Legendary guitarist Jerry Miller loses Led Zeppelin memorabilia in flood

February 8, 1:02 PM
by Arne Nordwall, Seattle Music Examiner


In the music business, as in other life pursuits, there are always winners and the losers. There are innumerable great talents whom, if not for the whims of Chance, would rival the most famous and popular stars.
A Tacoma native son, guitarist Jerry Miller, is one of those. His talent is formidable and his name is spoken in the same breath as greats such as Eric Clapton, Stevie Ray Vaughn, Michael Bloomfield, Peter Green, Wes Montgomery, and many more. This recognition is only apparent, though, when you're speaking to other guitar players or someone with a fairly deep knowledge and love of jazz, blues and rock stylists. His proficiency isn't generally acknowledged nor his fame widespeard. The rewards of a gift like his don't always manifest themselves in bright lights. In a way it's lucky for us here in the area to hear Jerry play from time to time in small friendly joints !

An anecdote that I like to use to illustrate how Jerry's talent is appreciated by other players, is an incident which I was a witness to. Jerry's odyssey through rock stardom includes a time when he was a seminal member of a late sixties band formed in San Fransisco called Moby Grape. This band shot loudly into fame and fortune and then whimpered into obscurity as just another of the many mis-managed and ill-fated groups throughout rock history. For a time, as the band was staying in the L.A. Area recording, they hung out with members of Buffalo Springfield and others who would, as we all know now, transition into Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young.

Steve Stills became a friend and fan of Jerry, and as time went on, when he was scheduled to play a gig here in the area, he would invite Jerry and some guests to come to the show. After a CSNY show in the Tacoma Dome in the late nineties we all went backstage as Jerry went to talk with Steve. They chatted for a few minutes about guitars and catching-up small talk, then, as Jerry was walking away, Steve called out to tell him in effect “You know Jerry, you are the best guitar player in the world !”
Many others cite Jerry ( himself, or as a member of Moby Grape) as an influence, including Robert Plant and Jimmy Page of Led Zeppelin; Richard Thompson ( great in his own right, and as a member of the hugely influential Fairport Convention with Sandy Denny); Buddy Miller ( Buddy and Julie Miller, Emmylou Harris, Shawn Colvin), Sam Andrew ( Big Brother and the Holding Company, Janis Joplin)
Jerry was honored by Rolling Stone Magazine a few years ago as number 68 in a list the editors compiled of the “ 100 Greatest guitar Players of All Time” ( Richard Thompson made the top 20).
Many things could be said about Jerry's life in the music business, about what could have been, or the recognition he should be entitled to as one of the “greatest” - and some would say he himself has flaws that have restrained him from flourishing, but no one can say that he should have come to the crossing that he now faces.
Jerry had been living in the town of Pacific, WA. for the last couple years. On January 8th 2009, during heavy rain, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers who controlled the Mud Creek Dam, released too much water from the dam and inadvertantly caused a flash flood downstream. A neighbor's alert to get out was all the advance notice Jerry had before the water came. He was able to gather a few things, including his '59 Gibson L5 guitar , “Beulah” which he ordered from Gibson when he was a teenager in Tacoma based on his love for Wes Montgomery's playing.
In the aftermath of this flood, Jerry Miller has lost just about all that he had left of his long career in the rock music business. He didn't have a lot anyway, but he had been able to collect many objects and memorabilia. Among these items were photos of Jerry with Robert Plant ( who still sings one of Jerry's songs in his solo act from time to time), and also with Jimi Hendrix. Many other signed photos from friends like Steve Stills, as well as recordings and concert posters and all the accumulated bits and pieces of a life were lost or badly damaged by the water. Not to mention the more mundane, but immediate loss of clothing, car and other necessities.
Jerry has had to resort to living in a motel and with accomodating friends, and is struggling with the financial burden of beginning again, and so a couple of benefits have been organized to help him. The first was organized by Jerry's friend Craig Arrowood of Uncle Sams' American Bar and Grill in Spanaway, WA, and will have already taken place by the time you read this.
The next benefit event will be at The Swiss in Tacoma on March 8th and details of that show are still being worked out, but there will no doubt be many local bands and entertainers in attendance. Jerry Miller is loved in Tacoma, as only a native son can.
More details about the benefit as well as how you can help Jerry with donations are available on his website : http://www.jerrymillerband.com

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