Bob Miller (songwriter)

Bob Miller (September 20, 1895 – August 26, 1955) was an American songwriter, recording artist, A&R representative, and publisher.

He claimed to have written over 7,000 songs. His career began in the 1920s, during which time he likely travelled back and forth between Memphis and New York in order to establish himself as a songwriter. In 1928, he moved to New York permanently; and in 1933, he started up his publishing company, Bob Miller Inc. That same year, he became a member of the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP). Over the course of his career, he wrote songs such as "Sweet Pal," "War Horse Mama," "Twenty-One Years," "Eleven Cent Cotton, Forty Cent Meat," "The Poor, Forgotten Man," "There's a Star-Spangled Banner Waving Somewhere," "Seven Beers With the Wrong Woman," and many others.

Early life Miller was born in Ansonia, Connecticut. Though he had older siblings, he was the first child born in the United States to Russian immigrants. At some point in the first decade of the twentieth century, he was orphaned and sent to Memphis, Tennessee, to live. He began playing piano at a young age, and he said that he ran away to New Orleans at the age of eleven. In other sources, he is said to have run away at the age of thirteen. Regardless of when he ran away, he ended up back in Memphis before the 1920s.

Early career In 1922, he became the bandleader aboard the Idlewild, a Mississippi River steamship that offered evening and weekend excursions featuring music and dancing. He began publishing songs in the early 1920s. Some of his songs like "Sweet Pal" were typical to the popular music of the time period, but the majority of his early work was in the blues genre. His own publishing company on Beale Street published his blues as part of his "African Opera Series." The E. B. Marks Music Company came across a couple of these tunes and acquired them, and these two songs were recorded by female artists for Columbia Records. Leona Williams recorded Miller's "Uncle Bud" in 1922 (Columbia A3736), and Viola McCoy recorded "Strut Long Papa" under the pseudonym Amanda Brown in 1923 (Columbia A3867). In total, eleven of his blues were issued on records during the 1920s, and Clara Smith alone recorded three of his blues.

He was one of the first musicians to perform live on WMC (AM). Beginning in early 1923, Miller and his orchestra were regularly featured on Memphis radio programming. His performances included popular songs from the day, as well as his original tunes. Between 1923 and 1925, Miller earned a living publishing his songs, performing aboard the Idlewild and performing on the radio. Beginning in 1925, Miller's Idlewild Orchestra, sometimes called the Bob Miller Orchestra, toured regionally around Memphis. In December 1927, they were recorded by Columbia Records in Memphis, and one song, a version of the standard "Shine On, Harvest Moon," was released in early 1928 (Columbia 1262-D).

New York years In 1928, Miller began writing country songs, and he moved to New York the same year. He recorded many of his songs himself, but some of his songs were recorded by artists such as Vernon Dalhart, Carson Robison, and Frank Luther. His first copyrighted and recorded country song, "Eleven Cent Cotton, Forty Cent Meat," was issued under his Columbia Records pseudonym Bob Ferguson (Columbia 15297-D). He co-wrote this song with a Memphis woman named Emma Dermer, and it was based on a couple of poems that circulated the South between 1926 and 1927. The song's lyrics are referenced in Vonnegut's Slaughterhouse-Five, and a Steinbeck referenced a song called "Ten-Cent Cotton and Forty-Cent Meat" in The Grapes of Wrath, which was written a decade after Miller's song.

Miller played a significant role in the commercial "hillbilly" music industry based out of New York. Before 1933, almost 12,000 hillbilly records were issued. Amazingly, eighty-five percent of these recordings were produced by six artists—Vernon Dalhart, Carson Robison, Arthur Fields, Bob Miller, Frankie Marvin, and Frank Luther. As a recording artist, Miller used multiple pseudonyms. His most common alias was Bob Ferguson (used when recording for Columbia Records); but among others, he also used Slick Palmer, Memphis Bob, Bud Skidmore, and Bob Hill.

While working as a recording artist, Miller also worked as an artists and repertoire (A&R) man. In the late 1920s, he was a recording manager for Columbia, where he managed Columbia's earlier 15000-D series recordings. He later managed Columbia's Atlanta studios, at least for specific sessions; Alton Delmore recalled that Miller sent the Delmore Brothers a letter recruiting them to come to Atlanta for their 1931 recording session.

