Jerry Miller | NAMM.org (original) (raw)
Oral History Information
Interview Date
August 25, 2021
Birth Date
January 10, 1943
Deceased Date
July 20, 2024
Job Title
Musician, Songwriter
Jerry Miller was a founding member of the innovative and influential ‘60s rock band Moby Grape. His roots in music go back to his grandfather, who was a famous violin maker in Sweden. When Jerry was eight he was given a guitar for Christmas and never wanted to do anything else but make music. He began songwriting at an early age and felt a special connection when he purchased a Gibson L5 guitar at Tacoma Music. He has in fact played that very guitar throughout his career, including during his NAMM Oral History interview. His big break came when he joined the Seattle-based rock band The Frantics. Among the members of the group were Don Stevenson and Bob Mosley who in 1966 formed Moby Grape with Jerry. The band recorded nine albums including Wow/Grape Jam (1968), 20 Granite Creek (1971), and Moby Grape Live (2010). Over the years he has also performed and recorded with the Jerry Miller Band, whose members sometimes changed but which always included original songs such as “Now I See” and “Snake Rhythm Rock.”