Buddy & Julie Miller

Julie and Buddy Miller met in a band called, appropriately enough, Partners in Crime. It was this stint in Austin in 1976 that brought together these two giant talents in the folk-country scene. Now centred in Nashville, they have created a niche for themselves within that city and have been making stellar music with their friends and each other for HighTone Records. Buddy, an unassuming singer-songwriter and guitarist, is suddenly one of the most sought after talents in or out of Nashville. Three songs on his debut 1995 CD, Your Love and Other Lies, were covered by other artists, including Brooks and Dunn, and Steve Earle called it "the country album of the decade." No stranger to Edmonton, Buddy played in our city with Emmylou Harris two years ago when he was a member of her band, Spyboy. Recently, Buddy became a pivotal member of Steve Earle's touring entourage, and Buddy and Julie were back here to open for Steve when he played the Winspear in March this year. Buddy began his musical career about three decades ago, and played everything from bluegrass to psychedelic rock. He migrated to San Francisco, Seattle, New York, Austin, Los Angeles and finally Nashville to further develop his diverse musicianship. In 1996 and '97, Buddy toured with Emmylou Harris both as a member of her band and later as an opening act. His most recent album, Poison Love, is deemed as excellence in the world of classic hard country music. Julie Miller made her professional singing debut at the age of 16. People like Jerry Jeff Walker, Muddy Waters, Emmylou Harris and Gram Parsons heavily influenced her to enter the business. After she met Buddy and they settled in Nashville in 1993, the two helped each other out-Julie singing on Buddy's Your Love and Other Lies, and Buddy playing on and co-producing Julie's Blue Pony. Her voice has a worldly innocence and a sensitive honesty that almost defies description, and her lyrics are both touching and eye-opening.

  -- LG