After forming Bob Miller Inc., Miller published material by other artists in addition to himself. He published music by the Almanac Singers, Patsy Montana, Elton Britt, and many other artists. From the late 1930s until his death in 1955, Miller continued to write songs, but the majority of his efforts centered around his publishing business. He published many of his songs in folios such as Bob Miller's Famous Folio Full of Original Cowboy Songs (1934), and he often used pseudonyms as a writer. For example, he sometimes used the name Vasca Suede when he wrote songs with Western themes. This use of pseudonyms as a writer goes back to his days in Memphis, when he used the pseudonym Trebor Rellim as the lyricist for his blues numbers. Shelby Darnell was the pseudonym he used for his 1942 hit, "There's a Star-Spangled Banner Waving Somewhere," which he co-wrote with Paul Roberts.

Copyrights held by Miller Miller's copyrights of songs and books (written, co-written, or rearranged by him) listed by year:

1921 (as Robert Miller) "Ireland My Heart Is With You (Though I'm Many Miles Away)" "Love Me" "Skeeter Skoot" "Uncle Bud (Tennessee Blues)"

1922 (as Robert Miller) "Mean Eyes" "Strut Long Papa, Tom Cat Strut" "Sweet Smellin' Mama: Poro Blues"

1923 "I Told Her Did She Love Me And She Asked Me Yes" "Mean Papa Turn In Your Key, You Don't Live Here No More" "Nest In Loveland" "Strut Long Papa" "Sweet Pal" "Triflin' Man" "War Horse Mama, Pig Meat Sweetie"

1924 "Cold Weather Papa" "He Was A Good Man, But He's Dead And Gone" "Heebie Jeebie Blues" "I Found A Peanut" "I'm Lookin' For My Missin' Rib" "War Horse Mama" "You're Gonna Wake Some Mornin' But Papa Will Be Gone"

1925 "He Was A Good Man But He's Dead And Gone"

1926 "Gerald Chapman" "How Could You Ever Forget"

1928 "Ain't Gonna Grieve My Mind Anymore" "Angels Meet Me At The Crossroads" "Because We Met" "Big Fat Mamma" "Cry Baby" "Deserted Cabin" "Duckfoot Sue" "Dying Girl" "Eleven Cent Cotton, Forty Cent Meat" "Ever Since You Came" "Everything Is Just The Same" "Five Double You Song, W. W. W. W. W." "Frog Song" "Girl That You Betrayed" "Hill Billy Love Song" "How Could You Ever Forget" "Hurry Johnie Hurry" "I'm Tellin' You The Last Time Now" "Kiowana" "Little Red Caboose" "Missouri Joe" "Mule Song" "Nobody Cares" "Once" "Peechee Poochee Papa" "She Died For Love" "Sing Hallelujah" "Sipping Cider" "Skeeter And Bumble Bee" "Stutters Hymn" "Sweet Little Old Lady" "Sweet Wimmin" "They All Say Goodbye To Me" "Two Graves Beside The Road" "Two Letters" "Unmarked Grave" "When The Moon Shines" "Where Did You Get That Name"

1929 "By The Honeysuckle Vine" "Dry Votin'" "Farm Relief Blues" "Farmer's Letter To The President" "Forgotten" "Golden Wings" "Gonna Get On The River" "History Of The World" "Hobo From The T. M. P. Line" "I'll Put On My Long White Robe" "I Took My Time A-goin" "In The Hills Of Arkansaw" "Ivy Covered Cabin" "Keep On Keepin' On" "'Leven Cent Cotton" "Misery In Arkansaw" "Mother's Dying Prayer" "Sing Fa-de-riddle Sing Da" "Sippin Cider" "So I Bawt Some Pretzels" "Song Of The Blind Child" "Sorghum" "Toddle Lolly Da" "Waiting Song" "We're At Peace With The World" "What Does The Deep Sea Say" "When Evening Winds Are Sighing Home Sweet Home" "Where Did You Get That Name?" "Who Is That A Comin' Down The Mountain" "Wild And Reckless Hobo"

1930 "Captain Dan's Last Trip" "Dangerous Nan McGrew" "Doctor And The Undertaker" "Little Old Red Lantern" "Nebuchudneezer" "Ohio Prison Fire" "Poker Alice" "Prisoner's Letter To The Governor" "They're Hanging McCarthy Tomorrow" "Twenty-one Years Is A Mighty Long Time"

