LD and Cole Miller are part of a family band simply named The Millers, which has shared the stage with artists including Stevie Wonder, Alicia Keys, John Popper of Blues Traveler, Keb Mo, Kanye West, India Arie, Ziggy Marley, Joss Stone, Joan Jett, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Buddy Guy, James Cotton, Walter Trout, and Ricky Skaggs. The Millers were seen together on NBC's summer 2006 hit show "America's Got Talent," placing second after receiving millions of votes all around the country. LD and Cole Miller have been featured in TV Guide, People Magazine, and have performed on the "Tonight Show," "The Today Show," and "Ellen." LD Miller also appeared on NBC's "America's Most Talented Kid," The Today Show, Extra, Access Hollywood, Jerry Lewis MDA Telethon and Steve Harvey's Big Time.
For more than half a century, Riley B. King, better known as B.B. King, has defined the blues for a worldwide audience. Last summer, King was one of a select group of the greatest guitar players in the world to play Eric Clapton's Crossroads Guitar Festival at Toyota Park in Chicago. King continues to tour extensively, averaging more than 250 shows each year at venues around the world. Since he began recording in the 1940s, King has released more than 50 albums, many of which are now classics. He has received 14 Grammy Awards, including a Lifetime Achievement Grammy Award in 1987 and most recently "Best Traditional Blues Album" in 2006 for "B.B. King & Friends – 80." King was inducted into the Blues Foundation Hall of Fame in 1984 and into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1987. Over the years, King has developed one of the world's most identifiable guitar styles. His economy of "every-note-counts" phrasing has been a model for thousands of players, from Eric Clapton and George Harrison to Jeff Beck. King has garnered two #1 R&B hits, "Three O'Clock Blues," (1951) and "You Don't Know Me," (1952), and four #2 R&B hits including "Please Love Me," (1953) "You Upset Me Baby," (1954) "Sweet Sixteen, Part I" (1960) and "Don't Answer The Door, Part I" (1966).
B.B. King comes to The Center for Performing Arts at Governors State University Friday, February 8 at 8 p.m. A limited number of $89 main floor and balcony tickets are still available by calling The Center box office at 708.235.2222 or online at www.centertickets.net. Raffle tickets for an Epiphone guitar autographed by King are separately available at $25 for 6 or $5 each. Proceeds from the raffle will benefit future programming at The Center. Guitar Center (4271 W.167th St., Country Club Hills, Ill. 60478, phone 708.799.0315) generously donated the Epiphone guitar to The Center for this raffle. For group show ticket (parties of 20 or more) information, call 800.386.6321. The Center is located at Governors Highway and University Parkway, 45 minutes south of the Loop, off I-57 at Sauk Trail. Parking is free.
About LD Miller Biography
14 year old LD Miller's harmonica skills have amazed some of the best in the business and on his own he's been invited to sit in with some of music's biggest names. It is impossible to have a discussion about the future of the harmonica without mentioning LD. Self-taught, he began playing at the age of 6 and was on stage with Buddy Guy at 7. LD has been on the road with his family's band since the age of 8.
"Blood and music bonds us together." The Millers are a family that travels the world performing together and had shared the stage with Stevie Wonder, Alicia Keys, John Popper of Blues Traveler, Keb Mo, Kanye West, India Arie, Ziggy Marley, Joss Stone, Joan Jett, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Buddy Guy, James Cotton, Walter Trout, and Ricky Skaggs all before LD's 14th birthday. But while audiences are amazed by the novelty of a band that consists of Dad Larry on bass, brothers Clayton, 25, on guitar and vocals, Cole, 21, on drums and vocals and L.D., just 14, wailing on the harmonica, they come away captivated by musical chops that any blues musician of any age would be proud of.
This is a band that was "born" not made, and while they have been together all their lives, they moved beyond the singing around the campfire stage in 1999, when Clayton left his alternative band he had been fronting since the age of 15 and formed the family band when little LD came home from 1st grade playing the harmonica like a pro. In less than a year, they were playing throughout the Midwest and 2 years later, they became the # 1 band touring colleges nationwide, when LD was only 9. Now they split their time between community Arts programs & theatres, colleges, festivals, and Vegas. They were selected for the Blues Deluxe Radio program. This is a program that is aired on 100 radio stations around the world and they are wedged in the play list comfortably between B.B. King and Bob Dylan. They are the only band on the play list that doesn't yet have a record label listed after it, but this won't be the case for long.
While his playing is no secret to the harmonica community, LD's burgeoning vocal prowess has been the buzz of the harmonica community of late. He can sing almost as well as he can play the harp. LD also plays guitar and drums, and is starting to write music. LD and brother Cole have been thrust more recently into a bigger spotlight on the NBC #1 summer '06 hit America's Got Talent. Out of thousands of artists from around the country, The Millers won the hearts of America and 2nd place with millions of votes. This resulted in write ups in TV Guide, People Magazine, coverage on the Tonight Show and appearances on The Today Show, The Ellen Show and well over 200 other newspapers, on-line columns and entertainment TV news programs. Over 40 Million people saw and became fans of the Millers in the past year. And LD has been written about in publications with an estimated total readership exceeding another 10 Million.
In the years prior to this, LD (sometimes solo, sometimes with the band) also appeared on NBC's America's Most Talented Kid, The Today Show, Extra, Access Hollywood, Jerry Lewis MDA Telethon and Steve Harvey's Big Time. They have performed for as many as 40,000 fans in a single show and are an audience pleaser everywhere they play.
B.B. King and The Millers
8pm on Friday, February 8
Governors State University
University Park
708.235.2222
www.centertickets.net