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Charles William Miller | |
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| Born | (1939-06-02)June 2, 1939 Olathe, Kansas, U.S. |
| Died | June 4, 1980(1980-06-04) (aged 41) Los Angeles,California. U.S. |
| Genres | |
| Occupation | Musician |
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| Years active | 1969–1980 |
| Formerly of | War |
Charles William Miller (June 2, 1939 – June 4, 1980)[1] was an American musician best known as thesaxophonist andflutist for the multiculturalCalifornia funk bandWar. Notably, Miller provided lead vocals as well as saxophone on the band'sBillboard R&B number one hit "Low Rider" (1975).
Miller was born inOlathe, Kansas. Two years after his birth, Miller moved with his family toLos Angeles and settled inLong Beach, California. His father was a musician who featured with organist Paul Bryant.
Miller had a passion for music and played thewoodwinds,piano, andguitar in school bands andorchestras. Miller's interest in music was secondary to football until he sustained an injury in 1967 at Long Beach City College.
Miller recorded with various groups such as Señor Soul onSeñor Soul Plays Funky Favorites[2] (1968), andIt's Your Thing (1969), both on Double Shot Records.[3] He participated in recording sessions with TheRay Charles Band, and toured with the Debonaires, Brenton Wood, Señor Soul, and Afro Blues Quintet + 1.
In the summer of 1969, Miller was in Hollywood at the first Studio Instrument Rentals (located on Santa Monica and Vine) when he metHarold Brown,Howard E. Scott, and Papa Dee Allen. Together, they formed the band Night Shift.[4]
Eric Burdon andLee Oskar later joined the band after watching Miller and the Night Shift play at the club Rag Doll in North Hollywood.
Miller’s deep voice is heard on theWar song "Low Rider", and he is credited by many sources as the dominant and initial songwriter of "Low Rider". It was recorded atWally Heider Studios in San Francisco in 1975 and has been sampled by many artists such asFlo Rida, who used it for his song "G.D.F.R."). The song is also used in the moviesUp in Smoke,Paulie,Beverly Hills Chihuahua,andDazed and Confused, and is the theme song for the television sitcomGeorge Lopez.
On June 4, 1980, two days after his 41st birthday, Miller was stabbed to death in Los Angeles during a botched street robbery.[5] To this day, no one has been arrested or prosecuted for his murder. At the time of his death, he was living in Hollywood with his wife, Eddy Miller; daughters, Annette and Laurian; and his sons, Donald and Mark. He also had a son, Joseph Charles Newton, with another woman.
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