William Henry Marcus Miller Jr. (born June 14, 1959) is an American musician, songwriter, and record producer. He has worked with famous musicians such as trumpeter Miles Davis, pianist Herbie Hancock, singer Luther Vandross, and saxophonists Wayne Shorter and David Sanborn. Miller was the main songwriter and producer for three of Davis's albums: Tutu (1986), Music from Siesta (1987), and Amandla (1989). His work with Vandross was especially important; he co-produced and arranged most of Vandross's albums. Miller and Vandross also co-wrote many songs, including the popular tracks "I Really Didn't Mean It," "Any Love," "Power of Love/Love Power," and "Don't Want to Be a Fool." Miller also co-wrote the 1988 single "Da Butt" for the group Experience Unlimited.

Early life

William Henry Marcus Miller Jr. was born on June 14, 1959, in Brooklyn, New York. He was born into a musical family. His father, William Miller, worked as a church organist and choir director. He is a cousin of jazz pianist Wynton Kelly through his father. He received classical training as a clarinetist. Later, he learned to play the keyboard, saxophone, and guitar. Eventually, he chose the bass as his main instrument.

Career

Marcus Miller began working regularly in New York City. He played bass and wrote music for jazz flautist Bobbi Humphrey and keyboardist Lonnie Liston Smith. His earliest influences were James Jamerson and Larry Graham. Miller worked as a session musician for about 15 years. During this time, he also arranged and produced music frequently. He was a member of the Saturday Night Live band from 1979 to 1981. Miller co-wrote Aretha Franklin’s song “Jump To It” with Luther Vandross. He also sang with Vandross on the 1986 David Bowie single “Underground” from the movie Labyrinth. Miller played bass on more than 500 recordings, appearing on albums by artists such as Michael Jackson, Beyoncé, Herbie Hancock, Mariah Carey, Eric Clapton, The Crusaders, Wayne Shorter, McCoy Tyner, Frank Sinatra, George Benson, Dr. John, Aretha Franklin, Elton John, Joe Walsh, Jean-Michel Jarre, Grover Washington Jr., Donald Fagen, Bill Withers, Bernard Wright, Kazumi Watanabe, Chaka Khan, LL Cool J, and Flavio Sala. Miller won the “Most Valuable Player” award (given by NARAS to recognize studio musicians) for three consecutive years. He was later awarded “player emeritus” status and retired from eligibility.

In the mid-1980s, Miller began a solo career as a funk/R&B singer. He released two albums: Suddenly (1983) and Marcus Miller (1984). He was the main songwriter, producer, and instrumentalist on these albums. Since then, he has released ten more solo albums, though he has only occasionally sung on these later albums.

Between 1988 and 1990, Miller was the musical director and house band bass player (in the “Sunday Night Band”) during two seasons of the late-night TV show Sunday Night (also known as Night Music) on NBC. The show was hosted by David Sanborn and Jools Holland.

As a composer, Miller co-wrote and produced several songs on the Miles Davis album Tutu, including the title track. He also composed “Chicago Song” for David Sanborn and co-wrote “’Til My Baby Comes Home,” “It’s Over Now,” “For You to Love,” and “Power of Love” for Luther Vandross. Miller wrote “Da Butt,” which appeared in Spike Lee’s School Daze. He also composed and provided spoken vocals on “Burn it Up,” which was featured on Najee’s 1992 album Just An Illusion.

In 1997, Miller played bass guitar and bass clarinet in the supergroup Legends, which included Eric Clapton (guitars and vocals), Joe Sample (piano), David Sanborn (alto sax), and Steve Gadd (drums). The group toured Europe for 11 dates at major jazz festivals. In 2008, Miller formed another supergroup, SMV, with bassists Stanley Clarke and Victor Wooten. The group toured for 18 months and produced their first album, Thunder. In 2011, Miller toured with Herbie Hancock and Wayne Shorter to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Miles Davis’s death.

In 2017, Miller and Common headlined the Playboy Jazz Festival. Miller hosts a jazz history and influences show called Miller Time with Marcus Miller on the Real Jazz channel of Sirius XM Holdings satellite radio. In addition to his recording and performance career, Miller has also worked as a film score composer. He has written scores for films directed by Reginald Hudlin and Chris Rock.

Miller speaks French and Spanish, which he began learning in his late 40s. He has spoken both languages fluently during interviews and has performed songs such as “Preacher’s Kid,” which tells a story about his father, in concerts.

Awards and honors

Miller has been nominated for many Grammy Awards as a producer for artists such as Miles Davis, Luther Vandross, David Sanborn, Bob James, Chaka Khan, and Wayne Shorter. He has won two Grammy Awards. In 1992, he received a Grammy for Best R&B Song for Luther Vandross' song "Power of Love." In 2001, he won a Grammy for Best Contemporary Jazz Album for his seventh solo instrumental album, M². His 2015 album Afrodeezia was nominated for Best Contemporary Instrumental Album.

In 2012, Miller was appointed a UNESCO Artist for Peace. In this role, he supported and promoted the UNESCO Slave Route Project.

In December 2021, Bass Player magazine honored Miller with a Lifetime Achievement Award.

