Jerry Miller : Guitar Hero Flood Relief Effort

On January 8, 2009 the town of Pacific, Washington was flooded when the Army Corps of Engineers mistakenly released too much water from a dam upstream.

There was no warning of the impending flood and town residents, including legendary guitarist Jerry Miller, had 5 minutes to make their escape. That was just enough time to save Beulah (his lifelong favorite guitar), an old amp, and his dog.

All other worldly possessions, including 40 years of rock memorabilia, are gone.

The memorabilia is priceless and irreplaceable. It included whatever could be collected from every rock concert Jerry had ever done, tapes of his appearances on television shows, raw tape recordings of live performances, and photos such as Jerry with Jimi Hendrix and Jerry with Robert Plant.

But "Life Is Like That"

The Army Corps of Engineers has admitted its error and FEMA has promised aid to the flood victims.

Jerry is starting over, and is in need of the basic necessities of life. Nearby friends have donated clothing, but he has yet to secure a new residence and the cost of living in a motel is creating an extreme hardship.

Plans are underway for a benefit concert and new unreleased recordings will soon be for sale along with autographed CDs. But in the meantime, cash is in short supply.

A flood relief fund has been set up to accept donations via PayPal. The money will be delivered instantly – a great help at this time! 100% of the donations will go directly to Jerry Miller (minus the nominal PayPal fee).

Please visit the Jerry Miller Band website to make your donation and find out more information about benefit concerts and flood relief efforts.

Tacoma's Own Hometown Guitar Legend

Jerry Miller Benefit Concert

The Big Blues Benefit for Jerry Miller

Club: The Swiss
Address: 1904 S. Jefferson Ave., Tacoma, WA
Phone: 253.572.2821
Date: Sunday, March 8
Show time: 3 p.m.
Donation (suggested): $10

“Jerry Miller is one of the finest guitarists on the planet. A rough-hewn gem from the Pacific Northwest.”   - Vintage Guitar

“One of the top 100 guitarists of all time”   - Rolling Stone

Guitar Hero, Jerry Miller - A Legendary Musical Career.

Jerry Miller (born July 10, 1943 in Tacoma, Washington) is an American songwriter, guitarist and vocalist. He performs as a solo artist and as a member of the Jerry Miller Band. He is also a founding member of the 1960s San Francisco band Moby Grape, which continues to perform occasionally.

Superstar Admiration

Jerry Miller went on to share the stage with many musical greats – Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton, B.B. King, and The Doors.

His admirers include Jimmy Page, Stephen Stills, David Crosby, Taj Mahal, David Fricke, Eric Clapton, and Robert Plant.

Eric Clapton called Jerry the "best guitar player in the world" when he first came to the U.S.

Robert Plant cites Jerry as a major influence for Led Zeppelin – the band even played Moby Grape songs at its first rehearsal. Led Zeppelin and the Grateful Dead are just two of the famous bands that have covered Jerry Miller songs live and on record.

Industry and Critical Recognition

He is #68 on Rolling Stone's 2003 list of the 100 greatest guitarists of all time, ahead of Eddie Van Halen (#70), Johnny Winter (#74), Robbie Robertson (#78), David Gilmour (#82), Neil Young (#83), Robbie Krieger (#91), Angus Young (#96) and Leigh Stephens (#98).

In being so ranked, he is described as follows: "His playing was never self-indulgent, and his soloing was propulsive, always aware of where the song was headed."

"Hey Grandma", from Moby Grape's first album, is cited as an essential recording of Jerry Miller.

Since 1995, Jerry Miller has been based in Tacoma, Washington, living a few blocks from his childhood home.He currently fronts The Jerry Miller Band, with Tom Murphy on drums and Kim Workman on bass, among other musicians.

 Please visit the Jerry Miller Band website to make your donation and find out more information about benefit concerts and flood relief efforts.

Contributed by "The Raven Maven" for the Tacoma Star.

Jerry Miller performs at Meeker Days in Puyallup