Bassist Steve Miller and Barry Goldberg, a keyboardist, formed the band Goldberg-Miller Blues Band in 1965. After touring a number of Chicago pubs, the band signed a contract with Epic Records, and continued to tour. They appeared on Hullaballoo with the Supremes and the Four Tops.

Steve Miller Band

As Stephen King does with horror stories, so Miller does with Top 40 rock; that is, he delivers, in such hits as "Rock'n Me," "Jet Airliner," and "Jungle Love," surefire pleasures, triumphs not of originality but of craft.

The Birth of a Legend

Bassist Steve Miller and Barry Goldberg, a keyboardist, formed the band Goldberg-Miller Blues Band in 1965. After touring a number of Chicago pubs, the band signed a contract with Epic Records, and continued to tour. They appeared on Hullaballoo with the Supremes and the Four Tops. They released one with Steve Miller in 1966, Blowing My Mind.

In 1967, Miller moved to San Francisco and there he started the Steve Miller Blues Band, along with The band, consisting the guitarist James Cooke, the bassist Lonnie Turner, the drummer Tim Davis and of course Miller. They signed a contract with Capitol Records and shortened their name to the Steve Miller Band.   The band made four albums in the 1960's: Children of the Future, Sailor, Brave New World, and Your Saving Grace. Sailor climbed to #24 on the Billboard charts, and Brave New World it to #22. The highly successful song, Space Cowboy, appeared on Your Saving Grace.

Their fan base grew with each new album, and in 1973, the band had established themselves when their album, The Joker, made it to #2 on the charts, and the hit single of the same name went to #1 and went platinum with over one million sales. The band continued through the 1970's, releasing one hit after another, culminating with The Steve Miller Band's Greatest Hits 1974-1978. To date, the album has sold over 13 million copies.

Changing with the Times

The Steve Miller Band released their most successful hits in the 1970's, but with the dawn of the 1980's and the subsequent introduction of video music, the band continued to make music and release new albums, adjusting their sound to fit with the new sounds of the 80's. In 1982, the band released their last #1 hit, Abracadabra. Other releases were played on the radio and on video television, but the tracks no longer hit the Billboard charts.

In the 1990's the band released two compilations and one album of original work, Wide River. The album enjoyed moderate success, possibly due to the loyalty of long-term fans of the Steve Miller Band, but no hits stood out. Regardless of the dwindling success of their new music, their hits from the 1970's continued to enjoy heavy radio play and continued to draw new fans.

Still Going Strong

Now, in the 2000's, the Steve Miller Band continues to tour and to sell out. Since 2000, they have released two compilation albums and a 30-year anniversary edition of Fly Like an Eagle. Additionally, they have released a concert DVD. The band is currently releasing 2010 tour dates, which will include Las Vegas, Nashville, and Tucson.

Did you know . . .

0. Box Scaggs was the guitarist for the Steve Miller Band for a short time in the 1960's.

1. In 1971, Steve Miller broke his neck in a car accident.

2. The band released to albums that will never appear on cd: Rock Love and Recall the Beginning . . . A Journey from Eden.

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