Rock singer Jerry Miller, famous guitarist and founding member of the progressive rock band Moby Grape, already dead. He is 81 years old.
Miller died suddenly on Saturday, the musician’s rep confirms people. The cause of death has not been disclosed.
Miller was born and raised in Tacoma, Washington, and began his musical career as a teenager in the late 1950s. He formed The Frantics with drummers Don Stevenson and Bob Moseley, which earned them early fame.
They soon moved to San Francisco and joined former Jefferson Airplane members Skip Spence and Peter Lewis. Together they formed Moby Grape.
The band released their first studio album, moby grapeIn 1967, Miller co-wrote two of the band’s biggest hits from the album, including “8.05” and “Hey Grandma.” The album subsequently reached number 124 rolling stones‘s “The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time” list.
Over the next few years, the band went on to release a number of recordings, including wow/grape jam (1968), Moby Grape ’69 (1969), real good citizen (1969).
However, the band’s success seemed to be derailed by a combination of drug abuse and mental illness – especially Spence, who suffered a breakdown and left the band in 1970.
However, the band reunited in 1971 after a brief hiatus, releasing 20 Granite Creek, They continued to play on and off for the next five years. However, in the 1990s, Miller stopped regrouping and focused on his solo efforts and performing with the Jerry Miller Band.
Miller is survived by his long-time partner, Joe Johnson;
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