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In Memory Of
Eddie Miller
Nov 8, 1957 - Oct 3, 2001 |
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"Groundhogs make real good pets, Becky," Eddie said to me very seriously one afternoon as the band lounged in the bus after a gig. "They
make REAL good pets." Of course, no one had been talking about groundhogs at the time and we all broke into hysterical laughter, Eddie
included. That's just how Eddie was--spontaneous. Looking back on the events of last week and remembering him, it seems totally logical
that as suddenly as he came into my life, he should just as suddenly not be there. The problem, however, is this: I, like everyone else who
knew Eddie, wasn't ready to let go of him just yet. We enjoyed him too much: his humor, his crazy hair that constantly stood on end, his
deep faith in Jesus, and, most of all, his incredible musicianship.
Eddie had been a fellow member of Valerie Smith and Liberty Pike since this past June. He could play
anything and often put down his mandolin to join Val and I for a triple-fiddle rendition of "Faded Love."
He even played banjo for the few gigs that our banjo player Randall Conn couldn't make. Eddie was so
excited by the progress we were making musically and was thrilled about our upcoming album. He
joined the band not only for a musical change, but also because his youngest brother John is our
guitarist. The two of them had always wanted to be in a group together.
Eddie was an active member of the bluegrass community in the Knoxville, Tenn.-area throughout much
of his early teen and adult years, playing in such groups as the East Tennessee Mountain Boys with
his father Ernie, the New River Boys, the Smoky Mountain Travelers, New Dawn and the Possum Belly
Band. He was instrumental in encouraging many young Knoxvillians to pick, including John Golden,
formerly of Dale Ann Bradley and Coon Creek; Richard Bennett, of Bennett, Auldridge and Gaudreau;
and Phil Leadbetter of J.D. Crowe and the New South.
In 1986, Eddie moved to Nashville and performed with banjo player Mike Scott. He briefly returned to
East Tennessee, performing at Dollywood with a group called Citico Creek and also in the theme park's
Fire on the Mountain show. Eddie returned to the Nashville area in 1995, residing in Gallatin and
performing with various country acts while working as a representative for Laser Plus, an office supply
company. He joined Dale Ann Bradley and Coon Creek in 1999 and is featured on her latest solo
project for Doobie Shea Records titled "Cumberland River Dreams."
Eddie died at Vanderbilt Hospital in Nashville of injuries sustained from an auto accident on the evening of Oct. 3. Daniel Hardin, our bassist,
was following Eddie and tried to pull him from the wreckage. They were on there way to meet the rest of the band in Louisville, Ky., at the
International Bluegrass Music Association's (IBMA) annual convention.
Eddie is survived by Nellanne, his wife of 14 years; his parents; 3 brothers; 2 sisters; stepson Ron Thompson, and a whole passel of friends and acquaintances who
miss him tremendously but know that he's somewhere much better.
Becky Buller
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