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Rhett Miller

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Rhett Miller
Rhett Miller at Bell House
Rhett Miller at Bell House
Background information
Birth nameStewart Ransom Miller II
BornSeptember 6, 1970
Austin, Texas U.S.
OriginDallas, Texas U.S.
Genres
Occupation(s)Musician
Singer-songwriter
Instrument(s)Vocals
Rhythm guitar
Years active1986–present
LabelsCarpe Diem
Elektra
Verve Forecast
Shout! Factory
Maximum Sunshine
ATO Records
Websitewww.rhettmiller.com
Rhett Miller at the Triple Door in Seattle. December 10, 2013

Stewart Ransom "Rhett" Miller II (born September 6, 1970)[1][2] is the lead singer of the alternative country rock band Old 97's. He also records and performs as a solo musician, and has been published as a writer of both fiction and non-fiction.[3][4]

Early life

[edit]

Miller, a seventh-generation Texan, was born in Austin, Texas.[1] Miller's parents divorced when he was 17 years old. Miller, the oldest of three children, has a younger brother and sister.[5][6] Rhett's paternal grandfather, Giles E. Miller, was a young millionaire scion of a successful textile family who, in 1952 owned the first NFL football team in the south, the Dallas Texans. The Texans folded after seven games, marking the last time an NFL franchise would go bankrupt.[7][8]

Miller's family lived in Highland Park, Texas, where he went to Armstrong Elementary School. In 4th grade, Miller was hospitalized for several months due to a severe inner-ear problem. In 6th grade, he began attending St. Mark's School of Texas, a private boys' school in North Dallas. He started taking guitar lessons when he was 12 years old and writing songs when he was 13. Miller has said that his time at St. Mark's was very difficult, and that he was ostracized and bullied, leading to depression which culminated in a suicide attempt at the age of 14.[1] The following year in April 1985 Miller played his first gig at 500 Cafe in downtown Dallas.[6] Through high school Miller played in bands, becoming a local folk performer and headlining small venues and opening for such nationally touring artists as Rosanne Cash, Chris Isaak, and The Lords of the New Church. Also in high school, Miller edited St. Mark’s literary magazine and helped start an alternative literary magazine called The Rag, for which he wrote poetry.

In 1989, Miller graduated from St. Mark's School of Texas.[1] He briefly attended Sarah Lawrence College on a creative writing scholarship before deciding to move back to Texas to pursue a music career.[9]

Career

[edit]

In 1989, while still in high school, Miller released an album called Mythologies. The album title was taken from a book of essays by the French media philosopher Roland Barthes. Only 1,000 copies of the CD exist. Miller signed and numbered each one.[1]

In 1990, when Miller returned to Dallas after his semester at college, Miller formed a band called Sleepy Heroes with childhood friend and future Old 97’s bassist Murry Hammond. Sleepy Heroes was a power-pop three piece. They released one album, Under a Radio Sun, before they broke up. The Old 97's song, "Victoria," was written during the last few months of Sleepy Heroes.[1]

Miller was the lead singer of various bands in Dallas between 1990 and 1993: Rhett Miller's Third Eye, Buzz, Rhett's Exploding, and Retablo, for which Miller self-recorded an unreleased record on cassette which included some early Old 97's songs.[1]

In 1993, Miller and Hammond formed Old 97's as a three piece acoustic act along with their neighbor at Dallas’ Marquita Court Apartments, guitarist Ken Bethea. They played as a three piece for six months before adding Darin Lin Wood on drums. He played with the band for a few weeks in the summer of 1993 before being replaced by Philip Peeples who has remained the band’s drummer ever since.

Old 97’s first album, Hitchhike To Rhome, came out on local Dallas label Big Iron Records in 1993. During the first year of Old 97’s, Miller also performed as a touring member of the band Killbilly. It was during a Killbilly tour that Miller met Nan Warshaw, owner of Chicago’s Bloodshot Records, the label which released Old 97’s second album, Wreck Your Life.

After a sold-out SXSW showcase in 1995, Old 97’s found themselves the subject of a major label bidding war. 15 record labels fought to sign the band, with Elektra Records A&R rep Tom Desavia finally inking the band to a multi-album deal. Their first Elektra release, Too Far To Care, came out in 1997, followed by Fight Songs and Satellite Rides.[10]

In 2002, Miller released The Instigator on Elektra Records. The record was produced and recorded with Jon Brion, received critical acclaim and substantial airplay on alternative-oriented radio stations.[3]

In 2006, Miller released The Believer on the Verve Forecast label.[11] It includes a cover of Brion's "I Believe She's Lying" and "Fireflies," a duet with Rachael Yamagata.

In 2009, Miller released his fourth record, the self-titled Rhett Miller, on Shout! Factory. The record includes Jon Brion on guitar and bass, The Apples in Stereo's John Dufilho on drums and Billy Harvey on guitar.[12] In 2011, Miller self-released a live recording of The Interpreter: Live at Largo.

Miller performing in 2013

In 2012, Miller released The Dreamer.[13] The record, a Maximum Sunshine release which Miller self-produced,[14] included collaborations with Rosanne Cash and Ben Kweller.[15]

In 2015, Miller released his sixth solo record, called The Traveler, on ATO Records.[16] The album was a notable shift for Miller, as he recorded it with a Portland, Oregon-based bluegrass band called Black Prairie, which includes members of The Decemberists. The album also features contributions from Peter Buck and Scott McCaughey of R.E.M.[17]

In 2018, Miller released The Messenger on ATO Records.[18]

Writing

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Miller has written short stories, essays and articles that have appeared in Rolling Stone, The Baffler, Bookforum, Sports Illustrated, McSweeney’s,[19] The Atlantic, and Salon.[4]

Other projects

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In addition to his solo work, Miller has worked on various collaborations, including co-writing with other musicians.[20]

  • 2004: Recorded a version of Simon and Garfunkel's "Homeward Bound" for one of MasterCard's "Priceless" advertisements[21]
  • 2008: Co-produced the first EP, No One Will Know, of New York band The Spring Standards
  • 2009: Appeared as a member of the musical ensemble in the 30 Rock episode Kidney Now![22]
  • 2019: On 1/23/19 Miller announced the 1/24 start of his podcast, Wheels Off, subtitled A Show About the Messy Reality Behind the Creative Life. In partnership with Revoice Media, it's an 11-episode series; each segment features host Miller conversing with musicians, writers, artists, actors, comedians and other creative people about the pivotal moments that shaped their work, what it means to create in a digital age and grappling with the challenges and joys of living a creative life.[23]

Philanthropy

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In 2006, Miller and his brother Ross Miller launched the Breathe Easy Concert Series, an annual event in Dallas that raises money for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation and awareness about cystic fibrosis.[24]

In 2016, Miller appeared as part of the Okay to Say initiative sponsored by the Meadows Mental Health Policy Institute in Dallas, which encourages the use of therapy to prevent suicide and address mental health issues.[25] In the campaign, Miller discusses his own suicide attempt when he was 14 years old,[6] and how therapy has helped him over the years.[26] Miller said that Jason Isbell encouraged him to talk publicly about his sobriety.[18]

Personal life

[edit]

In 1997, Miller moved from Dallas to Los Angeles. In 2000, he moved to New York City. Miller and his then-fiancée, Erica Iahn, lived three blocks south of the World Trade Center and were at home on 9/11. He shared journal writing about their experience, which was published in The Atlantic in September 2011.[27] Miller now lives in New York's Hudson Valley.[6]

In 2002, Miller married former model Erica Iahn a week after he completed production of The Instigator. Iahn found out she was pregnant with their first child, Max, while Miller was on tour with Tori Amos to promote the album. Their daughter, Soleil, was born in the spring of 2006.[28][29]

Miller said he got the nickname "Rhett" because his mother liked Rhett Butler from the movie Gone with the Wind.[8]

Discography

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See also: Old 97's § Discography

Studio albums

[edit]
Title Details Peak chart positions
US
[30] 		US
Rock
[31]
Mythologies
  • Released: 1989
  • Label: Carpe Diem
  • Format: LP, CD
 — —
The Instigator
  • Released: September 24, 2002
  • Label: Elektra
  • Format: LP, CD
 126 —
The Believer 138 —
Rhett Miller
  • Released: June 9, 2009
  • Label: Shout!
  • Format: LP, CD, streaming
 128 50
The Dreamer
  • Released: June 5, 2012
  • Label: Maximum Sunshine
  • Format: LP, CD, streaming
 139 50
The Traveler
  • Released: May 12, 2015
  • Label: ATO
  • Format: LP, CD, streaming
 — 27
The Messenger
  • Released: November 9, 2018
  • Label: ATO
  • Format: LP, CD, streaming
 — —
The Misfit
  • Released: September 16, 2022
  • Label: ATO
  • Format: LP, CD, streaming
 — —

Live albums

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Singles

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Year Single Peak positions Album
US AAA
[32]
2002 "Our Love" — The Instigator
"Come Around" 7
2006 "Help Me, Suzanne" — The Believer
2009 "I Need to Know Where I Stand" — Rhett Miller
2012 "Out of Love" — The Dreamer
2015 "Most in the Summertime" — The Traveler
2018 "Total Disaster" 28 The Messenger
"—" denotes releases that did not chart

Other contributions

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Filmography

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Year Title Role Notes
2006 The Break-Up Himself Cameo
2007 Golden Days Documentary
2009 30 Rock Episode: "Kidney Now!"
2022 The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special Bzermikitokolok Television special
2023 Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3

Works and publications

[edit]

Chronological order

  • McSweeney's 12: Twelve New Stories from Twelve New Writers. Unpublished, Unknown, or, Unbelievable Plus Twenty-Nine Stories Written in Twenty Minutes Each. and a Story from Roddy Doyle. in Over Two Dimensions. Almost Three. San Francisco, CA: McSweeney's Quarterly. 2003. ISBN 978-1-93-241606-0. OCLC 54697932.
  • Miller, Rhett (2009). "Tender 'Til The Day I Die". In Schaper, Julie; Horwitz, Steven (eds.). Amplified: Fiction from Leading Alt-Country, Indie Rock, Blues and Folk Musicians. Brooklyn, N.Y.: Melville House. pp. 171–182. ISBN 978-1-93-363371-8. OCLC 297148858. – short story
  • Miller, Rhett (September 2011). "About That Day: A diary of 9/11". The Atlantic.
  • Miller, Rhett (24 May 2012). "Trust me on this: David Bowie's "Hunky Dory"". Salon.
  • Miller, Rhett (12 January 2015). "We Could Have Been Cowboys". Sports Illustrated.
  • Miller, Rhett (15 January 2016). "David Bowie was my North Star: My peace and escape was in his music, especially side two of "Hunky Dory"". Salon.
  • Miller, Rhett (4 December 2017). "The Loneliness of the Long Distance Rocker". The Baffler.
  • Miller, Rhett; Santat (art by), Dan (2019). No More Poems! A Book in Verse That Just Gets Worse. New York: Little, Brown and Company. ISBN 978-0-316-41652-8. OCLC 1089741084. - poetry

