Name Eddie Miller | Role Songwriter | |
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Albums Lazy Mood for Two, Eddie Miller with Alex Welsh Nominations Academy of Country Music Award for Songwriter of the Year Similar People Matty Matlock, George Van Eps, Red Nichols, Nick Fatool, Benny Carter | ||
Eddie miller sings mississippi at ms songwriters fest 2017
Edward Monroe "Eddie" Miller (December 10, 1919 – April 11, 1977) was an American songwriter, in the country music genre.
Contents
- Eddie miller sings mississippi at ms songwriters fest 2017
- Eddie miller and his band ghost town
- Early life and education
- Career
- Awards and recognition
- Published songs
- References
Eddie miller and his band ghost town
Early life and education
Miller was born in Camargo, Oklahoma and worked as a locomotive engineer before becoming a songwriter. Although he was never educated beyond high school, he taught songwriting at the University of Tennessee.
Career
His first published song, written in the mid-1930s, was "I Love You Honey." In 1946, he wrote what was to become his biggest hit, "Release Me," though at first he could not get anyone to record it. Eventually he recorded it himself, and it was covered by several singers and was commercially successful.
He was the founder of the Country and Western Music Academy in Hollywood, as well as a co-founder of the Nashville Songwriters Association International (of which he served as the first president and also another term in the presidency).
Miller wrote a country opera, "The Legend of Johnny Brown," and a gospel opera, "It Was Jesus." "Legend of Johnny Brown" was a concept project that was released on Tower Records. The project featured Kay Adams as Mary Lou, Ray Sanders as Sheriff Tom, Alice Rene as Jezebel Jones and Jerry Naylor as Johnny Brown. Miller pitched this project to Capitol Records, with a demo version he had already recorded with Alice Rene performing all of the female vocals. Miller actually wanted Rene for the Mary Lou character, but Capitol Records went with Kay Adams. Miller pressed the label to use Rene and secured her the part of Jezebel Jones. The irony is, that the only recorded version Adams had to learn this music, were the original demos previously recorded by Rene.
He died in Nashville, Tennessee at age 57.
Awards and recognition
Miller received Performance Awards from BMI for "There She Goes" (1954), for "Thanks a Lot" (1964), and "Release Me" (1954, 1962, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1971, 1972, and 1973, as well as a Most Performed Song award in 1968 and a Pop & Country Performance Award in 1974).
His publisher, Four Star Publishing, gave him platinum records for "Release Me" and "There She Goes."
The Oklahoma Music Association awarded him its All Time Great Songwriter's Award.