Bill Miller
The strength of the Native American people and the hardships of their lives are captured through the folk-like balladry of Nashville-based singer/songwriter Bill Miller. Miller's best-known tune, "Tumbleweed," co-written with Peter Rowan and included on Rowan's 1990 album Dust Bowl Children, reflects on a memorable Native American character; Trail of Freedom, however, focuses on alcoholism among Native Americans.
The son of Mohican-German parents, Miller was born on the Stockbridge-Munsee Reservation in northern Wisconsin. Music played an essential role in tribal life, and Miller, whose Mohican name is Fush-Ya Heay Aka (meaning "bird song"), learned to sing traditional songs at an early age. The sounds of nature including the howling of coyotes and the hooting of owls were also influential. Contemporary popular music, however, had a powerful effect on Miller's musical evolution. An enthusiastic fan of the Byrds, the Rolling Stones, and the Beatles, Miller often traveled into town to buy records.
At the age of 12, Miller acquired his first guitar. His first gig came when he sat in with a cousin's polka band. Although he played in a teenaged rock & roll/Top 40 band for two years, he tired of pop music. Trading his electric guitar for an acoustic, Miller began to play folk music and bluegrass. A musical turning point came when Miller attended a Pete Seeger concert shortly after leaving the reservation to study art at the University of Wisconsin at LaCrosse (he later attended the Lake School of Art and Design in Milwaukee). The experience inspired Miller, who moved to Nashville in 1984, to pursue a career as a singer/songwriter.
Miller's biggest break came when Tori Amos asked him to be her opening act on her Under the Pink tour of the United States. The tour, which sold out venues across the country, was extended to over 200 shows.
Although he mostly accompanies his baritone vocals on acoustic guitar, Miller has mastered the Native American flute. His 1991 album Loon, Mountain and Moon was a showcase of traditional Native American flute songs.
© Craig Harris /TiVo
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Diskografie
16 Album, -en • Geordnet nach Bestseller
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Reservation Road: Live (Live)
Folk - Erschienen bei Vanguard Records am 25.07.2000
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
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Spirit Songs: The Best Of Bill Miller
Folk - Erschienen bei Vanguard Records am 16.03.2004
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Raven In The Snow
Country - Erschienen bei Reprise am 22.09.1995
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
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Christmas Rhapsody
Weihnachtsmusik - Erschienen bei Bill Miller am 01.12.2018
24-Bit 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
The Art Of Survival
Folk - Erschienen bei Vanguard Records am 25.07.2000
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Hear Our Prayer
Gospel - Erschienen bei Integrity Music am 01.01.2000
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Chronicles of Hope
Nordamerika - Erschienen bei Mesa BlueMoon Recordings am 29.06.2010
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Loon, Mountain , And Moon
Folk - Erschienen bei Vanguard Records am 25.07.2000
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
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On A Dream
Folk - Erschienen bei Journeys of the Heart am 10.06.2010
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
The Great Khan (Special Edition)
Pop - Erschienen bei Bill Miller am 08.12.2018
24-Bit 48.0 kHz - Stereo -
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By the Sword: Medieval Adventure Soundtracks (Vol. 1)
Klassik - Erschienen bei Bill Miller am 27.07.2020
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Songs of the Solstice
Weihnachtsmusik - Erschienen bei Bill Miller am 12.12.2019
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo