"Bill Miller" has been added to your list of bookmarked artists
close
Bill Miller
Biography
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.
Selected Discography
report abuse