Bob Miller | |
---|---|
Born | September 20, 1895
Ansonia, Connecticut, United States |
Died | August 26, 1955 |
Occupations |
|
Bob Miller (September 20, 1895 – August 26, 1955) was an American songwriter, recording artist, A&R representative, and publisher. [1]
He claimed to have written over 7,000 songs. [2] His career began in the 1920s, during which time he likely travelled back and forth between Memphis and New York in order to establish himself as a songwriter. [3] [4] In 1928, he moved to New York permanently; [5] and in 1933, he started up his publishing company, Bob Miller Inc. [6] That same year, he became a member of the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers ( ASCAP). [7] Over the course of his career, he wrote songs such as "Sweet Pal," "War Horse Mama," "Twenty-One Years," "Eleven Cent Cotton, Forty Cent Meat," "The Poor, Forgotten Man," " There's a Star-Spangled Banner Waving Somewhere," "Seven Years With the Wrong Woman," and many others.
Miller was born in Ansonia, Connecticut. Though he had older siblings, he was the first child born in the United States to Russian immigrants. At some point in the first decade of the twentieth century, he was orphaned and sent to Memphis, Tennessee, to live. [8] He began playing piano at a young age, and he said that he ran away to New Orleans at the age of eleven. [9] In other sources, he is said to have run away at the age of thirteen. [10] Regardless of when he ran away, he ended up back in Memphis before the 1920s.
In 1922, he became the bandleader aboard the Idlewild, a Mississippi River steamship that offered evening and weekend excursions featuring music and dancing. [11] He began publishing songs in the early 1920s. Some of his songs like "Sweet Pal" were typical to the popular music of the time period, but the majority of his early work was in the blues genre. His own publishing company on Beale Street published his blues as part of his "African Opera Series." [12] The E. B. Marks Music Company came across a couple of these tunes and acquired them, [13] and these two songs were recorded by female artists for Columbia Records. Leona Williams recorded Miller's "Uncle Bud" in 1922 (Columbia A3736), and Viola McCoy recorded "Strut Long Papa" under the pseudonym Amanda Brown in 1923 (Columbia A3867). In total, eleven of his blues were issued on records during the 1920s, [14] and Clara Smith alone recorded three of his blues.
He was one of the first musicians to perform live on WMC (AM). [15] Beginning in early 1923, Miller and his orchestra were regularly featured on Memphis radio programming. His performances included popular songs from the day, as well as his original tunes. Between 1923 and 1925, Miller earned a living publishing his songs, performing aboard the Idlewild and performing on the radio. Beginning in 1925, Miller's Idlewild Orchestra, sometimes called the Bob Miller Orchestra, toured regionally around Memphis. In December 1927, they were recorded by Columbia Records in Memphis, and one song, a version of the standard " Shine On, Harvest Moon," was released in early 1928 (Columbia 1262-D). [16]
In 1928, Miller began writing country songs, and he moved to New York the same year. He recorded many of his songs himself, but some of his songs were recorded by artists such as Vernon Dalhart, Carson Robison, and Frank Luther. His first copyrighted and recorded country song, "Eleven Cent Cotton, Forty Cent Meat," was issued under his Columbia Records pseudonym Bob Ferguson (Columbia 15297-D). He co-wrote this song with a Memphis woman named Emma Dermer, and it was based on a couple of poems that circulated the South between 1926 and 1927. [17] [18] The song's lyrics are referenced in Vonnegut's Slaughterhouse-Five, [19] and a Steinbeck referenced a song called "Ten-Cent Cotton and Forty-Cent Meat" in The Grapes of Wrath, which was written a decade after Miller's song. [20]
Miller played a significant role in the commercial "hillbilly" music industry based out of New York. Before 1933, almost 12,000 hillbilly records were issued. Amazingly, eighty-five percent of these recordings were produced by six artists— Vernon Dalhart, Carson Robison, Arthur Fields, Bob Miller, Frankie Marvin, and Frank Luther. [21] As a recording artist, Miller used multiple pseudonyms. His most common alias was Bob Ferguson (used when recording for Columbia Records); but among others, he also used Slick Palmer, Memphis Bob, Bud Skidmore, and Bob Hill. [22]
While working as a recording artist, Miller also worked as an artists and repertoire (A&R) man. In the late 1920s, he was a recording manager for Columbia, [23] where he managed Columbia's earlier 15000-D series recordings. He later managed Columbia's Atlanta studios, [24] at least for specific sessions; Alton Delmore recalled that Miller sent the Delmore Brothers a letter recruiting them to come to Atlanta for their 1931 recording session. [25]
After forming Bob Miller Inc., Miller published material by other artists in addition to himself. He published music by the Almanac Singers, Patsy Montana, Elton Britt, and many other artists. From the late 1930s until his death in 1955, Miller continued to write songs, but the majority of his efforts centered around his publishing business. He published many of his songs in folios such as Bob Miller's Famous Folio Full of Original Cowboy Songs (1934), and he often used pseudonyms as a writer. For example, he sometimes used the name Vasca Suede when he wrote songs with Western themes. [26] This use of pseudonyms as a writer goes back to his days in Memphis, when he used the pseudonym Trebor Rellim as the lyricist for his blues numbers. Shelby Darnell was the pseudonym he used for his 1942 hit, " There's a Star-Spangled Banner Waving Somewhere," which he co-wrote with Paul Roberts.
