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Who Was Jerry Miller? All About Moby Grape's Lead Guitarist As He Passes Away At 81
Jerry Miller, one of the most influential musicians in the San Francisco music scene of the 1960s, died in Tacoma, Washington, at age 81. He was the lead guitarist of the band Moby Grape.
Trigger Warning: This article contains mention of death.
Another legend from the world of music has bid us farewell. Jerry Miller, one of the most popular musicians in the San Francisco music scene of the 1960s, died in Tacoma, Washington, at age 81. As of now, no cause of death has been reported. His death was announced on the Moby Grape Facebook fan page and by journalist Eric Brenner.
“Sadly, Jerry Miller passed away last night,” said the fan page post. “Jo and the family are asking for everyone to please give them some privacy and respect, and Jo asked that people cease phone calls for the time being. Thank you.” While the musician's fans and family mourn his death, no information on survivors or memorial plans was immediately known.
More about Jerry Miller
Jerry Miller started in the late 1950s, playing and recording with popular Northwest dance-rock bands. He contributed guitar work to an early version of the hit record I Fought the Law by The Bobby Fuller Four and later toured with Fuller. He was the lead guitarist of the band Moby Grape, which was formed in San Francisco in 1966 with two other fellows alongside Miller.
The Grape signed with Columbia and recorded four albums for the label between 1967 and 1969. Miller co-wrote with Don Stevenson three of Moby Grape’s best-known songs: Hey Grandma, 8:05, and Murder In My Heart for The Judge. After Moby Grape, Miller moved on to form The Rhythm Dukes and merged with organist Bill Champlin.
Jerry Miller was known for his extraordinary guitar skills
According to Deadline, Miller’s guitar work was much admired by his contemporaries. Eric Clapton called him the “best guitar player in the world” when he first came to the U.S. Moreover, Robert Plant mentioned Miller as a major influence on Led Zeppelin, which played Moby Grape tunes at its first rehearsal.
He was so highly praised for his guitar skills that Rolling Stone included Miller at number 68 on their list of the 100 greatest guitarists of all time, and Moby Grape's album Moby Grape at number 124 on their list of the 500 greatest albums of all time. If you are curious which guitar the musician played, it was the Gibson L-5 CES Florentine guitar, which he called Beulah.
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