(DailyDig.com) – Jerry Miller, the lead guitarist and founding member of Moby Grape, a 1960s rock group, died on July 21 in Tacoma, Washington. He was 81 years old.
Moby Grape’s social media page announced his death, confirmed by Cody, Miller’s grandson. The social media page stated that he died the night before, according to Miller’s wife, Jo. They shared Jo’s text on their social media page, in which she asked everyone to play his music all day for her and for Miller.
Miller was born in Tacoma and played in the Pacific Northwest, in the same bar scene as Jimi Hendrix. They were friends as teenagers, and Miller stated in a 2021 interview that while Hendrix was talented, he never seemed like the type of person to have reinvented the art of playing the electric guitar like he ended up doing. He stated that it seemed he just played the guitar much too loud, just like he did.
He moved to San Francisco, California, and by 1966 he was in the midst of the changing music scene. Groups like Jefferson Airplane, Big Brother and the Holding Company, and the Grateful Dead were getting their start in the area. Miller and Skip Spence of Airplane joined other local musicians to form Moby Grape. They soon established themselves as a band that was gaining traction in the city.
Miller, one of Moby Grape’s three guitarists, was the lead guitarist. His playing became the reason for their popular sound. In 2010, David Fricke, a journalist, wrote his list of the greatest guitarists, including Miller at number 68. He wrote that his playing was not for himself but for the music, and he played his solo parts to propel the song along.
For several years in the 1960s, it looked as if Moby Grape was going to reach the pinnacle of popularity for being one of the 60s’ biggest bands. Songs such as “8:05” and “Hey Grandma” headlined the Monterey International Pop Festival in 1967. Eric Clapton and Led Zeppelin were among their biggest fans, particularly Miller’s performances.
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