Miller's copyrights of songs and books (written, co-written, or rearranged by him) listed by year:
Bob Miller | |
---|---|
Born | September 20, 1895
Ansonia, Connecticut, United States |
Died | August 26, 1955 |
Occupations |
|
Bob Miller (September 20, 1895 – August 26, 1955) was an American songwriter, recording artist, A&R representative, and publisher. [1]
He claimed to have written over 7,000 songs. [2] His career began in the 1920s, during which time he likely travelled back and forth between Memphis and New York in order to establish himself as a songwriter. [3] [4] In 1928, he moved to New York permanently; [5] and in 1933, he started up his publishing company, Bob Miller Inc. [6] That same year, he became a member of the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers ( ASCAP). [7] Over the course of his career, he wrote songs such as "Sweet Pal," "War Horse Mama," "Twenty-One Years," "Eleven Cent Cotton, Forty Cent Meat," "The Poor, Forgotten Man," " There's a Star-Spangled Banner Waving Somewhere," "Seven Years With the Wrong Woman," and many others.
Miller was born in Ansonia, Connecticut. Though he had older siblings, he was the first child born in the United States to Russian immigrants. At some point in the first decade of the twentieth century, he was orphaned and sent to Memphis, Tennessee, to live. [8] He began playing piano at a young age, and he said that he ran away to New Orleans at the age of eleven. [9] In other sources, he is said to have run away at the age of thirteen. [10] Regardless of when he ran away, he ended up back in Memphis before the 1920s.
In 1922, he became the bandleader aboard the Idlewild, a Mississippi River steamship that offered evening and weekend excursions featuring music and dancing. [11] He began publishing songs in the early 1920s. Some of his songs like "Sweet Pal" were typical to the popular music of the time period, but the majority of his early work was in the blues genre. His own publishing company on Beale Street published his blues as part of his "African Opera Series." [12] The E. B. Marks Music Company came across a couple of these tunes and acquired them, [13] and these two songs were recorded by female artists for Columbia Records. Leona Williams recorded Miller's "Uncle Bud" in 1922 (Columbia A3736), and Viola McCoy recorded "Strut Long Papa" under the pseudonym Amanda Brown in 1923 (Columbia A3867). In total, eleven of his blues were issued on records during the 1920s, [14] and Clara Smith alone recorded three of his blues.
He was one of the first musicians to perform live on WMC (AM). [15] Beginning in early 1923, Miller and his orchestra were regularly featured on Memphis radio programming. His performances included popular songs from the day, as well as his original tunes. Between 1923 and 1925, Miller earned a living publishing his songs, performing aboard the Idlewild and performing on the radio. Beginning in 1925, Miller's Idlewild Orchestra, sometimes called the Bob Miller Orchestra, toured regionally around Memphis. In December 1927, they were recorded by Columbia Records in Memphis, and one song, a version of the standard " Shine On, Harvest Moon," was released in early 1928 (Columbia 1262-D). [16]
In 1928, Miller began writing country songs, and he moved to New York the same year. He recorded many of his songs himself, but some of his songs were recorded by artists such as Vernon Dalhart, Carson Robison, and Frank Luther. His first copyrighted and recorded country song, "Eleven Cent Cotton, Forty Cent Meat," was issued under his Columbia Records pseudonym Bob Ferguson (Columbia 15297-D). He co-wrote this song with a Memphis woman named Emma Dermer, and it was based on a couple of poems that circulated the South between 1926 and 1927. [17] [18] The song's lyrics are referenced in Vonnegut's Slaughterhouse-Five, [19] and a Steinbeck referenced a song called "Ten-Cent Cotton and Forty-Cent Meat" in The Grapes of Wrath, which was written a decade after Miller's song. [20]
Miller played a significant role in the commercial "hillbilly" music industry based out of New York. Before 1933, almost 12,000 hillbilly records were issued. Amazingly, eighty-five percent of these recordings were produced by six artists— Vernon Dalhart, Carson Robison, Arthur Fields, Bob Miller, Frankie Marvin, and Frank Luther. [21] As a recording artist, Miller used multiple pseudonyms. His most common alias was Bob Ferguson (used when recording for Columbia Records); but among others, he also used Slick Palmer, Memphis Bob, Bud Skidmore, and Bob Hill. [22]
While working as a recording artist, Miller also worked as an artists and repertoire (A&R) man. In the late 1920s, he was a recording manager for Columbia, [23] where he managed Columbia's earlier 15000-D series recordings. He later managed Columbia's Atlanta studios, [24] at least for specific sessions; Alton Delmore recalled that Miller sent the Delmore Brothers a letter recruiting them to come to Atlanta for their 1931 recording session. [25]
After forming Bob Miller Inc., Miller published material by other artists in addition to himself. He published music by the Almanac Singers, Patsy Montana, Elton Britt, and many other artists. From the late 1930s until his death in 1955, Miller continued to write songs, but the majority of his efforts centered around his publishing business. He published many of his songs in folios such as Bob Miller's Famous Folio Full of Original Cowboy Songs (1934), and he often used pseudonyms as a writer. For example, he sometimes used the name Vasca Suede when he wrote songs with Western themes. [26] This use of pseudonyms as a writer goes back to his days in Memphis, when he used the pseudonym Trebor Rellim as the lyricist for his blues numbers. Shelby Darnell was the pseudonym he used for his 1942 hit, " There's a Star-Spangled Banner Waving Somewhere," which he co-wrote with Paul Roberts.
Miller's copyrights of songs and books (written, co-written, or rearranged by him) listed by year: