Marcus Miller

Biography

William Henry Marcus Miller Jr. (born June 14, 1959) is an American musician, songwriter and record producer. He has worked with trumpeter Miles Davis, pianist Herbie Hancock, singer Luther Vandross, and saxophonists Wayne Shorter and David Sanborn, among others. He was the main songwriter and producer on three of Davis's albums: Tutu (1986), Music from Siesta×Music From Siesta1987 · EPSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 4 tracksA1Siesta5:10A2Conchita5:50B1Claire2:20B2Augustine4:32 (1987), and Amandla (1989). His collaboration with Vandross was especially close; he co-produced and served as the arranger for most of Vandross's albums, and he and Vandross co-wrote many songs, including the hits "I Really Didn't Mean It", "Any Love", "Power of Love/Love Power" and "Don't Want to Be a Fool". Miller also co-wrote the 1988 single "Da Butt" for Experience Unlimited.

Early life

William Henry Marcus Miller Jr. was born in the Brooklyn borough of New York City on June 14, 1959. He grew up in a musical family; his father, William Miller, was a church organist and choir director. Through his father, he is a cousin of jazz pianist Wynton Kelly. He became classically trained as a clarinetist and later learned to play keyboards, saxophone, and guitar in addition to bass.

Career

Miller began to work regularly in New York City, eventually playing bass and writing music for jazz flautist Bobbi Humphrey and keyboardist Lonnie Liston Smith. Miller's earliest influences include James Jamerson and Larry Graham. He spent approximately 15 years performing as a session musician. During that time he also arranged and produced frequently. He was a member of the Saturday Night Live band between 1979 and 1981. He co-wrote Aretha Franklin's "Jump To It" along with Luther Vandross, and sang alongside Vandross on the 1986 David Bowie single "Underground" from the movie Labyrinth. Miller has played bass on more than 500 recordings, appearing on albums by such artists as Michael Jackson, Beyoncé, Herbie Hancock, Mariah Carey, Eric Clapton, The Crusaders, Wayne Shorter, McCoy Tyner, Frank Sinatra, George Benson, Dr. John, Aretha Franklin, Elton John, Joe Walsh, Jean-Michel Jarre, Grover Washington Jr., Donald Fagen, Bill Withers, Bernard Wright, Kazumi Watanabe, Chaka Khan, LL Cool J and Flavio Sala. Miller won the "Most Valuable Player" award (given by NARAS to recognize studio musicians) three years in a row and was subsequently awarded "player emeritus" status and retired from eligibility.
In the mid-1980s, Miller began a solo career as a funk/R&B singer, with the albums Suddenly×Suddenly1983 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 9 tracksA1Lovin' You5:19A2Much Too Much6:12A3Suddenly5:25A4Just for You3:53B1The Only Reason I Live5:01B2Just What I Needed4:51B3Let Me Show You (I Just Want to Make You Smile)4:41B4Be My Love4:25B5Could It Be You3:24 (1983) and Marcus×Marcus4 March 2008 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 14 tracks1Blast5:432Funk Joint5:133Free5:014Higher Ground5:115Milky Way5:376Pluck (interlude)3:197Lost Without U4:428'Cause I Want You3:139Ooh4:0010When I Fall in Love5:2411Strum5:4112Jean Pierre6:1613What Is Hip?6:0314Lost Without U (Spoken Word)5:34 Miller (1984). He was the main songwriter, producer and instrumentalist on these albums. He has since then released ten more solo albums, although he has only occasionally sung on these subsequent albums.
Between 1988 and 1990, Miller was the musical director and house band bass player (in the "Sunday Night Band") during two seasons of the late-night TV show Sunday Night (also known as Night Music) on NBC, hosted by David Sanborn and Jools Holland.
As a composer, Miller co-wrote and produced several songs on the Miles Davis album Tutu, including the title track. He also composed "Chicago Song" for David Sanborn and co-wrote "'Til My Baby Comes Home", "It's Over Now", "For You to Love", and "Power of Love" for Luther Vandross. Miller also wrote "Da Butt", which was featured in Spike Lee's School Daze. In addition, he composed and provided spoken vocals on "Burn it Up", which was featured on Najee's 1992 album Just An Illusion.
In 1997, Miller played bass guitar and bass clarinet in the supergroup Legends, featuring Eric Clapton (guitars and vocals), Joe Sample (piano), David Sanborn (alto sax) and Steve Gadd (drums). It was an 11-date tour of major jazz festivals in Europe. In 2008 Miller formed another supergroup, SMV, with fellow bassists Stanley Clarke and Victor Wooten, for a world tour lasting 18 months. He produced SMV's first release, Thunder. In the summer of 2011, Miller toured alongside Herbie Hancock and Wayne Shorter celebrating Miles Davis on the 20th anniversary of his death.
In 2017, Miller, along with Common, headlined the Playboy Jazz Festival.
Miller hosts a jazz history and influences show called Miller Time with Marcus Miller on the Real Jazz channel of Sirius XM Holdings satellite radio system. In addition to his recording and performance career, Miller has established a parallel career as a film score composer. He has written numerous scores for films, including films directed by Reginald Hudlin and Chris Rock.
Miller speaks French and Spanish, which he started learning in his late 40s. He has been known to speak it fluently during interviews, and has introduced songs such as "Preacher's Kid" – a story about his father, in concerts.

