The phone number to have if you’re in need of alt-country stylings on your record, or some peerless guitar work is Buddy Miller, born today in 1952.
1952:
Roots musician Buddy Miller born, Fairborn, Ohio, USA. Celebrated sideman for such luminaries as Steve Earle, Emmylou Harris and Patty Griffin, Buddy is also a solo artist of long-standing, invariably in tandem with his singer-songwriter wife, Julie.
Relocating to Nashville in 1993, Buddy began to build a reputation as a session guitarist, successfully branching out into production and seeing various mainstream country performers including as Dixie Chicks and Trisha Yearwood record his songs.
Assisted by Earle, Harris and other asssociates, he also crafted a succession of albums in his own home studio, beginning with “Your Love and Other Lies” (Hightone) in 1995 and including benchmark 2001 release “Buddy and Julie Miller.”
Revered by Americana aficionados, ‘No Depression’ Magazine deemed him “artist of the decade” for the 2000′s and despite undergoing triple heart bypass surgery in 2009, he soon returned to live and studio work – often with his distinctive Wandre electric guitar, bought from a pawn shop for the princely sum of $50.
Producing Patty Griffin’s Grammy-winning “Downtown Church” release in 2009, the following year found him an integral part of Robert Plant’s Band of Joy. That was a second collaboration with the former Led Zeppelin front man, following on from the successful “Raising Sand” record and tour with Alison Krauss.
And although she didn’t appear on Buddy’s 2011 solo release “Majestic Silver Strings”, many of his previous “clients” including Emmylou Harris and Patty Griffin plus of course Julie Miller lent a hand on vocals – along with some top-notch guitar guests.
A number of those associates are inevitably lined up to appear as special guests on Buddy’s latest venture – a weekly internet radio show from his studio co-presented with Jim Lauderdale. The Buddy & Jim Show kicked off in August 2012 with Lucinda Williams dropping by.
Check out and purchase Buddy Miller CDs from our e-shop, Propermusic.com by clicking on the logo below:
And here’s some footage of Buddy in action:
