Blue Miller : Bio

A band fronted by Blue had to be and was.......went through some name (The Pagens,etc.) and member changes, and eventually became known as Julia. Julia caught the ears of Ann Marston, (remember her?.......retired world archery champion). She became their manager and with her influence, she led them to three single releases with chart success. Any Michiganders who remember "Mystic Cloud/Someone like You", "You Want Me To Leave You/You for Me"? How about "M'Lady' on Palladium Records? (Bob Segers managers' record label) How many of you went to see Lovin Spoonfull, Rod Stewart and the Small Faces, Badfinger, Fleetwood Mac, Humble Pie and David Bowie, to name a few, and saw Julia as the opening act? Punch Andrews, Bob Seger's manager, signed Julia to a management/recording deal (not too shabby for a first band) and, when they were asked to tour and record with Blue's hero, his parents, Shirley and Bill had to sign a permission slip.....Blue was still in school.

The Pagens

One incarnation of Julia

     Look for him on Lookin Back-- single release on Capital Records, Back in 72 and Bob Seger Seven-- L.P's on Palladium Reprise Records. But don't expect to find the name Blue Miller there. Look instead for Bill Mueller. It was shortly after this, that the name Blue Miller was penned for the first time. Read on......Blue had rave reviews from England's Melody Maker magazine touting his fabulous guitar work on Segers albums, but he was also a singer and writer, and he ached for the spotlight to showcase his own music. He left the folds of his hero. Julia disbanded, scattered, and Blue went on his solo way.
     He soon was signed by Don Davis of Tortoise-RCA Records. Don had visions of becoming the next Detroit music mogul, but the label folded before Blue's Wishbook L.P. was released. "Looking back," Blue says, " I guess it was for the best, that album wasn't really me. It was more what Don Davis thought was me." He'd met Albert King and worked with him on his L.P. King Albert. Albert King cut Blue's Bootlace and it was released on Tomatoe Records. He also had songs recorded by Gladys Knight and David Ruffin. We were seeing more of the "Blues" shade of Blue in this period of his life. And there was yet another outlet for his Blues in the advertising business. Remember that catchy little number he did called The News Done Give Me The Blues for the Detroit Free Press? Fans requested it when he was a solo opening act for Toto, Tom Waits, Leo Sayer, Cheech and Chong, Meatloaf etc etc etc. at the marvelous old Royal Oak Theatre. Blue remembers always being scared silly that he'd be booed off stage. He was just this skinny young kid with long hair and his guitar, but his unique voice caught their attention and held them. It's been said that he sounds like Bob Seger, Bryan Adams, Joe Cocker and Rod Stewart all rolled into one. Before Don Was was, he walked up to Blue and said, "Let me produce you." Fear of the unknown accomplished nothing. Blue was also writing, performing, and producing music scores for ABC-TV and already had many ADDY awards under his belt. Soon he was rewarded with three Emmy nominations for best original music, (including I Am Somebody theme song for a Jesse Jackson special) and walked off amidst shouts and cheers with an Emmy in his hand. Who'd have thunk it?

Early Bob Seger and Blue

Blue with Gladys Knight

No Place Like Home (1979)
The Bill Mueller Band
The Bill Mueller Band

     This was great fun, but, as all you road dogs know, you don't leave it for long. The road beckoned. He answered the call and put another band together. What would he call them? The Bill Mueller Band? Yes that would do for now. Inroads had been made as Bill Mueller. An L.P. titled No Place Like Home (what?an oxymoron) followed, and acting upon the advice of a trusted friend, Punch Andrews, he packed up lock, stock and guitars and moved to Central Florida to run the Southeast Coast to promote the album.
    It was here that a friend said, "Why don't you flip flop the "i-l-l" in Bill and the "u-e" in Mueller and be Blue Miller? Yeah man, that's cool, too cool!" and so, Blue Miller was born. Funny thing happened though, on the way to running the Southeast coast to promote the album. Seems No Place Like Home was more than just an L.P. title. It was a sentiment that his band members held near and dear. Supposedly right on his heels, they couldn't quite get up enough nerve to leave Detroit, hearth and home. Blue bought a house, large enough to house his band and waited. By the time they'd followed, he was on to other musical endeavors. He was in Macon Georgia at Capricorn Studios, where he was producing master tracks on himself, when he met Chuck Leavell and was so impressed with his keyboard work his guitars were moved over in homage. He later was the lead vocalist on a Sea Level release for Arista Records called Make You Feel Love Again (Guess Chuck liked him too). Pete Solly produced this cut and Blue will tell you that "he'd never been so beaten up in his life......and he loved it"

                                       Blue with Chuck Leavell

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