The Steve Miller Band is an American rock band formed in 1966 in San Francisco, California.
The band is led by Steve Miller on guitar and lead vocals.
The group had a string of mid- to late-1970s hit singles that are staples of classic rock radio, as well as several earlier psychedelic rock albums.
Miller left his first band to move to San Francisco and form the Steve Miller Blues Band.
Shortly after Harvey Kornspan negotiated the band's contract with Capitol Records in 1967, the band shortened its name to the Steve Miller Band.
In February 1968, the band recorded its debut album, Children of the Future.
It went on to produce the albums Sailor, Brave New World, Your Saving Grace, Number 5, Rock Love, Fly Like an Eagle, Book of Dreams, among others.
The band's Greatest Hits 1974–78, released in 1978, sold over 13 million copies.
In 2016, Steve Miller was inducted as a solo artist in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
History
In 1965, after moving to Chicago to play the blues, Steve Miller and keyboardist Barry Goldberg founded the Goldberg-Miller Blues Band along with bassist Roy Ruby, rhythm guitarist Craymore Stevens, and drummer Maurice McKinley.
The band contracted to Epic Records and recorded a single, "The Mother Song", which they performed on Hullabaloo, before Miller left the group to go to San Francisco.
Miller then formed The Steve Miller Blues Band.
Harvey Kornspan, managing partner, wrote and negotiated the band's contract ($860,000 over five years as well as $25,000 of promotion money that was to be spent at the band's discretion) with Capitol/EMI Records then-president Alan Livingston in 1967.
Shortly after, the band's name was shortened to The Steve Miller Band at the recommendation of George Martin in order to broaden its appeal.
The band, consisting of Miller, guitarist James Cooke, bassist Lonnie Turner, drummer Tim Davis (who replaced the departing Lance Haas on drums) and Jim Peterman on Hammond B3 organ, backed Chuck Berry at a gig at the Fillmore Auditorium that was released as the live album, Live at Fillmore Auditorium.
Guitarist Boz Scaggs joined the band soon after and the group performed at the Magic Mountain Festival (festival was held June 10/11, 1967) and the following week at the Monterey Pop Festival (festival was held June 16/17/18, 1967).
In February 1968, while in England, the band recorded their debut album, Children of the Future, at Olympic studios with Glyn Johns as engineer/producer.
The album did not score among the Top 100 album chart.
The second album Sailor appeared in October 1968 and climbed the Billboard chart to .
Successes included the single "Living in the USA."
Brave New World (, 1969) featured the songs "Space Cowboy" and "My Dark Hour".
Paul McCartney, credited as "Paul Ramon", played drums, bass and sang backing vocals on "My Dark Hour".
This was followed by Your Saving Grace (, 1969) and Number 5 (, 1970).
In 1971, Miller broke his neck in a car accident.
Capitol Records released the album Rock Love, featuring unreleased live performances and studio material.
This is one of two Steve Miller Band albums not to be released on CD, the other being Recall the Beginning...A Journey from Eden.
In 1972, the double album compilation Anthology was released, containing 16 songs from the band's first six of seven albums.
The style and personnel of the band changed radically with The Joker (, 1973), concentrating on straightforward rock and leaving the psychedelic blues side of the band behind.
The title track, "The Joker", became a  single and was certified platinum, reaching over one million sales.
It was awarded a gold disc by the RIAA on January 11, 1974.
Three years later, the band returned with the album Fly Like an Eagle, which charted at .
Three singles were released from the album: "Take the Money and Run" (), "Fly Like an Eagle" () and their second  success, "Rock'n Me".
Miller credits the guitar introduction to "Rock'n Me" as a tribute to the Free song, "All Right Now".
Book of Dreams (, 1977) also included three successes: "Jet Airliner" (), "Jungle Love" () (later becoming the song played over the opening credits of the 8th season of the sitcom Everybody Loves Raymond), and "Swingtown" ().
1982's Abracadabra album gave Steve Miller his third  success with the title track.
Miller's hit pushed Chicago's "Hard to Say I'm Sorry" out of the  spot, just as his "Rock'n Me" had knocked Chicago's "If You Leave Me Now" out of the  spot in 1976.
