Nathan "Ned" Miller (August 2, 1899 – January 26, 1990) was a British-born American songwriter, composer, music publisher, and actor who wrote the hit songs, "Why Should I Cry Over You", (a waltz ballad) in 1922, " Sunday" (a jazz standard) in 1926, and "Little Joe" (a jazz standard) in 1931. His music has been recorded by Frank Sinatra,

Nat King Cole Nathaniel Adams Coles (March 17, 1919 – February 15, 1965), known professionally as Nat King Cole, was an American singer, jazz pianist, and actor. Cole's music career began after he dropped out of school at the age of 15, and continued f ...

, Louis Armstrong,

Al Jolson Al Jolson (born Eizer Yoelson; June 9, 1886 – October 23, 1950) was a Lithuanian-American Jewish singer, comedian, actor, and vaudevillian. He was one of the United States' most famous and highest-paid stars of the 1920s, and was self-billed ...

Carmen McRae Carmen Mercedes McRae (April 8, 1920 – November 10, 1994) was an American jazz singer. She is considered one of the most influential jazz vocalists of the 20th century and is remembered for her behind-the-beat phrasing and ironic interpre ...

, Stan Getz, Peggy Lee, the

Ink Spots The Ink Spots were an American pop vocal group who gained international fame in the 1930s and 1940s. Their unique musical style presaged the rhythm and blues and rock and roll musical genres, and the subgenre doo-wop. The Ink Spots were widely ac ...

, Johnny Mercer, Benny Goodman, Andy Williams, and many others. His music has also been featured in weekly TV programs and films. In 1982, Ned Miller was inducted into the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) Golden Circle after having been a member for fifty years.

Early life and career

Miller was born in London and emigrated to the United States with his family when he was a small child. At the age of seven, he quit school to support his brothers and sisters by singing on the street corner for pennies a day. In 1922, Ned Miller moved to Chicago and joined with

Jack Benny Jack Benny (born Benjamin Kubelsky, February 14, 1894 – December 26, 1974) was an American entertainer who evolved from a modest success playing violin on the vaudeville circuit to one of the leading entertainers of the twentieth century wit ...

on the

vaudeville Vaudeville (; ) is a theatrical genre of variety entertainment born in France at the end of the 19th century. A vaudeville was originally a comedy without psychological or moral intentions, based on a comical situation: a dramatic composition ...

circuit where Benny included him in his acts. From that time on, they became lifelong friends often collaborating on television shows, TV specials, and even musical compositions.

Career

Composer

Based on his success in vaudeville, Miller began writing and publishing his music in the 1920s and became part of the Chicago jazz sounds and

Tin Pan Alley Tin Pan Alley was a collection of music publishers and songwriters in New York City that dominated the popular music of the United States in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. It originally referred to a specific place: West 28th Street ...

. Before long, his songs were recorded by

Victor Records The Victor Talking Machine Company was an American recording company and phonograph manufacturer that operated independently from 1901 until 1929, when it was acquired by the Radio Corporation of America and subsequently operated as a subsidi ...

(acquired by RCA Victor), the Virginians' "Why Should I Cry Over You?" in 1922, the

Paul Whiteman Orchestra Paul Samuel Whiteman (March 28, 1890 – December 29, 1967) was an American bandleader, composer, orchestral director, and violinist. As the leader of one of the most popular dance bands in the United States during the 1920s and early 1930s, W ...

in 1923, and the Jean Goldkette Orchestra in 1926. In 1926, when Jule Styne was only 17 years old and beginning his career, Styne collaborated with Ned Miller,

Chester Conn Chester Conn ''(né'' Master Chester Cohn; April 14, 1894 in San Francisco, California – April 4, 1973 in Flushing, Queens) was an American composer of popular music and music publisher. Early life and career Chester was born to David Cohn and ...

, and

Benny Krueger Benny Krueger (June 17, 1899 – April 29, 1967) was an American jazz saxophonist. After a short stint with Ross Gorman's band, Krueger's joined the Acme Sextette in New York, which included Miff Mole on trombone, Ernie Holst on violin, and Edw ...

on " Sunday" which became an instant hit and the first best-selling song for Styne. "Sunday" also became a

parlor song Parlour music is a type of popular music which, as the name suggests, is intended to be performed in the parlours of houses, usually by amateur singers and piano, pianists. Disseminated as sheet music, its heyday came in the 19th century, as a resu ...

, popularly sung by friends and family gathering around the piano for entertainment.

Art Tatum Arthur Tatum Jr. (, October 13, 1909 – November 5, 1956) was an American jazz pianist who is widely regarded as one of the greatest in his field. From early in his career, Tatum's technical ability was regarded by fellow musicians as extraord ...

included the song in a collection of his Parlor Songs.

liked the song so much that he helped promote it. "Sunday" later became the theme song for the 1940s radio show of husband and wife team

Alice Faye Alice Faye (born Alice Jeanne Leppert; May 5, 1915 – May 9, 1998) was an American actress and singer. A musical star of 20th Century-Fox in the 1930s and 1940s, Faye starred in such films as '' On the Avenue'' (1937) and ''Alexander's Ragtime ...

and

Phil Harris Wonga Philip Harris (June 24, 1904 – August 11, 1995) was an American actor, comedian, musician and songwriter. He was an orchestra leader and a pioneer in radio situation comedy, first with ''The Jack Benny Program'', then in '' The Phil Harr ...

