Bill Miller (February 3, 1915 – July 11, 2006) was an American

jazz pianist Jazz piano is a collective term for the techniques pianists use when playing jazz. The piano has been an integral part of the jazz idiom since its inception, in both solo and ensemble settings. Its role is multifaceted due largely to the instru ...

, who accompanied

Frank Sinatra Francis Albert Sinatra (; December 12, 1915 – May 14, 1998) was an American singer and actor. Nicknamed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Chairman of the Board" and later called "Ol' Blue Eyes", Sinatra was one of the most popular ...

for more than 50 years, and for the last eight years of his life, accompanied

Frank Sinatra Jr. Francis Wayne Sinatra Group note. (; January 10, 1944 – March 16, 2016), professionally known as Frank Sinatra Jr., was an American singer, songwriter, and conductor. He was the son of singer and actor Frank Sinatra and his first wife, Nancy ...

Life and career

Miller was born in

Brooklyn Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, be ...

, New York. Performing with

Red Norvo Red Norvo (born Kenneth Norville; March 31, 1908 – April 6, 1999) was an American musician, one of jazz's early vibraphonists, known as "Mr. Swing". He helped establish the xylophone, marimba, and vibraphone as jazz instruments. His reco ...

Mildred Bailey Mildred Bailey (born Mildred Rinker; February 27, 1907 – December 12, 1951) was a Native American jazz singer during the 1930s, known as "The Queen of Swing", "The Rockin' Chair Lady" and "Mrs. Swing". She recorded the songs " For Sentimenta ...

and

Charlie Barnet Charles Daly Barnet (October 26, 1913 – September 4, 1991) was an American jazz saxophonist, composer, and bandleader. His major recordings were "Skyliner", " Cherokee", "The Wrong Idea", "Scotch and Soda", "In a Mizz", and "Southland Shuffl ...

in the 1930s, Miller also performed with

Tommy Dorsey Thomas Francis Dorsey Jr. (November 19, 1905 – November 26, 1956) was an American jazz trombonist, composer, conductor and bandleader of the big band era. He was known as the "Sentimental Gentleman of Swing" because of his smooth-toned trombo ...

and Benny Goodman.Post Mortem
"Pianist Bill Miller, 91; Framed Sinatra's Songs With Elegance"
''The Washington Post''. First meeting Sinatra in 1941, they did not work together until November 1951, when Miller was performing in the lounge of the Desert Inn, in

Las Vegas Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Vegas ...

. Sinatra was having difficulty holding on to pianists, and it was

Jimmy Van Heusen James Van Heusen (born Edward Chester Babcock; January 26, 1913 – February 6, 1990) was an American composer. He wrote songs for films, television and theater, and won an Emmy and four Academy Awards for Best Original Song. Life and care ...

who recommended Miller to Sinatra. Miller's house was destroyed in a 1964 mudslide in

Burbank, California Burbank is a city in the southeastern end of the San Fernando Valley in Los Angeles County, California, United States. Located northwest of downtown Los Angeles, Burbank has a population of 107,337. The city was named after David Burbank, w ...

, which also claimed the life of his wife, Aimee. He was abruptly dismissed for no apparent reason by Sinatra in 1978, but was invited back in 1985. Sinatra died in 1998, and Miller performed "

One for My Baby (and One More for the Road) "One for My Baby (and One More for the Road)" is a hit song written by Harold Arlen and Johnny Mercer for the movie musical '' The Sky's the Limit'' (1943) and first performed in the film by Fred Astaire. Background Harold Arlen described the so ...

" at his funeral. He retired for three years, and then came out of retirement to work for Sinatra's son, Frank Sinatra, Jr."Sinatra Pianist Bill Miller Dies At 91"
All About Jazz, 18 July 2006. Bill Miller also played on the recreation of ''

Silent Night "Silent Night" (german: "Stille Nacht, heilige Nacht", links=no, italic=no) is a popular Christmas carol, composed in 1818 by Franz Xaver Gruber to lyrics by Joseph Mohr in the small town of Oberndorf bei Salzburg, Austria. It was declared an ...

