Clarence Horatius Miller
Encyclopedia
Clarence Horatius "Big" Miller (October 18, 1922 – June 9, 1992) was a Sioux City, Iowa
-born American
blues
singer. By 1949, "Big" began singing with the Lionel Hampton
Orchestra and became a feature performer with the Jay McShann
Orchestra. In 1954, after five years with Jay McShann, Miller joined the Fletcher Henderson
Reunion Orchestra. It was with the Henderson Orchestra that "Big" did his first recording and it was in this period that his career really began to take off. He became a popular performer in renowned jazz venues such as Monterey Jazz Festival
(1960), Birdland
in New York
, the Cotton Club in Chicago
, Montreax Jazz Festival, and Detroit's Flame Showbar. Throughout his career he had performed with jazz legends such as Count Basie
, Duke Ellington
, Oscar Peterson
, Dizzie Gillespie, and Miles Davis
, just to name a few. Edmonton
, Alberta
was Miller's adopted home from the 1970s up until his death in 1992.
Miller recorded with Columbia Records
, for whom the artist cut several albums, including Big Miller Sings, Twists, Shouts and Preaches (1962).
Sioux City, Iowa
Sioux City is a city in Plymouth and Woodbury counties in the western part of the U.S. state of Iowa. The population was 82,684 in the 2010 census, a decline from 85,013 in the 2000 census, which makes it currently the fourth largest city in the state....
-born American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
blues
Blues
Blues is the name given to both a musical form and a music genre that originated in African-American communities of primarily the "Deep South" of the United States at the end of the 19th century from spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts and chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads...
singer. By 1949, "Big" began singing with the Lionel Hampton
Lionel Hampton
Lionel Leo Hampton was an American jazz vibraphonist, pianist, percussionist, bandleader and actor. Like Red Norvo, he was one of the first jazz vibraphone players. Hampton ranks among the great names in jazz history, having worked with a who's who of jazz musicians, from Benny Goodman and Buddy...
Orchestra and became a feature performer with the Jay McShann
Jay McShann
Jay McShann was an American Grammy Award-nominated jump blues, mainstream jazz, and swing bandleader, pianist and singer....
Orchestra. In 1954, after five years with Jay McShann, Miller joined the Fletcher Henderson
Fletcher Henderson
James Fletcher Hamilton Henderson, Jr. was an American pianist, bandleader, arranger and composer, important in the development of big band jazz and swing music. His was one of the most prolific black orchestras and his influence was vast...
Reunion Orchestra. It was with the Henderson Orchestra that "Big" did his first recording and it was in this period that his career really began to take off. He became a popular performer in renowned jazz venues such as Monterey Jazz Festival
Monterey Jazz Festival
The Monterey Jazz Festival is one of the longest consecutively running jazz festivals. It debuted on October 3, 1958 and was founded by San Francisco jazz radio broadcaster Jimmy Lyons.-History:...
(1960), Birdland
Birdland (jazz club)
Birdland is a jazz club started in New York City on December 15, 1949. The original Birdland, which was located at 1678 Broadway, just north of West 52nd Street in Manhattan, was closed in 1965 due to increased rents, but it re-opened for one night in 1979...
in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, the Cotton Club in Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, Montreax Jazz Festival, and Detroit's Flame Showbar. Throughout his career he had performed with jazz legends such as Count Basie
Count Basie
William "Count" Basie was an American jazz pianist, organist, bandleader, and composer. Basie led his jazz orchestra almost continuously for nearly 50 years...
, Duke Ellington
Duke Ellington
Edward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington was an American composer, pianist, and big band leader. Ellington wrote over 1,000 compositions...
, Oscar Peterson
Oscar Peterson
Oscar Emmanuel Peterson was a Canadian jazz pianist and composer. He was called the "Maharaja of the keyboard" by Duke Ellington, "O.P." by his friends. He released over 200 recordings, won seven Grammy Awards, and received other numerous awards and honours over the course of his career...
, Dizzie Gillespie, and Miles Davis
Miles Davis
Miles Dewey Davis III was an American jazz musician, trumpeter, bandleader, and composer. Widely considered one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century, Miles Davis was, with his musical groups, at the forefront of several major developments in jazz music, including bebop, cool jazz,...
, just to name a few. Edmonton
Edmonton
Edmonton is the capital of the Canadian province of Alberta and is the province's second-largest city. Edmonton is located on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Capital Region, which is surrounded by the central region of the province.The city and its census...
, Alberta
Alberta
Alberta is a province of Canada. It had an estimated population of 3.7 million in 2010 making it the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces...
was Miller's adopted home from the 1970s up until his death in 1992.
Miller recorded with Columbia Records
Columbia Records
Columbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company...
, for whom the artist cut several albums, including Big Miller Sings, Twists, Shouts and Preaches (1962).