Steven Haworth Miller began his career in blues and blues rock and evolved to a more pop-oriented sound which, from the mid-1970s through the early 1980s, resulted in a series of highly popular singles and albums. He left his first band to move to San Francisco and form the Steve Miller Blues Band. Shortly after Harvey Kornspan negotiated the band’s landmark contract with Capitol/EMI Records in 1967, the band shortened its name to the Steve Miller Band.
Flip through the gallery for 10 Things You Might Not Know About Steve Miller!
Steve Miller received his first exposure to music from his mother and father. He described is mother as a remarkable jazz-influenced singer. His physician father was a jazz enthusiast and accomplished amateur recording engineer
Les Paul and his musical partner Mary Ford were regular visitors at the Miller house. Steve’s parents were best man and maid of honor at their December 1949 wedding. Les Paul heard Steve "banging away” on a guitar at age 4 and encouraged him to continue and taught him how to play
In 1955, Steve began attending Dallas' St. Mark's School, a non-denominational preparatory day school for boys where he formed his first band, "The Marksmen.” He taught his older brother Buddy to play the bass and also instructed classmate and future musical star, Boz Scaggs, a few guitar chords so that he could join the band
Steve Miller attended Woodrow Wilson High School, from which he graduated in 1961. He was inducted into Woodrow's Hall of Fame in 2009. Another member is Dusty Hill of ZZ Top
In 1966, he formed The Steve Miller Blues Band, but shortly after the band's name was shortened with “Blues” being removed in order to broaden its appeal. Billed as The Steve Miller Band, they backed Chuck Berry on his Live at Fillmore Auditorium album released that year
The Joker was the eighth album by the Steve Miller Band, released in 1973. The title track took 19 days to record and the album reached #2 on the Billboard 200 and has been certified Platinum in the United States
Fly Like an Eagle was released in May 1976 and was huge a success. The album spawned three singles including the title track, "Take the Money and Run," and "Rock'n Me.” The album eventually received quadruple platinum certification from the RIAA
Greatest Hits 1974–78 was released in November 1978 and has sold over 13 million copies in the United States. In 2003 it achieved Diamond certification in Canada for 1,000,000 units sold
Abracadabra was the twelfth studio album by the Steve Miller Band, released June 15, 1982. The album charted in nine countries, including Germany where the record reached #1 for a week. This would be Miller's last great commercial success
In 2016, Miller was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Miller made disparaging remarks about the experience being "unpleasant” and "they need to respect the artists they say they’re honoring, which they don't." The Black Keys, who were asked to induct Miller, later stated that they regretted the experience
