Jerry Miller, the guitarist and songwriter best known as a member of Moby Grape, died in Tacoma, Washington, on July 21, 2024. He was 81. His family announced his death; contemporaneous reports said they did not disclose a cause.
Who was Jerry Miller?
Born in Tacoma on July 10, 1943, Miller began playing guitar at age eight. By the late 1950s, he was performing in Seattle-area dance-rock bands. He later played with the Frantics before moving into the Bay Area music scene, where he and other musicians formed Moby Grape in 1966.
Moby Grape’s original lineup paired Miller with two other guitarists, Peter Lewis and Skip Spence, as well as bassist Bob Mosley and drummer Don Stevenson. The Washington Post described Lewis’s playing as fingerpicked, Spence’s as staccato, and Miller’s as rooted in classic blues—a blend of approaches that gave the group a distinctive three-guitar sound.
What did Miller contribute to Moby Grape?
Moby Grape released its self-titled debut album in 1967. Miller and Stevenson co-wrote two of its songs, “8:05” and “Hey Grandma.” The Washington Post reported that Miller recalled the album being recorded in 13 days. The group also performed at the Monterey International Pop Festival.
Recommended Free Tools
#1 Best Overall
- 🎸 12 High quality printed guitar picks with double sided print. You’ll love our custom guitar picks and personalised plectrum. We include a flexible bag instead of a guitar pick tin. Album cover picks or guitar plecks
- 🎸 0.46, 0.71, 0.81, 0.88, 0.96 And 1.2 mm Plectrum for electric guitar, plectrum for acoustic guitar, bass, mandolin, ukulele etc. Our set includes thin guitar picks, medium guitar picks and thick guitar picks.
- 🎸 Classic bands and albums. Guitar plectrum album cover. Top quality electric guitar picks, plectrums for acoustic guitar plectrums or bass picks. Can also be used as ukulele picks. Classic albums pick set
- 🎸 Gift bag included as your own plectrum holder for guitar pics. Cool plectrums
- 🎸 The perfect gift for any guitarist or music lover. Guitar gifts for men or women with guitar pick case bag included. Guitar accessories gifts are our business, great gifts for musicians!
Miller recalled the excitement of the band’s first jam session this way: “We laughed all the way home,” and, “We knew this was going to be good.” Looking back on making the album, he said: “It was all just a lot of fun, but hard work, too.”
The debut later appeared at No. 121 on Rolling Stone’s original 500 Greatest Albums of All Time list in 2003. That is a historical ranking, not a current list placement. In 2010, David Fricke placed Miller at No. 68 on Rolling Stone’s 100 Greatest Guitarists list. Fricke described his playing as “never self-indulgent” and his soloing as “propulsive, always aware of where the song was headed.”
Rank #2
- 🎸 12 High quality printed guitar picks with double sided print. You’ll love our custom guitar picks and personalised plectrum. We include a flexible bag instead of a guitar pick tin. Album cover picks or guitar plecks
- 🎸 0.46, 0.71, 0.81, 0.88, 0.96 And 1.2 mm Plectrum for electric guitar, plectrum for acoustic guitar, bass, mandolin, ukulele etc. Our set includes thin guitar picks, medium guitar picks and thick guitar picks.
- 🎸 Classic bands and albums. Guitar plectrum album cover. Top quality electric guitar picks, plectrums for acoustic guitar plectrums or bass picks. Can also be used as ukulele picks. Classic albums pick set
- 🎸 Gift bag included as your own plectrum holder for guitar pics. Cool plectrums
- 🎸 The perfect gift for any guitarist or music lover. Guitar gifts for men or women with guitar pick case bag included. Guitar accessories gifts are our business, great gifts for musicians!
What happened after Moby Grape’s first period?
Miller continued playing after the band’s initial period. In 1969, he formed the Rhythm Dukes with Bill Champlin. He later returned to Tacoma and performed with his own band.
Moby Grape’s commercial trajectory proved shorter and more troubled than its members’ early promise. In a 2021 Seattle Times interview quoted by the Washington Post, Miller reflected: “We could have had it all,” but “we ended up with pretty well nothing.” The group’s drummer, Don Stevenson, offered a different measure of its strength, telling The Seattle Times, as quoted by Guitar World: “Moby Grape was really bigger than the sum of its parts.”
Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute2Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems3Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesRank #3
- 🎸 12 High quality printed guitar picks with double sided print. You’ll love our custom guitar picks and personalised plectrum. We include a flexible bag instead of a guitar pick tin. Album cover picks or guitar plecks
- 🎸 0.46, 0.71, 0.81, 0.88, 0.96 And 1.2 mm Plectrum for electric guitar, plectrum for acoustic guitar, bass, mandolin, ukulele etc. Our set includes thin guitar picks, medium guitar picks and thick guitar picks.
- 🎸 Classic bands and albums. Guitar plectrum album cover. Top quality electric guitar picks, plectrums for acoustic guitar plectrums or bass picks. Can also be used as ukulele picks. Classic albums pick set
- 🎸 Gift bag included as your own plectrum holder for guitar pics. Cool plectrums
- 🎸 The perfect gift for any guitarist or music lover. Guitar gifts for men or women with guitar pick case bag included. Guitar accessories gifts are our business, great gifts for musicians!
What was Jerry Miller’s cause of death?
His family did not disclose a cause of death in the contemporaneous reports. Miller died in Tacoma on July 21, 2024, at age 81; no medical explanation was reported.
Quick Recap
Best Value
- The 346 shape's larger body produces a bigger, rounded and smooth tone
- Celluloid picks give the traditional feel, with a smooth striking surface and a warm, round musical tone
- Medium gauge picks are ideal for the player looking for a warmer tone of a heavy pick, but the flexibility of a thin pick.
- Fender picks provide comfort and high-performance flexibility for every performer
- Sold as a convenient 12-pack
Rank #4
- 【Product Details】Package includes 20 pieces of guitar picks with 4 assorted thickness: Thin 0.46mm, Medium 0.71mm, Heavy 0.81mm, and Extra Heavy 0.96mm, match all your different needs.
- 【Classic Design】 Plectrums feature a classic shape and smooth edges in different colors, to help you play beautiful, warm and rounded musical tones.
- 【Comfortable Designed】Guitar pick has a standard size, the player is comfortable and fits most fingers. And guitar plectrums can protect your fingers during long practice sessions, helping you get an efficient workout or better performance.
- 【Ideal Gift】Beautiful random colors guitar accessories, guitar pics are a thoughtful gift for any guitar or bass player, or a practical and unique gift for yourself; play guitar and enjoy happy time with your lover, friends or family.
- 【Widely Use】The guitar picks acoustic work well with a variety of musical instruments, such as electric guitar, acoustic guitar, classic guitar, bass, banjo, ukulele and more.
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