Instruments

Marcus Miller plays a Fender Jazz Bass from 1977 with a light blonde color. A guitar maker named Roger Sadowsky modified the instrument by adding a Stars Guitar component and later a Bartolini TCT preamp, which helped Miller control his sound in the studio. Fender later created a Marcus Miller signature Fender Jazz Bass in two versions: a four-string model made in Japan and a five-string model made in the United States. In a later year, Fender moved the production of the four-string model to Mexico and stopped making both the four-string and five-string models in 2015. DR Strings made a series of stainless-steel strings designed by Marcus Miller, called "Fat Beams," which are available in different sizes. In 2015, a Korean company named Sire Guitars began making and selling the Marcus Miller V7, a bass model inspired by Miller’s earlier Fender Jazz Bass. Sire Guitars later expanded its product line to include more body shapes, styles, and price ranges. Also in 2015, Dunlop started producing Marcus Miller Super Bright bass strings, which Miller began using.

Discography

Tutu Revisited – Live 2010

• The Jamaica Boys (WEA, 1987)
• J. Boys (Reprise, 1990)

• In Your Eyes (Warner Bros., 1983)
• 20/20 (Warner Bros., 1985)
• While the City Sleeps… (Warner Bros., 1986)
• Twice the Love (Warner Bros., 1988)
• Songs and Stories (Concord, 2009)

• Heal Our Hand (Jive, 1990)
• Ubuntu (Artistry, 2023)

• Mariah Carey (Columbia, 1990)
• Merry Christmas (Columbia, 1994)

• The Man with the Horn (Columbia, 1981)
• We Want Miles (Columbia, 1982)
• Star People (Columbia, 1983)
• Tutu (Warner Bros., 1986)
• Music From Siesta (Warner Bros., 1987)
• Amandla (Warner Bros., 1989)
• The Complete Miles Davis at Montreux (Warner Bros., 2002)[20CD] – box set

• Invitation Only (Mercury, 1997)
• Sensual Journey (Verve, 2002)

• Boys and Girls (E.G., 1985) – 1 track
• Bête Noire (Virgin, 1987)
• Frantic (Virgin, 2002)
• Olympia (Virgin, 2010)
• Avonmore (BMG, 2014)

• I'm the One (Atlantic, 1982)
• Oasis (Atlantic, 1988)

• Love All the Hurt Away (Arista, 1981)
• Jump to It (Arista, 1982)
• Get It Right (Arista, 1983)
• What You See Is What You Sweat (Arista, 1991)

• Skin Dive (Warner Bros., 1985)
• The Camera Never Lies (Warner Bros., 1987)

• Naughty (Warner Bros., 1980)
• Chaka Khan (Warner Bros., 1982)
• Destiny (Warner Bros., 1986)
• ck (Warner Bros., 1988)
• The Woman I Am (Warner Bros., 1992)

• In the Night (Columbia, 1981)
• Instant Love (Columbia, 1982)

With Michael McDonald

• Blink of an Eye (Reprise, 1993)
• Wide Open (BMG, 2017)

• Burn (Epic, 1979)
• A Lot of Love (Capitol, 1986)

• Hang Together (RCA Victor, 1980)
• Happy Together (RCA Victor, 1982)

• Hideaway (Warner Bros., 1980)
• Voyeur (Warner Bros., 1981)
• As We Speak (Warner Bros., 1982)
• Backstreet (Warner Bros., 1983)
• Straight to the Heart (Warner Bros., 1984) – live
• Double Vision with Bob James (Warner Bros., 1986)
• Change of Heart (Warner Bros., 1987)
• Close-Up (Reprise, 1988)
• Another Hand (Elektra Musician, 1991)
• Upfront (Elektra, 1992)
• Hearsay (Elektra, 1994)
• Pearls (Elektra, 1995)
• Lovesongs (Warner Bros., 1995)
• Songs from the Night Before (Elektra Entertainment, 1996)
• Inside (Elektra, 1999)

With Grover Washington Jr.

• Skylarkin' (Mercury, 1981)

Film scores

• 1987: Siesta
• 1990: House Party (featuring Kid 'n Play)
• 1992: Boomerang (featuring Eddie Murphy)
• 1994: Above the Rim (featuring Tupac Shakur)
• 1994: A Low Down Dirty Shame (featuring Keenen Ivory Wayans)
• 1996: The Great White Hype (featuring Samuel L. Jackson)
• 1997: The Sixth Man (featuring Marlon Wayans)
• 1999: An American Love Story
• 2000: The Ladies Man (featuring Tim Meadows)
• 2001: The Trumpet of the Swan (featuring Reese Witherspoon)
• 2001: The Brothers (featuring Morris Chestnut)
• 2001: Two Can Play That Game (featuring Vivica A. Fox)
• 2002: Serving Sara (featuring Matthew Perry)
• 2003: Deliver Us from Eva (featuring LL Cool J)
• 2003: Head of State (featuring Chris Rock)
• 2004: Breakin' All the Rules (featuring Jamie Foxx)
• 2005: King's Ransom (featuring Anthony Anderson)
• 2006: Save the Last Dance 2 (featuring Izabella Miko)
• 2007: I Think I Love My Wife (featuring Chris Rock)
• 2007: This Christmas (featuring Idris Elba)
• 2009: Good Hair (Chris Rock documentary)
• 2009: Obsessed (featuring Beyoncé Knowles)
• 2012: Think Like a Man
• 2014: About Last Night
• 2017: Marshall
• 2020: Safety
• 2022: Sidney
• 2023: Candy Cane Lane