Biscuit Miller facts for kids

David Leon "Biscuit" Miller, born on December 30, 1961, is an American musician. He plays the electric bass guitar, sings, and writes his own songs. He creates most of his music himself. So far, he has released four albums.

Biscuit Miller won a special award called the Blues Music Award twice. He won it in 2012 and 2017 for being the best bass player. Some of his most famous songs are "Lay It On Down", "Bottle of Whiskey Bottle of Wine", "Going Home", "One More Mile", "Monday Morning Blues", and "Wishbone". He played at the Bradenton Blues Festival in December 2017. A music magazine called Down Beat said he was "a real crowd-pleaser." This means he was very popular with the audience.

Life and Career

Early Life and Music Start

Biscuit Miller was born in South Side, Chicago, Illinois, USA. His grandmother raised him. He got his nickname 'Biscuit' when he was a child. Just before supper, he ate a whole pan of his grandmother's biscuits!

He found a four-string electric bass guitar that belonged to his friend's older brother. Right away, he felt excited to try playing it. Miller learned about blues music through his connection to Willie Dixon.

Miller said, "I went to school with Willie's kids." Willie Dixon started one of the first blues music programs in Chicago. Miller remembered, "Once, he brought in this little kid named Lucky Peterson." Hearing the band play made him want to play music too.

Forming Bands and Learning the Blues

Miller formed his first band called Clever with his cousin, Ivan Wallace. In 1982, they both moved to Minneapolis. Miller then worked with a musician named Sonny Rodgers. He learned a lot about playing the blues from Rodgers.

They recorded an album together called They Call Me the Cat Daddy. This album helped Rodgers win a Handy Award for Best New Artist. Sadly, Rodgers passed away before he could accept his award.

Miller then played bass for George "Mojo" Buford and Lady Blue. Lady Blue was a backing vocalist for Ike & Tina Turner. During this time, Miller was asked to play bass for one night with another Chicago blues musician, Lonnie Brooks.

Playing with Lonnie Brooks and Starting His Own Music

Miller ended up playing in Lonnie Brooks' band for over ten years. He even played at the second inauguration of Bill Clinton, who was the President of the United States.

In 2000, Miller started his own band called Biscuit and The Mix. He formed this band to play music when he wasn't busy with Lonnie Brooks. They recorded Miller's first album, Come Together, in 2002.

Miller also played informally with Anthony Gomes. Later, he joined Gomes' band full-time. He helped record albums like Sweet Stringin' Soul (2000), Unity (2002), and Music is the Medicine (2006) during his five years with Gomes.

Starting His Own Band and Winning Awards

By 2009, Miller had formed his own band. He said, "I was getting on up in my 50s... I'd done all this playing with everybody else, and it just seemed like time." He felt it was time to lead his own music.

His album Blues with a Smile was released in 2010. Other musicians played on this album, including Billy Branch on harmonica. Ronnie Baker Brooks and Shawn Kellerman played guitar. Andrew "Blaze" Thomas played drums. They played alongside Miller's regular band, the Mix.

In 2012, Miller won his first Blues Music Award. His album Blues with a Smile was played on Sirius XM Radio. In 2013, Miller performed at the Daytona Blues Festival.

His 2016 album, Wishbone, has a special story. The title song was inspired by his two grandsons. They were excited about making a wish on the turkey wishbone during their Thanksgiving dinner. In May 2017, Miller won his second Blues Music Award for being the best bass player.

Today, Biscuit Miller lives in Highland, Lake County, Indiana. However, he is based in Indianapolis for his music career.

Discography

Albums Released by Biscuit Miller

See also

• List of electric blues musicians