As young teenagers growing up in Wisconsin, Jeff Miller and his bandmates sought out every opportunity to play live music. Their strong passion for music and interacting with live audiences led them to play local dances, party, and park and rec festivals. By the time Jeff was 15 years old, Mike Forest Talent took interest and landed his band's first professional gig, a two-nighter at Lock’s Bar just off Broadway in Green Bay. After playing for years in Wisconsin, Jeff Miller decided to move out to Los Angeles to perform and record their first album, “Just A Thought,” with producer Jack Skinner in the summer of 1977. Jeff then became a promoter, producer, agent, and manager over the next 25 years, working with a variety of artists from Liberace to Metallica. Along the way, Jeff opened for Johnny Cash, Jackson Brown, The Ozark Mt. Daredevils, The Guess Who, Otis Day, Bryan Lee, Tony Brown and many more. While managing and promoting other established acts, Jeff managed his own musical career.
Over the years The Jeff Miller band have recorded three all original albums/CDs titled Just A Thought, Debut/Farewell and Songs For Silvia with a multitude of musicians and collaborators including Mitch Ryder of the Detroit Wheels, Buddy Miles & Billy Cox of Band of Gypsies, Joey Molland of Badfinger, Phil Solom of the Rembrandts, Tony Brown and many more internationally known talents, as well as many of his longtime band mates; Keith Watt, Paul Hendricks, Dave Duffey, Dean Branshaw, Bill Bomber and Rick Singer.
Since 2022, The Jeff Miller Band has expanded to a sometimes 12-piece ensemble depending on the gig who have performed at notable festivals and clubs across the country such as The Viper Room & The Whiskey A GoGo in LA (with Kim Thayil of Sound Garden) as well as brand new venues in Green Bay. The JMB currently features a unique combination of musicians: Bob Heiser, Jayme Gast, Robert Vega, Liz Vega, Ralph Tutwiler, Paul Hendricks, Ric Doonbali, Dale Oldenburg, Danny Kine, Leah LaMalfa and Conner Jaszzs.. As The Jeff Miller Band builds momentum through live shows, they are preparing to release their long-awaited DVD, ‘A Look Back From Here,’ which will showcase both old and new songs spanning Jeff’s writing career. With the help of audio producer Hans Christian (Studio 330), this DVD will feature audio and visual elements that The JMB’s have conjured over 50-plus years.
Once Again We Are The Children Of The Sun from BBE Records, a compilation by Paul Hillery released in March 2023, includes Jeff’s first release on Jewel T Records titled ‘Just A Thought’ (1977). Paul Hillery passionately states “the song, ‘Just A Thought,’ is a combination of human history and the promise of what could come from positive thought, purity of heart, and a careful assessment of where we had come from and where we all could be heading in the future.”
Their next release, ‘Now & Then,’ was written years ago and has now been recorded with Jeff’s original junior high school band mates. “Truly a labor of love to reunite with the 4 guys I start playing music with all those years ago and now reunited for this one last song,” Jeff emphasizes. As executive producer, Jeff is very proud to be releasing three new albums; Tony Brown’s - Combined Roots, RRTUT The Poetic EMCEE - Don’t Lose Interest, and a Chuck Berry tribute album. Through all the years, Jeff continues to play the music he loves with those who have been supporting him since the beginning of his journey in 1968.
