Jim Lauderdale released the duet album Buddy & Jim<ref name="BM-PopMatters-2013">Template:Cite web</ref> and in 2016, Buddy recorded sessions by Kacey Musgraves, Nikki Lane, Lee Ann Womack, Brandi Carlile, and Kris Kristofferson on the album Cayamo: Sessions at Sea.<ref name="BM-guardian-2016">Template:Cite web</ref>
Touring and performance
[edit]Miller has toured as lead guitarist and backing vocalist for Emmylou Harris's Spyboy band,<ref name="EH-nodep-1998">Template:Cite web</ref> Steve Earle on his El Corazon tour,<ref name="SE-nodep-1998">Template:Citation</ref> and Emmylou Harris and Linda Ronstadt on their Western Wall tour.<ref name="EH-austinchron-1999">Template:Cite web</ref>
In 2002, Miller toured as part of the Down from the Mountain Tour along with Alison Krauss and Union Station.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
In 2004, Miller toured with Emmylou Harris, Patty Griffin, Gillian Welch and David Rawlings as the Sweet Harmony Traveling Revue.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
In 2008, Miller toured as part of the band on Robert Plant and Alison Krauss's Raising Sand tour of the U.S. and Europe.<ref name="BM-nashscene-2010">Template:Cite web</ref>
In 2009, Miller joined Emmylou Harris, Patty Griffin and Shawn Colvin on tour as Three Girls and Their Buddy.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> While on that tour, following a performance in Baltimore on February 19, 2009, Miller suffered a heart attack. He underwent successful triple bypass surgery at Johns Hopkins Hospital on February 20.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
In 2010, Miller again joined Robert Plant and Patty Griffin with Plant's Band of Joy, touring the U.S. and Europe.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
In 2012, Miller toured with Jim Lauderdale on the Buddy and Jim Tour.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
In 2015, Miller was one of the leaders of the house band for Dear Jerry, a tribute concert for Jerry Garcia, which included over 20 acts and took place at Merriweather Post Pavilion.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
In 2016, Miller was part of the Lampedusa: Concerts for Refugees tour featuring Patty Griffin, Emmylou Harris, Steve Earle, and the Milk Carton Kids.<ref name="EH-highroad-2016">Template:Cite web</ref>
For the past decade, Buddy has often been a part of the Cayamo Cruise, which sails from Miami to St. Maarten and Tortola. Each year, prominent Americana musicians are on board, and Buddy often collaborates and records with them.<ref name="BM-bsit-2016">Template:Cite web</ref>
He is a regular performer at the annual Hardly Strictly Bluegrass music festival in San Francisco where, billed as Buddy Miller's Cavalcade of Stars, he features a changing roster of guest performers.Template:Citation needed
Recording work for others
[edit]Record producer
[edit]Miller has produced albums for artists including Richard Thompson,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Shawn Colvin,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The Devil Makes Three,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Allison Moorer,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> the Wood Brothers,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> the Carolina Chocolate Drops,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> the McCrarys,<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> and Ralph Stanley.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> He has co-produced records with Robert Plant, Jim Lauderdale and Jimmie Dale Gilmore.
In 2006 Solomon Burke recorded his country album Nashville with Miller. Emmylou Harris, Patty Griffin, Gillian Welch and Dolly Parton appear as duet partners.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Miller produced Patty Griffin's Downtown Church<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> that was released in 2010 and won a Grammy Award for Best Traditional Gospel Album on February 13, 2011.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Miller has produced his own solo albums as well as recordings for and with his wife, singer-songwriter Julie Miller.
Session work
[edit]He co-produced and performed on Jimmie Dale Gilmore's 2000 album One Endless Night.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> He also played on Lucinda Williams's Car Wheels on a Gravel Road album.<ref name="LW-nodep-2009">Template:Cite web</ref>
Miller has worked as an instrumentalist or vocalist on records by Miranda Lambert, Johnny Cash, Levon Helm, Lee Ann Womack, Patty Griffin, Emmylou Harris, Victoria Williams, Shawn Colvin, Bobby Bare, Chris Knight, John Fogerty, the Chieftains, Frank Black, Rodney Crowell, Dixie Chicks, Elvis Costello, Alison Krauss and Robert Plant.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> He has also worked as a recording engineer, mixer or mastering engineer on records by Willie Nelson, Emmylou Harris, Shawn Colvin, Jim Lauderdale, and Patty Griffin.Template:Citation needed
Songwriting
[edit]Template:Unsourced BLP section Levon Helm, Patty Griffin, Emmylou Harris, Lee Ann Womack, Dixie Chicks,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Hank Williams III, Dierks Bentley, Patty Loveless, Tab Benoit and Brooks & Dunn have recorded songs written by Miller.
