Biography
In the early days, Bill often faced virulent racism because of his Native American heritage, but he persevered. In time, he made tremendous inroads, writing songs with the likes of Nancy Griffith, Peter Rowan and Kim Carnes, and sharing the bill with such diverse artists as Pearl Jam's Eddie Vedder, the BoDeans, Richie Havens, Robert Mirabal, Carlos Naki, Joanne Shenandoah and Arlo Guthrie. He got a big break when Tori Amos asked him to be her opening act on the Under The Pink U.S. and Canadian tour. The tour, which sold out venues across the country, was extended to over two hundred shows.
He got his first guitar at age 12. Although he played in teen rock bands for a few years, he soon tired of it. Trading his electric guitar for an acoustic, he began to play folk music and bluegrass, as well as taking up the Native American flute, which he came to master. The turning point came when he attended a Pete Seeger concert shortly after leaving the reservation to study art at the Layton School of Art and Design in Milwaukee (he later attended the University of Wisconsin at LaCrosse). The experience inspired him to move to Nashville to pursue a career as a singer/songwriter.
Today, Bill Miller is one of the most accomplished and celebrated acoustic guitarists of our time. He is a two-time Grammy Award winning artist, Lifetime Achievement Award Recipient and holds numerous Native American Music Awards including “Artist of the Year” honors. He was born on the Stockbridge-Munsee reservation in northern Wisconsin. His Mohican name is ‘Fush-Ya Heay Aka’, meaning bird song.
In addition to his many accomplishments as an artist, Bill Miller is an accomplished painter whose works have been shown and sold in prestigious galleries around the country. He maintains a studio in his Nashville home.
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Members:
Bill Miller
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Sounds Like:
Bill Miller
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Influences:
Pete Seegar, Barbra Streisand, The Beatles, Stones, B.B. King, Jimi Hendrix, Bob Dylan and many others..
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AirPlay Direct Member Since:
12/10/08
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Profile Last Updated:
08/17/23 01:34:08