Released in 1978, The Steve Miller Band's Greatest Hits 1974–78 has sold over 13 million copies.
Bingo!, an album of blues and R&B covers, was released on June 15, 2010.
Let Your Hair Down, a companion release to Bingo!, was released 10 months later, on April 18, 2011.
Founding member Tim Davis died from complications due to diabetes on September 20, 1988, at the age of 44.
Long-time band member Norton Buffalo died from lung cancer on October 30, 2009.
John King (drummer during "The Joker" era) died after a short bout with kidney cancer on October 26, 2010.
James Cooke died from cancer on 16 May 2011.
Original bassist Lonnie Turner died from lung cancer on April 28, 2013.
His time with the band led to songs such as Jet Airliner, Swingtown, Take the Money And Run, Jungle Love and many more.
Blues guitarist Jacob Peterson officially joined the band before the Spring 2011 tour.
Following Petersen joining the band, longtime guitarist Kenny Lee Lewis switched instruments to become the band's full-time bassist.
In 2014, Steve Miller Band toured with fellow San Francisco rock band Journey.
Members
Current members
Steve Miller – lead vocals, guitar, harmonica, keyboards (1966–present)
Kenny Lee Lewis – guitar (1982-1983, 1987–1988, 1994–2011), bass (1983-1987, 2011-present), backing vocals
Joseph Wooten – keyboards, backing vocals (1993–present)
Jacob Peterson – guitar, backing vocals (2011–present)
Ron Wikso – drums (2021–present)
Former members
Lonnie Turner – bass, guitar, backing vocals (1966–1970, 1973–1978, died 2013)
Boz Scaggs – guitar, backing vocals (1967–1968)
Jim Peterman – keyboards, backing vocals (1966–1968)
Tim Davis – drums, backing vocals (1966–1970, died 1988)
James "Curley" Cooke – guitar (1967, died 2011)
Ben Sidran – keyboards (1968, 1969, 1970, 1972, 1987–1991)
Nicky Hopkins – keyboards (1969, 1970; died 1994)
Bobby Winkelman – bass, guitar, backing vocals (1969–1970)
Ross Valory – bass, backing vocals (1970–1971)
Roger Allen Clark – drums (1972)
Jack King – drums (1970–1973)
Dick Thompson – keyboards (1972–1974)
Gary Mallaber – drums, keyboards, backing vocals (1976–1987)
Gerald Johnson – bass, backing vocals (1972–1973, 1981–1983)
John King – drums (1973–1974, died 2010)
Les Dudek – guitar (1975)
Doug Clifford – drums (1975)
Greg Douglass – slide guitar, backing vocals (1976–1978)
David Denny – guitar, backing vocals (1976–1978)
Byron Allred – keyboards (1976–1987, 1990, died 2021)
John Massaro – guitar, backing vocals (1982–1983)
Norton Buffalo – harmonica, guitar, backing vocals (1976–1978, 1982–1987, 1989–2009, died 2009)
Billy Peterson – bass, backing vocals (1987–2011)
Bob Mallach – saxophone (1987–1996)
Paul Peterson – guitar (1988, 1991–1992)
Ricky Peterson – keyboards (1988, 1991)
Keith Allen – guitar, backing vocals (1989–1990)
Sonny Charles – backing vocals (2008–2011)
Gordy Knudtson – drums (1987–2021)
Timeline
ImageSize = width:1000 height:auto barincrement:20 PlotArea = left:100 bottom:100 top:10 right:10 Alignbars = justify DateFormat  = dd/mm/yyyy Period = from:01/08/1965 till:01/08/2024 TimeAxis = orientation:horizontal format:yyyy
Colors =   id:lvocals   value:red        legend:Lead_vocals   id:guitar   value:green    legend:Guitars   id:slide   value:teal  legend:Slide_guitar   id:bass     value:blue     legend:Bass   id:drums    value:orange       legend:Drums,_percussion   id:keyboards value:purple    legend:Keyboards   id:Vocals value:pink legend:Backing_vocals   id:harmonica value:gray(0.5) legend:Harmonica   id:saxophone value:yelloworange legend:Saxophone   id:lines1   value:black      legend:Studio_Albums