Awards and honors

Miller has been nominated for numerous Grammy Awards as a producer for Miles Davis, Luther Vandross, David Sanborn, Bob James, Chaka Khan and Wayne Shorter, and has won two Grammys. He won a Grammy Award for Best R&B Song in 1992, for Luther Vandross' "Power of Love" and in 2001 he won for Best Contemporary Jazz Album for his seventh solo instrumental album, M². His 2015 album Afrodeezia×Afrodeezia16 March 2015 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 11 tracks1Hylife6:592B's River6:493Preacher's Kid (Song For William H)5:464We Were There6:495Papa Was A Rolling Stone6:076I Still Believe I Hear7:067Son Of Macbeth6:128Prism (Interlude)0:309Xtraordinary6:1410Water Dancer7:2811I Can't Breathe5:09 earned a Grammy Award nomination for Best Contemporary Instrumental Album.

In 2012, Miller was appointed a UNESCO Artist for Peace, supporting and promoting the UNESCO Slave Route Project.
In December 2021, Bass Player magazine awarded Miller a Lifetime Achievement Award.

As a member

The Jamaica Boys

The Jamaica Boys (WEA, 1987)
J. Boys (Reprise, 1990)
Legends
(With Eric Clapton, David Sanborn, Joe Sample and Steve Gadd)

Legends Live at Montreux 1997 (Eagle Vision, 2005)[DVD-Video]
Gasteiz Jazz Festival Spain 1997 (Alive the Live, 2019)[2CD]

Film scores

1987: Siesta
1990: House Party (featuring Kid 'n Play)
1992: Boomerang (featuring Eddie Murphy)
1994: Above the Rim (featuring Tupac Shakur)
1994: A Low Down Dirty Shame (featuring Keenen Ivory Wayans)
1996: The Great White Hype (featuring Samuel L. Jackson)
1997: The Sixth Man (featuring Marlon Wayans)
1999: An American Love Story
2000: The Ladies Man (featuring Tim Meadows)
2001: The Trumpet of the Swan (featuring Reese Witherspoon)
2001: The Brothers (featuring Morris Chestnut)
2001: Two Can Play That Game (featuring Vivica A. Fox)
2002: Serving Sara (featuring Matthew Perry)
2003: Deliver Us from Eva (featuring LL Cool J)
2003: Head of State (featuring Chris Rock)
2004: Breakin' All the Rules (featuring Jamie Foxx)
2005: King's Ransom (featuring Anthony Anderson)
2005: Everybody Hates Chris (featuring Chris Rock and Tichina Arnold)
2006: Save the Last Dance 2 (featuring Izabella Miko)
2007: I Think I Love My Wife (featuring Chris Rock)
2007: This Christmas (featuring Idris Elba)
2009: Good Hair (Chris Rock documentary)
2009: Obsessed (featuring Beyoncé Knowles)
2012: Think Like a Man
2014: About Last Night
2017: Marshall
2020: Safety
2022: Sidney
2023: Candy Cane Lane

Media appearances

In 2017, Miller appeared on the Armenian talk show Nice Evening.