Film and TV
[edit]Miller signed on as a producer for the ABC TV series Nashville in 2012. He was the executive music producer for the show in seasons two and three.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> He also was music producer and musical director for Nashville: On The Record Live Specials.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Along with Don Was, Miller was the musical director for The Life and Songs of Emmylou Harris tribute concert.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Miller was musical director and bandleader for the Americana Music Association's Honors & Awards shows broadcast on AXS TV and PBS.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Buddy has covered Tom T. Hall's song, "That's How I Got to Memphis", which Jeff Daniels sang in the final episode of HBO's The Newsroom in 2014.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Starz political drama Boss used the Plant-Miller produced "Satan, Your Kingdom Must Come Down" as its theme song.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Miller produced the track "Beyond the Blue" featuring Emmylou Harris and Patty Griffin for the 2000 film Where the Heart Is.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
In 2015 he appeared on Christina Aguilera's song, "Shotgun", which was written for her appearance on Nashville.<ref name="CA-nodep-2015">Template:Cite web</ref>
In 2017, Miller contributed his cover of Mark Heard's song "Treasure of the Broken Land" to the tribute album Treasure of the Broken Land: the Songs of Mark Heard.<ref name="BM-rollingstone-2017">Template:Cite magazine</ref>
Awards, accolades, and other activities
[edit]Between 2002 and 2013, Miller won twelve Americana Music Honors & Awards and was nominated for seven others.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Since 2005, he has led the Americana All Star Band, which performs with nominated artists during the Americana Music Honors & Awards ceremonies, held annually at the Ryman Auditorium.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
No Depression magazine named him Artist of the Decade in 2008.<ref name=BM-nodep-2008 />
Americana Music Awards
[edit]| Year | Category | Work | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | Artist of the Year | Buddy and Julie Miller | Template:Nom |
| Album of the Year | Buddy & Julie Miller | Template:Win | |
| 2003 | Instrumentalist of the Year | Buddy Miller | Template:Nom |
| Album of the Year | Midnight & Lonesome | Template:Nom | |
| 2005 | Artist of the Year | Buddy Miller | Template:Nom |
| Song of the Year | Worry Too Much | Template:Win | |
| Album of the Year | Universal United House of Prayer | Template:Win | |
| 2007 | Instrumentalist of the Year | Buddy Miller | Template:Win |
| 2008 | Template:Win | ||
| 2009 | Template:Nom | ||
| Album of the Year | "Written In Chalk" | Template:Win | |
| Song of the Year | "Chalk" | Template:Win | |
| Duo/Group of the Year | Buddy and Julie Miller | Template:Win | |
| Artist of the Year | Buddy Miller | Template:Win | |
| 2010 | Instrumentalist of the Year | Template:Win | |
| 2011 | Template:Win | ||
| Artist of the Year | Template:Win | ||
| 2012 | Instrumentalist of the Year | Template:Win | |
| 2013 | Duo/Group of the Year | Buddy Miller and Jim Lauderdale | Template:Nom |
| Artist of the Year | Buddy Miller | Template:Nom | |
| Album of the Year | Buddy & Jim | Template:Nom | |
| 2022 | Lifetime Achievement Award | Buddy Miller | Template:Won |
Grammy Awards
[edit]Miller is a four-time Grammy nominee, winning once in 2010 for producing Downtown Church by Patty Griffin.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Radio
[edit]Miller and his longtime friend and collaborator Jim Lauderdale teamed up in 2012 to produce The Buddy & Jim Radio Show, broadcast on Sirius XM Outlaw Country.<ref name="BM-songwriter-2012">Template:Cite web</ref>
Music gear
[edit]Fender produces a Buddy Miller signature acoustic guitar.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Buddy frequently uses vintage Wandré electric guitars<ref name="BM-paste-2004">Template:Cite web</ref> and TEO mando-guitars.<ref name="BM-TEO-2017">Template:Cite web</ref>
In his studio, Buddy uses a pair of Swart amplifiers: Atomic Space Tones and Atomic Space Tone Pros, and two tremolos panned in stereo at conflicting settings.<ref name="Chandler-2019">Template:Cite web</ref> Onstage, he often uses a Swart Atomic Space Tones amplifier and a Fulltone Supa-Trem2 pedal.<ref name="BM-premier-2016">Template:Cite web</ref>
He mostly records using Pro Tools, but in his recording studio Buddy treasures a 1970s Trident B Range 28×24 analog recording console that previously belonged to Mark Heard.<ref name="Chandler-2019" /><ref name=BM-rollingstone-2017 />
Compositions
[edit]Discography
[edit]References
[edit]External links
[edit]- 1952 births
- 20th-century American guitarists
- 20th-century American male musicians
- American audio engineers
- American country guitarists
- American country singer-songwriters
- American male guitarists
- American male singer-songwriters
- Band of Joy members
- Country musicians from Ohio
- Country musicians from Tennessee
- Engineers from Ohio
- Engineers from Tennessee
- Guitarists from Ohio
- Guitarists from Tennessee
- Living people
- New West Records artists
- People from Fairborn, Ohio
- Record producers from Ohio
- Record producers from Tennessee
- Singer-songwriters from Ohio
- Singer-songwriters from Tennessee
- Singers from Nashville, Tennessee