Eddie Miller (3)

US country musician, songwriter and teacher. Born December 10,1919 in Carmargo, Oklahoma. Died April 11, 1977 in Nashville, Tennessee. Miller co-wrote the country standard, "Release Me". He is often associated to the publisher Tree Publishing Co.. Miller found success within the country music scenes of both Southern California and Nashville. On the West Coast, he helped form the Academy of Country Music. Following his relocation to Tennessee, he became one of the co-founders of the Nashville Songwriters Association. Miller was raised in Oklahoma and formed his Western swing band Eddie Miller & His Oklahomans there in the early 1940s. He worked as a railroad engineer during World War II. He reformed his group after the war and began his recording career in Texas in 1947. After moving to California, Miller was signed by the Four Star recording and music publishing company as both a songwriter and a recording artist. His single "Release Me" initially made no impact when released in 1950. In 1954, three versions of the song all made the Top 10 on the country charts. In 1962, Esther Phillips revived it as a pop and R&B hit. Five years later, British crooner Engelbert Humperdinck made "Release Me" an international pop smash. More than 400 artists have since recorded the song. Also while at Four Star, Miller had access to the label's Patsy Cline, then a struggling unknown. As a result, several of her early recordings were Eddie Miller copyrights. Miller's next big hit was 1955's "There She Goes," as recorded by Carl Smith. He also provided successful songs to Eddy Arnold ("After Loving You"), Ernest Tubb ("Thanks a Lot"), Rose Maddox ("Somebody Told Somebody") and, posthumously, to Marty Stuart ("Burn Me Down"). In 1966, Miller composed and produced "The Legend of Johnny Brown" on Tower Records. It was billed as the world's first country opera. Miller moved to Nashville in 1967. Thereafter, he began writing Christian songs, including a new religious lyric for "Release Me." He also taught songwriting classes at the University of Tennessee. Miller was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall Of Fame in 1975. Do NOT confuse with rhythm&blues songwriter Ed Miller (8) ("Don’t Let The Rain Come Down (Crooked Little Man))" or pianist Eddie Miller (5) ("I'd Rather Drink Muddy Water").