Legend = orientation:vertical position:bottom columns:1 ScaleMajor = unit:year increment:2 start:1966 ScaleMinor = unit:year increment:1 start:1966
BarData =   bar:Miller    text:Steve Miller   bar:Cooke     text:James Cooke †   bar:Scaggs    text:Boz Scaggs   bar:Winkelman text:Bob Winkelman   bar:Dudek     text:Les Dudek   bar:Denny     text:David Denny   bar:Douglass  text:Greg Douglass   bar:Lewis     text:Kenny Lee Lewis   bar:Massaro   text:John Massaro   bar:PPeterson text:Paul Peterson   bar:Allen     text:Keith Allen   bar:JPeterson text:Jacob Peterson   bar:Turner    text:Lonnie Turner †   bar:Valory    text:Ross Valory   bar:Johnson   text:Gerald Johnson   bar:BPeterson  text:Billy Peterson   bar:Davis     text:Tim Davis †   bar:JackKing  text:Jack King   bar:JohnKing  text:John King †   bar:Clifford  text:Doug Clifford   bar:Mallaber  text:Gary Mallaber   bar:Knudtson  text:Gordy Knudtson   bar:Wikso     text:Ron Wikso   bar:Peterman  text:Jim Peterman   bar:Sidran    text:Ben Sidran   bar:Thompson  text:Dick Thompson
bar:Allred    text:Byron Allred   bar:RPeterson text:Ricky Peterson   bar:Wooten    text:Joesph Wooten   bar:Buffalo   text:Norton Buffalo †   bar:Mallach   text:Bob Mallach   bar:Charles   text:Sonny Charles
PlotData=   width:13 textcolor:black align:left anchor:from shift:(10,-4)
bar:Miller from:start till:end color:lvocals width:3   bar:Miller from:start till:end color:Guitar   bar:Miller from:start till:01/11/1969 color:Harmonica width:7   bar:Turner from:start till:01/07/1970 color:Bass   bar:Turner from:start till:01/07/1970 color:Vocals width:3   bar:Turner from:19/10/1973 till:01/01/1978 color:bass   bar:Turner from:19/10/1973 till:01/01/1975 color:vocals width:3   bar:Davis  from:start till:01/07/1970 color:drums   bar:Davis  from:start till:01/07/1970 color:vocals width:3   bar:Valory from:01/07/1970 till:01/01/1972 color:bass   bar:Johnson from:01/01/1972 till:19/10/1973 color:bass   bar:Johnson from:01/01/1980 till:01/01/1983 color:bass   bar:BPeterson from:01/01/1987 till:01/01/2011 color:bass   bar:Buffalo from:01/01/1982 till:01/01/1987 color:Harmonica   bar:Buffalo from:01/01/1989 till:01/01/2009 color:Harmonica   bar:Mallach from:01/01/1987 till:
01/01/1996 color:Saxophone   bar:JackKing from:01/07/1970 till:01/01/1973 color:drums   bar:JackKing from:01/07/1970 till:01/01/1973 color:Vocals width:3   bar:JohnKing from:01/01/1973 till:01/01/1975 color:drums   bar:JohnKing from:01/01/1973 till:01/01/1975 color:vocals width:3   bar:Clifford from:01/01/1975 till:01/01/1976 color:drums   bar:Clifford from:01/01/1975 till:01/01/1976 color:vocals width:3   bar:Mallaber from:01/01/1976 till:01/01/1987 color:drums   bar:Knudtson from:01/01/1987 till:19/08/2021 color:drums   bar:Wikso    from:21/08/2021 till:end color:drums   bar:Cooke    from:01/01/1967 till:01/06/1967 color:Guitar   bar:Scaggs   from:01/06/1967 till:01/01/1969 color:Guitar   bar:Winkelman from:01/01/1970 till:01/01/1971 color:Guitar   bar:Scaggs   from:01/06/1967 till:01/01/1969 color:Vocals width:3   bar:Winkelman from:01/01/1970 till:01/01/1971 color:Vocals width:3
