The Buddy Miles Express has finally pulled into the station. The legendary drummer and singer died Tuesday at his home in Austin at the age of 60.
Admittedly, I was late jumping aboard the Express. I stumbled across an old vinyl copy of his 1970 masterpiece, Them Changes, a couple years ago at Friends of Sound in South Austin. On the cover, the hefty Miles sits behind his American flag-emblazoned drum kit, rocking an afro so large it nearly obscures his vision. I had to hear this album. From the stoner rock of “Dreams” and “Down by the River” to the rocking rhythm and blues of the title track and “Memphis Train,” I was hooked. Since then I’ve snagged every Buddy Miles title I could get my hands on and bought an old copy of Electric Church just last weekend, nearly completing my collection.
My copy of Them Changes now has a scrawling signature across the front: “To My Friend – Buddy Miles.” I went to Buddy’s house in October 2007 – five short months ago – to interview him for a radio piece previewing the Buddy Miles All-Star Blues Jam happening at La Zona Rosa that month. It was fascinating to talk with Miles about the incredible highs and devastating lows of his career and life. But even then it was clear the Express was running out of steam. He had trouble staying awake towards the end of our hour-long interview but nonetheless indulged me by pounding out some of his trademark fatback drums in the back room after we were done talking. I had no idea that I was the lone attendee for one of the last concerts Buddy Miles would ever give.
The list of artists Miles has worked with could go on forever: Otis Redding, Wilson Pickett, David Bowie, Prince, Muddy Waters, Stevie Wonder, Aretha Franklin, Betty Davis, Neil Young, Barry White, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Bootsy Collins … He even recorded a live album with Carlos Santana in the crater of a Hawaiian volcano. But most people know Miles as the drummer for the legendary Band of Gypsys, the short-lived all-black power trio led by Jimi Hendrix and bassist Billy Cox. The group played four shows at the Filmore East in New York City on New Years Eve, 1969, and New Years Day, 1970.
In October I spoke with Tommy Shannon, longtime bassist for Stevie Ray Vaughan and Johnny Winter. Shannon was at the historic Filmore East shows and marveled at the sheer power of Miles’ drumming. “It was incredible – it was like being transported to a different world,” he said. “The three of them together were just monsters. It was incredible. Buddy Miles was playing our drummer’s drums and he beat ‘em to death. The heads had big dents in them because he played so hard.”
Miles battled many personal demons in the late 1970s and early 1980s. He spent three years and several stints in California State Prison on drug charges. “I went to hell and back,” Miles said in our interview. “I was getting into a lot of trouble and I reached a point where I didn’t care.”
Miles made a miraculous comeback in the mid 1980s as the voice behind the claymation sensation the California Raisins, one of the most successful advertising campaigns in American history. It seems more young people know Miles’ version of “I Heard It Through the Grapevine” than Marvin Gaye’s.
I probably haven’t gone a month without listening to a Buddy Miles song over the last couple of years. So even though we met only once and spent a little more than an hour hanging out, he seems like an old friend. We talked about the possibility of him coming on my radio show on KVRX so we could spend an hour playing his music and talking about his career. I don’t know if he was interested, but he at least pretended to be. Last week I nearly made the call to ask him when he wanted to do it, but decided to put it off. Sadly, that hour of Buddy Miles music will now come as part of a memorial tribute. Send positive vibrations out to Buddy’s spouse, Sherrilae, and all of Buddy’s loved ones. Rest in peace, Buddy. You will be missed!
This article appears in February 22 • 2008.