1931 "Bank Failures" "Beyond Prison Walls" "By A Little Bayou" "Corn Pone And Pot Likker" "Death Of Jack Legs Diamond" "Lonesome Cowboy" "Shoes" "Twenty One Years" "Vote Away Our Bread Line Blues" "1930 Drought"

1932 "Ain't It Grand To Be Bloomin' Well Dead" "All Bound Down In Prison" "Baby Please Come Back" "Behind The Big White House" "Beyond Prison Walls" "Bobby Boy Ol' Boy! Ol' Boy" "Bummin' On The I. C. Line" "By A Little Bayou" "Can't Do Without Love" "Charles A. Lindbergh, Jr." "Charlie The Chis'ler Won't Chisle No More" "Circle Has Been Broken" "Countin' Cross Ties" "Dentist And The Lady" "Down By The Old Rustic Well" "Farmer Dick Who Lives By The Crick" "Fifty Years Repentin'" "Free Wheelin' Hobo" "From Cradle Bars To Prison Bars" "Gene The Fighting Marine" "Good Old Beer" "Good Old Times Are Comin' Back Again" "Grandmother's Bible" "He's Too Far Gone" "House Where Love Had Died" "I Dreamt I Was Pardoned" "I Found A Peanut" "I'll Look Into The Matter In The Morning" "I'm A Fugitive From A Chain Gang" "In The Blue Hills Of Virginia" "Ivy Covered Cabin" "Last Great Round Up" "Little Nell" "Little Red Caboose Behind The Train" "Lonesome Valley" "Mister Nobody" "My Love's A Country Gal" "New Day Is Comin' Mighty Soon" "New 21 Years" "Old Fashion Girl" "Old King Cole" "Old Shoes A-Draggin'" "Oscar The Oyster Man" "Plant A Seed Of Love In Your Heart" "Rider Needs A Fast Horse" "Rockin' Alone In An Old Rocking Chair" "Sad Song" "Sadie The Shaker" "Scattin' The Skeeter Skoot" "Seven Years With The Right Woman" "Seven Years With The Wrong Man" "Seven Years With The Wrong Woman" "She Waits, And Waits, And Waits" "Silver Haired Mother" "Singing An Old Hymn" "Street Department Papa" "Sweet Birds" "Sweetest Of All My Dreams" "Taboo Taboo Ta Bolivar-Bulivar Boo" "Taking Those Last Steps" "There's A New Star Up In Heaven" "Tree That Stands By The Road" "Under The Old Umbrella" "Unwanted Children From The State Orphan's Home" "Unwanted Children In The State Orphans' Home" "Wailee Sweet Wailee" "Waiting" "Walking That Last Mile" "What Does The Deep Sea Say" "When I Put On My Long White Robe" "When The Mellow Moon Is Shining" "When The White Azalias Start Blooming" "Yazoo Red" "Yes Habit" "You Could Have Knocked Me Down With A Feather" "Young Man" "99 Years Still Got 99"

1933 "Answer To Twenty One Years" "Behind The Hills" "Buy American" "Countin' Cross Ties" "Cowboy's Best Friend Is His Horse" "Death Of Jimmy Rodgers" "Ev'ry Sunday Night Back Home" "Glad Hearts" "Gonna Rig Myself Up In A Swaller Tail Coat" "Good Old Beer" "Hope's Forgotten Song" "Hour Of Prayer" "I Breaka Da Stones" "I Found A Peanut" "I'm A Fugitive From A Chain Gang" "I've Told The Birds And Bees How Lovely You Are" "Let's Meet By The Old Oaken Bucket" "Lie He Wrote Home" "Life Of Jimmie Rodgers" "Little Nell" "Lonesome Valley" "March Faithful Soldiers" "Mother Tears" "My Valley Of Memories" "Old Fashion Dipper That Hangs On A Nail" "On The Colorado Trail" "Sad Song" "Same Kind Of A Wrong Woman A Second Time" "Seems I've Always Held Your Hand" "Seven Years With The Wrong Man" "Shall We Meet On That Beautiful Shore" "Song That Never Dies" "Sweet Heart Lane" "That Funny Little Letter L" "There's A New Day Of Hope Comin' Mighty Soon" "Twenty One Years" "What Does The Deep Sea Say" "When It's Harvest Time In Old New England" "When The Lilacs Last Bloomed" "When You Played The Old Church Organ" "Where's Elmer" "Where The Mountains Tip Toe To The Sea" "Wrong Man And The Wrong Woman Went Back Together Again" "You So And So You'll Wish You'd Never Been Born"