bar:Dudek    from:01/01/1975 till:01/01/1976 color:Guitar   bar:Denny  from:01/01/1977 till:01/07/1978 color:Guitar   bar:Douglass from:01/01/1977 till:01/01/1978 color:Slide   bar:Lewis from:01/01/1982 till:01/01/1983 color:Guitar   bar:Lewis from:01/01/1982 till:01/01/1988 color:Vocals width:3   bar:Lewis from:01/01/1983 till:01/01/1987 color:Bass   bar:Lewis from:01/01/1987 till:01/01/1988 color:Guitar   bar:Lewis from:01/01/1994 till:01/01/2011 color:Guitar   bar:Lewis from:01/01/1994 till:end color:Vocals width:3   bar:Lewis from:01/01/2011 till:end color:Bass   bar:Massaro from:01/01/1982 till:01/01/1983 color:Guitar   bar:Massaro from:01/01/1982 till:01/01/1983 color:Vocals width:3   bar:PPeterson from:01/01/1988 till:01/01/1989 color:Guitar   bar:Allen from:01/01/1989 till:01/01/1991 color:Guitar   bar:PPeterson from:01/01/1991 till:01/01/1993 color:Guitar   bar:
PPeterson from:01/01/1988 till:01/01/1989 color:Vocals width:3   bar:Allen from:01/01/1989 till:01/01/1991 color:Vocals width:3   bar:PPeterson from:01/01/1991 till:01/01/1993 color:Vocals width:3   bar:JPeterson from:01/01/2011 till:end color:Guitar   bar:JPeterson from:01/01/2011 till:end color:Vocals width:3   bar:Peterman from:start till:01/01/1969 color:Keyboards   bar:Peterman from:start till:01/01/1969 color:Vocals width:3   bar:Sidran from:01/01/1972 till:02/01/1973 color:Keyboards   bar:Sidran from:01/01/1987 till:01/01/1991 color:Keyboards   bar:Sidran from:01/01/1969 till:01/01/1970 color:Keyboards   bar:Thompson from:01/01/1972 till:01/01/1974 color:Keyboards   bar:Allred from:01/01/1977 till:01/01/1987 color:Keyboards   bar:RPeterson from:01/01/1988 till:01/01/1989 color:Keyboards   bar:Allred from:01/01/1990 till:01/01/1991 color:Keyboards   bar:RPeterson from:
01/01/1991 till:01/01/1992 color:Keyboards   bar:Wooten from:01/01/1994 till:end color:Keyboards   bar:Charles from:01/01/2008 till:01/01/2011 color:vocals
LineData=
at:01/06/1968 color:lines1 layer:back  at:01/10/1968 color:lines1 layer:back  at:16/06/1969 color:lines1 layer:back  at:01/11/1969 color:lines1 layer:back  at:01/07/1970 color:lines1 layer:back  at:01/09/1971 color:lines1 layer:back  at:01/03/1972 color:lines1 layer:back  at:19/10/1973 color:lines1 layer:back  at:01/05/1976 color:lines1 layer:back  at:01/05/1977 color:lines1 layer:back  at:23/10/1981 color:lines1 layer:back  at:15/06/1982 color:lines1 layer:back  at:01/11/1984 color:lines1 layer:back  at:01/11/1986 color:lines1 layer:back  at:08/06/1993 color:lines1 layer:back  at:15/06/2010 color:lines1 layer:back  at:19/04/2011 color:lines1 layer:back Discography
;Studio albums The group has been releasing albums and singles since 1968 and currently has released 18 studio albums, six live albums, seven (official) compilation albums, and at least 29 singles.
Children of the Future (1968)
Sailor (1968)
Brave New World (1969)
Your Saving Grace (1969)
Number 5 (1970)
Rock Love (1971)
Recall the Beginning...A Journey from Eden (1972)
The Joker (1973)
Fly Like an Eagle (1976)
Book of Dreams (1977)
Circle of Love (1981)
Abracadabra (1982)
Italian X Rays (1984)
Living in the 20th Century (1986)
Born 2 B Blue (1988)
Wide River (1993)
Bingo! (2010)
Let Your Hair Down (2011)
Awards
thumb|Receiving their Walk of Fame star.
ASCAP Golden Note Award, 2008.
Star for "Recording" on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on 1750 Vine Street.
Steve Miller inducted into The Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame in 2016
See also
List of bands from the San Francisco Bay Area
References
External links
