INTERVIEW: Maine Bluesman Mark “Guitar” Miller talks early life experiences, Maine influences
Bring up the State of Maine to Blues enthusiasts outside of New England, and they’ll no doubt mention the famed North Atlantic Blues Festival in Rockland. Festival founder Paul Benjamin has achieved a great deal of notoriety in over 30 years, putting Maine on the map across the national Blues landscape.
Yet beyond this world-class festival featuring National acts, one of Maine’s best-kept secrets is the depth of talent among musicians who live and work in the state. Among these many devoted artists is Mark ‘Guitar’ Miller, of East Millinocket. Born into a musical family, Miller has an incredible story.
“I was surrounded by music since I was a baby,” he explained. “My father played the guitar, and my two older brothers also played music. One was a lead guitar player, the other was a singer. My sister also sang, so here I was surrounded by musical talent from my earliest days. They were all very good.
“I started playing the guitar when I was six years old. I don’t think I’ll ever be as good as my brother was, but I’ve always tried to be the best I can be. I’m a perfectionist; I always want every note to sound exactly as it should. My family was definitely my introduction to music, and how I got hooked.”
A life-changing event played a big role in how Miller even pursued a career in music in the first place.
“My mother died from Cancer at the age of 39 when I was just nine years old,” he explained. “I was kind of quiet for about a year after she passed. I was in the seventh grade, and one day they came into my classroom and were looking for a guitar player to play in ‘The Hootenany.’ So I raised my hand.
“The death of my mother made me want to pursue something fun, to have a good time. I could have gone to work at the Mill and had all the stuff those guys had, but I sacrificed everything to go play music. After Mom passed, I had a bad attitude and just didn’t care. But I was serious about music.”
Like anybody just starting out, the early days were a challenge as he learned the ropes.
“I put my first band together when I was 11 years old,” Miller said. “We didn’t have a bass player; we had four guitar players and a drummer. We went on TV, on a program called ‘Spotlight on Youth,’ on a station in Bangor. After that appearance, I gained some respect and started gaining more confidence.”
It didn’t take long for Miller’s musical prowess to turn a few heads around northern Maine.
“My first actual paying gig was at a Dairy Queen in Medway,” Miller recalled. “It was a pretty big deal to make $1.50 for that gig. I was only 12 or 13 years old. I wasn’t very good at first, it took me a while to really feel comfortable on stage in front of people.
“I was actually lucky with opportunities from the time I was young. I met a kid in school who played the drums. He took me to his house, and his mother managed our band all through High School. She became a Mother figure to me. She was a lot like my Mom, attending her church every week.”
After he started to make a name for himself across Maine, Miller started getting more opportunities.
“After I got out of the Air Force, a friend of mine, Harry King, had a band called Cherry Opera,” Miller said. “They hired me to play in their band. I wasn’t very good, but Harry helped me. He’s been my Godfather in music my whole life.
“I moved to Massachusetts when I was 30 years old. I had stayed in Maine for a long time, but it was time for a change. A friend of mine took me to Brad Delp’s house, he was making a Demo Tape and had gone to High School with Brad. So we went there to his nice basement studio.”
That experience would form a friendship that changed Miller’s career in a big way.
“I had to stay an extra week to finish up my guitar tracks,” he said. “Within that week, I earned Brad’s respect. He called my playing soulful. I was shocked when he asked me to play in his band. I didn’t feel I was good enough; but he offered to help me on the complicated songs with more chords involved.”
The two musicians would form a longtime friendship, one Miller says changed his life.
“I was devasted when I heard of his passing in 2007,” Miller said. “He was easily was one of the most kind souls on the planet. He was a superstar, yet treated everybody with great respect. I’ll never forget him driving up to Hallowell twice to sing and record on my CD. It was a special honor for me.”
At 75 years old, Miller has built a loyal fan following over the years in Maine and the entire region. He claims that kind of longtime popularity and longevity can be attributed to his style of playing.
“I think fans still follow me and enjoy my music because of my ability to make them feel what I do,” he said. “I have been described as a soulful, spiritual artist, and I really want the listener to feel what I’m feeling. Music is supposed to be moving; having that connection with any listener is important.”
Like all of the other mega-talented musicians within this genre, Miller lists a handful of artists who had an influence on his music.
“I’d have to say guys like the great B.B. King, Dickey Betts, Eric Clapton and later on Robin Ford were all big influences on my style,” he explained. “On the local level, it was people like Jeff Crocker, Wayne Brewer, Karla Thibodeau, Bob Fillion and Vinnie Contreas who served as mentors and inspired me to work at my craft.”
Miller, a humble man by nature, is also quick to credit several active local Blues musicians in Maine for their roles in carrying the torch.
“We have talented musicians like Kevin Kimball, for example, who’s done a lot for Maine Blues musicians. He created the Maine Blues Festival, which feature Maine bands only, in 2006, which still runs today down in Lisbon Falls. You also have great guys like Matt Bilodeau and Ken Goodman.
“Artists like Matt, Kevin and Kenny are out there doing a great job at keeping the Blues scene thriving here in Maine. And they haven’t forgotten about an old guy like me; they still say nice things about me and I’ve gotten to play at festivals with them this year. I’m honored to still be considered a draw.”
As his musical career rolls on, Miller says there is still more left in the tank and more songs to play.
“It’s hard to stay busy playing music in Maine,” he added. “You have to run up and down the road all the time, and I’m getting too old for that. And living as far north as I do, it’s always a long drive to any gigs I may get. I’m kind of in love with Virginia, and there are a lot of musical opportunities there.
“I may possibly be moving there at some point. You can land several gigs within 30 or 45 minutes from home. Maine has been good to me my entire career, but at 75, the south is pretty appealing to me. I just played the Mountain View Blues Fest in Maine last Saturday (Sept. 13), but soon, I’ll be headed south.”
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Featured image by: Doug Hooper