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g Crain, Zac (8 April 1999). "Rhett's exploding". Dallas Observer. Retrieved 28 August 2016.
  2. ^ Hepola, Sarah (13 April 2024). "Rhett Miller and the Old 97′s took Dallas stories and made them American classics". The Dallas Morning News. Retrieved 15 April 2024.
  3. ^ a b Cantin, Paul (31 August 2002). "Rhett Miller - Apart but not alone". No Depression. No. 41. Retrieved 28 August 2016.
  4. ^ a b Daley, David (18 February 2014). "Old 97's Rhett Miller: "I don't have to try and make everybody happy all the time"". Salon.
  5. ^ Leahey, Andrew (12 March 2012). "Old 97's, "Barrier Reef"". American Songwriter. Retrieved 28 August 2016.
  6. ^ a b c d Maron, Marc (27 November 2014). "Episode 554 - Rhett Miller". WTF with Marc Maron. Retrieved 28 August 2016.
  7. ^ Miller, Rhett (12 January 2015). "We Could Have Been Cowboys". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved 28 August 2016.
  8. ^ a b White, Timothy (28 June 1997). "Music to My Ears: Creating Country's 'Far' Side". Billboard. Retrieved 28 August 2016.
  9. ^ Hiatt, Brian (30 July 2014). "Rhett Miller: The Rock Star Next Door". Men's Journal. Retrieved 28 August 2016.
  10. ^ Duguay, Rob (12 July 2016). "Interview: Rhett Miller on surviving as a musician, the importance of the song, and what's next for Old 97's". Vanyaland. Retrieved 28 August 2016.
  11. ^ Marks, John (30 April 2008). "Old 97's - More fun in the new world". No Depression. No. 75. Retrieved 29 August 2016.
  12. ^ "Rhett Miller has not aged well". The A.V. Club. 13 October 2009. Retrieved 28 August 2016.
  13. ^ Adkins, Jessica (24 June 2012). "Writer of the Week: Rhett Miller". American Songwriter. Retrieved 28 August 2016.
  14. ^ Rowland, Hobart (30 July 2012). "Rhett Miller: The Seeker". Magnet. Retrieved 28 August 2016.
  15. ^ Mayeroff, Bill (15 August 2012). "I Support My Family Singing Songs and Shaking My Ass: An Interview with Rhett Miller". PopMatters. Retrieved 28 August 2016.
  16. ^ Payne, Chris (26 May 2015). "Rhett Miller on New Solo Album 'The Traveler,' Working With Peter Buck & Decemberists". Billboard. Retrieved 28 August 2016.
  17. ^ Murray, Nick (24 March 2015). "Hear Rhett Miller's Blissful 'Most in the Summertime'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 28 August 2016.
  18. ^ a b Gage, Jeff (27 November 2018). "Rhett Miller on Suicide Prevention, Sobriety and Living Forever Through Song". Rolling Stone.
  19. ^ Smith, Kenneth (27 November 2002). "Rhett Miller: Pop Fiction: Rhett Miller sketches his own character". San Diego CityBeat. Retrieved 28 August 2016.
  20. ^ Dick, Jonathan (20 October 2015). "an interview w/ Rhett Miller of Old 97's (who are on tour) — on longevity, technology, depression, songwriting & more". BrooklynVegan. Retrieved 28 August 2016.
  21. ^ "Mastercard 2003: Homeward Bound". Mastercard. 2003. Archived from the original on 2021-12-21. Retrieved 28 August 2016.
  22. ^ Itzkoff, Dave (15 May 2009). "The Most Important '30 Rock' Clip Ever". The New York Times. Retrieved 28 August 2016.
  23. ^ "Rhett MMiller Creates and Hosts New Podcast, "Wheels Off - A Show About the Messy Reality Behind the Creative Life"". Music News Net. Retrieved 30 April 2019.
  24. ^ Freedman, Pete (9 October 2008). "Rhett Miller and Brent Best To Perform At Cystic Fibrosis Benefit Show". Dallas Observer. Retrieved 29 August 2016.
  25. ^ "Rhett Miller Shares His Message For Teens - Okay To Say™" (video). Okay to Say. 6 July 2016. Archived from the original on 2021-12-21. Retrieved 28 August 2016.
  26. ^ Steele, Tom (7 July 2016). "Old 97's frontman Rhett Miller lends his voice to mental-health awareness effort". Dallas News. Retrieved 28 August 2016.
  27. ^ Miller, Rhett (September 2011). "About That Day: A diary of 9/11". The Atlantic. Retrieved 28 August 2016.
  28. ^ Gross, Heather (19 April 2006). "Recycling rock". The Daily Northwestern. Retrieved 28 August 2016.
  29. ^ Robertson, Jessica (9 December 2005). "Rhett Miller Becomes a "Believer"". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 28 August 2016.
  30. ^ "Rhett Miller Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved June 28, 2024.
  31. ^ "Rhett Miller Chart History (Top Rock Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved June 28, 2024.
  32. ^ "Rhett Miller Chart History - Triple A Songs". Billboard. Retrieved December 11, 2018.
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