Buddy Miles, Hendrix drummer, dies at 60

Buddy Miles, the man who reportedly brought soul to Jimi Hendrix's sound has died. He was 60.

Glide Magazine details his career.

Miles was born Sept. 5, 1947, in Omaha, Neb., and was introduced to music at a young age by his father, who played in a band called the Bebops. [Miles] also played with Wilson Pickett, the Delfonics and the Ink Spots.

Miles met Hendrix in the early 1960s but didn't begin collaborating with him until 1969, when Hendrix produced an album by the Buddy Miles Express.

Miles, often decked out in sequined clothes and an enormous Afro, went on to drum on Hendrix's landmark "Electric Ladyland" album before officially joining Band of Gypsys with bassist Billy Cox a few months later.

The group's lone self-titled album chronicled a New Year's Eve 1969/1970 concert at New York's Fillmore East, and is regarded by many as one of the best live albums of the era.

One more credit - Miles was the lead voice of the California Raisins.

--Veronique de Turenne

photo credit: Mercury Records

Comments

[john young]

bye for now,will see you on the big stage.you ebodied musical graciousness,letting me on your drums while you sang,played keys,bass,lead,even tho i didnt know your songs,you smiled and played on,the whole band sheparding along the kid,thanks,i owe the world my best attempt at humanity....

[Peter Blue]

You are not forgotten. 10 boxes of Oreo's later ...you're the greatest Blues Rock drummer of all time.
Who loves ya, Follie.
Give a sign from over there.

[Robert]

Funny I was just thinking about Buddy just the other day, I remember his red, white, and blue sparkle drum set. He was great, I learned a lot from him when I listened to him. I am a drummer and learned from listening to the greats and Buddy was one of the greatest of the greats.

[dennis Hanrahan]

Rest in peace Buddy. I still remember your 2 week residence at the animal house on Duncan st .San Francisco. Hanging out with old school Day streeters. Then reuniting with them in "Q" Thanks for all the shows at the Fillmore WEST. Hammer the stagehand from Day st.

[Kevin L. Smith]

I have lost a friend. I was Buddy's drum tech from 1974 to 1977. George A. Miles Jr. you were the last of the line. A musician who truly understood that r&b, blues, funk, soul and rock are all just different facets of the same coin. It was my priviledge to sit directly behind you and watch a Master work. Not many people know that you started playing drums by beating on the trash cans behind your house. That you were left handed, playing guitar and bass but played the drums right handed. And Oh how you loved to sing! I will miss the laughter we shared and that smile that could light up a room or melt a ladies heart. I will miss the kindness you showed to others as well as the mischif you could cause on a daily basis. GOD BLESS YOU AND KEEP YOU GEORGE You will always be in our hearts.

[Rubin]

RIP Buddy..

[Stan Twist]

Though everyone mentions Buddy's various collaborations (and Band of Gypsys and Electric Flag are two of the most underrated bands of their era), don't forget that Buddy made a series of great albums under his own name and that of the Buddy Miles Express from the late sixties through the mid-seventies. There's lots of great music on these discs and his big band soul version of Neil Young's "Down by the River" used to get a lot of airplay on the emerging FM radio band back in the day. It's a shame that most people know his work (if at all) through the California Raisins ads.

[Rob Howe]

Buddy Miles was one of the most rock-solid rock and soul drummers out there. His playing on the main released tracks of the live Band of Gypsies album have almost no mistakes, just rock solid. Hendrix's Rainy Day Dream Away features a very deep blues shuffle from Buddy, again rock solid. Another of the many highlights of his performances is the relentless, extremely high-energy, early rock/disco beat he provides on the studio recording of the song Marbles where he is teamed up with John McLaughlin. Simple, but unwavering high energy. I'll miss him. Now Billy Cox and Mitch Mitchell are left from the core players of the various Jimi Hendrix Experience and Band of Gypsies groups.

[Pete Johnson]

You missed one of Buddy Miles' signal collaborations. "The Electric Flag", a San Fransisco band circa '66,'67 included Mike Bloomfield, Nick Gravenites, Harvey Brooks and a host of other SF mmusicians. They had almost a "Big Band" sound very uncommon until "Blood, Sweat and Tears" (the Al Kooper-less version) cracked the top 40 in 1969.

[Gary Robinson]

Band Of Gypsies was Jimi Hendrix greatest live recording, and Buddy Miles was a great presence on that record..Buddy was a great drummer and vocalist...