Bill Miller (musician)

Bill Miller (real William Miller , born February 3, 1915 in Brooklyn , New York City , † July 11, 2006 in Montreal , Canada ) was an American musician and band leader . For 46 years he was Frank Sinatra's pianist and intermittent orchestra leader .

Life

Miller began his career in the 1930s as a pianist in various smaller entertainment orchestras. 1937–1939 he played with Red Norvo , then until 1942 with Charlie Barnet , after the war with Tommy Dorsey and Benny Goodman, among others .

In the fall of 1951, Frank Sinatra became aware of Miller during a performance in Las Vegas and hired him as a pianist. With a brief interruption (1978-1983), Miller remained from then on in countless studio sessions, radio and television appearances and concert tours for four and a half decades at Sinatra's side, until his last appearance in February 1995. In the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s Miller also acted more often as Sinatra's orchestra leader. Her best-known duets include “Saloon Songs” such as One For My Baby (first 1954) and Angel Eyes (first 1958).

1953–1955 Miller led the quintet The Sinatra Symphonette , which Sinatra accompanied on the radio show To Be Perfectly Frank ; for the tours with Sinatra 1959/1960 Miller reinforced and led the quintet of Red Norvo . In 1962 he founded the Bill Miller Sextet (with Al Viola , Irving Cottler , Emil Richards , Ralph Peña and Harry Klee ), with which Sinatra went on a three-month world tour.

Because of his light skin color, Sinatra gave him the ironic nickname Sun Tan Charlie . In 1968 Miller survived a badly injured mudslide that spilled his home in California and killed his wife.

Since 1998 Miller played in the orchestra of Frank Sinatra Jr. , whom he also accompanied on concert tours at home and abroad. Robbie Williams hired him in 2000 for a guest appearance on his album Swing When You're Winning . He made his last studio recordings in October 2005 for Sinatra Juniors' album That Face .

In late June 2006, Miller traveled with Sinatra Jr. for a month-long concert tour in Montreal , Canada , where he was on stage for the last time on July 2nd. In a fall, he suffered a hip fracture two days later and shortly afterwards a heart attack , of which he died on July 11, 2006.

Sinatra albums with the Bill Miller Sextet

• Royal Festival Hall (Artanis / TRAMA, recorded June 1, 1962, released in Brazil only in 2000 )
• Sinatra & Sextet Live In Paris (recap, recorded June 7, 1962, released 1994)

Web links

• Bill Miller at Discogs (English)