'', re-recorded after Sinatra's death with a full orchestra. Miller died "on the road", while touring with Sinatra, Jr., from complications following a heart attack, at

Montreal General Hospital The Montreal General Hospital (MGH) (french: Hôpital Général de Montréal) is a hospital in Montreal, Quebec, Canada established in the years 1818-1820. The hospital received its charter in 1823. It is currently part of the McGill University ...

at age 91.

Selected discography

;with

Buddy Collette William Marcel "Buddy" Collette (August 6, 1921 – September 19, 2010) was an American jazz flutist, saxophonist, and clarinetist. He was a founding member of the Chico Hamilton Quintet. Early life William Marcel Collette was born in L ...

*''

Buddy Collette's Swinging Shepherds ''Buddy Collette's Swinging Shepherds'' is an album by multi-instrumentalist and composer Buddy Collette recorded at sessions in 1958 and released on the EmArcy label.

'' (EmArcy, 1958) *''

At the Cinema! ''At the Cinema!'' is an album by multi-instrumentalist and composer Buddy Collette's Swinging Shepherds, a jazz group featuring four flautists, recorded in early 1959 and released on the Mercury label.

'' (Mercury, 1959) ;with

*''

Songs for Young Lovers ''Songs for Young Lovers'' is the seventh studio album by Frank Sinatra and his first on Capitol Records. It was issued as an 8-song, 10" album (Capitol H-488) and as a 45rpm EP set, but it was the first Sinatra "album" not to have a 78rpm mu ...

'' (1954) *''

In the Wee Small Hours ''In the Wee Small Hours'' is the ninth studio album by American vocalist Frank Sinatra. It was released in April 1955 by Capitol and produced by Voyle Gilmore with arrangements by Nelson Riddle. All the songs on the album deal with themes ...

'' (1955) *''

Frank Sinatra Sings for Only the Lonely ''Frank Sinatra Sings for Only the Lonely'' (1958, also known as ''Sings for Only the Lonely'' or simply ''Only the Lonely'') is an album by Frank Sinatra. The album consists of a collection of torch songs, following a formula similar to Sinatra' ...

'' (1958) *'' Sinatra & Sextet: Live in Paris'' (1962) *''

Sinatra At The Sands ''Sinatra at the Sands'' is a live album by Frank Sinatra accompanied by Count Basie and his orchestra, and conducted and arranged by Quincy Jones, recorded live in the Copa Room of the former Sands Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas in 1966. It w ...

'' (1966) *'' Cycles'' (1968) *'' The Main Event – Live'' (1974) *''

Duets A duet is a musical composition or piece for two performers. Duets or The Duets may also refer to: Films and television * ''Duets'' (film), a 2000 film, starring Gwyneth Paltrow, Paul Giamatti and Huey Lewis * "Duets" (''Glee''), a 2010 episo ...

'' (1993) *'' Duets II'' (1994) *'' Sinatra: Vegas'' (2006) *'' Sinatra: New York'' (2009) *'' Live at the Meadowlands'' (2009) *'' Sinatra: London'' (2014) *'' Ultimate Sinatra'' (2015) ;with

Robbie Williams Robert Peter Williams (born 13 February 1974) is an English singer and songwriter. He found fame as a member of the pop group Take That from 1990 to 1995, and achieved commercial success after launching a solo career in 1996. His debut stud ...

*''

Swing When You're Winning ''Swing When You're Winning'' is a swing cover album by English singer-songwriter Robbie Williams, and his fourth studio album overall. It was released in the United Kingdom on 19 November 2001 and peaked at number one on the UK Albums Chart. ...

'' (2001)
Frank Sinatra with the Red Norvo Quintet: Live in Australia, 1959

References

External links

*

Allboutjazz obituary

''New York Sun'' obituary

Npr.org obituary

{{DEFAULTSORT:Miller, Bill American pianists 1915 births 2006 deaths Musicians from Brooklyn American male pianists 20th-century American male musicians