.The song charted three times in 1927.

Cliff Edwards Clifton Avon "Cliff" Edwards (June 14, 1895 – July 17, 1971), nicknamed "Ukulele Ike", was an American singer, musician and actor. He enjoyed considerable popularity in the 1920s and early 1930s, specializing in jazzy renditions of pop standar ...

(Ukulele Ike) took it to number three:

Gene Austin Lemeul Eugene Lucas (June 24, 1900 – January 24, 1972), better known by his stage name Gene Austin, was an American singer and songwriter, one of the early " crooners". His recording of " My Blue Heaven" sold over 5 million copies and was for ...

(the "Voice of the Southland") took it to number 11 accompanied by pianist

Abel Baer Abel Baer (March 16, 1893 – October 5, 1976) was an American songwriter, associated with Tin Pan Alley. Biography Born in Baltimore, Maryland, Baer graduated from the College of Physicians and Surgeons, specialising in dentistry. Baer left ...

; and the vaudeville singing trio, the Keller Sisters and Lynch, recorded "Sunday" with the Jean Goldkette Orchestra where their version rose to number 11. "Sunday," has been performed regularly by a wide variety of noted jazz musicians. Many saxophonists have recorded it: Lester Young, Lee Konitz, and

John Coltrane John William Coltrane (September 23, 1926 – July 17, 1967) was an American jazz saxophonist, bandleader and composer. He is among the most influential and acclaimed figures in the history of jazz and 20th-century music. Born and raise ...

; Ben Webster on two occasions with fellow saxists Gerry Mulligan and Don Byas; Harry Allen with the John Pizzarelli Trio; and Stan Getz with the Oscar Peterson Trio. Other recordings include vibraphonist Red Norvo; trumpeter Sweets Edison; pianists Fats Waller and Hank Jones; and vocalists Maxine Sullivan, Johnny Hartman, Carmen McRae, June Christy, Nat King Cole,

Carol Sloane Carol Sloane (born March 5, 1937) is an American jazz singer born in Providence, Rhode Island, who has been singing professionally since she was 14, although for a time in the 1970s she worked as a legal secretary in Raleigh, North Carolina. In ...

and the

Buddy Rich Bernard "Buddy" Rich (September 30, 1917 – April 2, 1987) was an American jazz drummer, songwriter, conductor, and bandleader. He is considered one of the most influential drummers of all time. Rich was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York, ...

Ensemble. The multi-Grammy winning vocal quartet, The Manhattan Transfer, closed each episode of their weekly television variety show with the song, "Sunday." In addition to "Sunday" and "Why Should I Cry Over You", Mr. Miller wrote hundreds of songs during his lifetime, including "Heartbreaker" (©1933), "Kentucky Lullaby", "Don't Mind The Rain", "What Will You Do", "You Don't Like It—Not Much", "Sicilian Tarantella", and many others. Jack Benny also collaborated with Ned Miller on several compositions and recordings. For example, in 1922, Jack Benny recorded "Why Should I Cry Over You" in 1922 and co-wrote the song, "You're Sweet That Way", in 1962. In 1976, Irving Fein, Jack Benny's manager and producer, interviewed Mr. Miller for the book ''Jack Benny: an Intimate Portrait'', where he described their lifelong friendship and artistic collaborations.

Actor

In addition to his music, Miller also worked for years with

on ''

The Jack Benny Program ''The Jack Benny Program'', starring Jack Benny, is a radio-TV comedy series that ran for more than three decades and is generally regarded as a high-water mark in 20th century American comedy. He played one role throughout his radio and televis ...

'', television appearances, commercials, and NBC specials. He appeared in 22 episodes of ''The Jack Benny Program'' between 1961–1965 and often served as a stand-in for blocking shots due to a similarity in appearance. The show earned 20 Emmy nominations during its run and won seven, including two for Benny himself and one for Best Comedy Series.

Legacy

Long after retirement, Miller continued to write music for his family, friends, and neighbors. Since Miller's death (at 90 years of age), his music catalog has been actively maintained by a granddaughter, Jennifer Gerhold, Ph.D., and his songs continue to be played all over the world.

References

External links

EMI Ned Miller (composer)

The Jack Benny Show Ned Miller (actor)

The Jack Benny Program Ned Miller (actor)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Miller, Nathan Musicians from London Male actors from Los Angeles English emigrants to the United States American male composers Vaudeville performers Songwriters from California 1899 births 1990 deaths Male actors from London Musicians from Los Angeles 20th-century American male actors 20th-century English composers 20th-century American composers 20th-century American male musicians American male songwriters