Born in Milwaukee, it seems almost predestined that Steve Miller would be a successful musician. Steve’s parents were the Best Man and Maid of Honor for the wedding of Les Paul and Mary Ford. His family eventually relocated to Texas and Miller graduated from the same high school as Dusty Hill from ZZ Top.

Miller started out as a blues player before integrating a more rock style to his playing. The Steve Miller Band was absolutely huge in the 1970s and Miller rode that wave of success through the 1990s. Despite not releasing any commercially successful albums after 1982, The Steve Miller Band was steadily touring behind the strength of their 1970s releases.

Whether you call him The Space Cowboy or Maurice, I know you know at least one Steve Miller song. You probably owned the Steve Miller Band greatest hits album at one time in your life. You may even speak fluently in the pompatus of love because of him. Here’s the SMB doing “Take the Money and Run” off of the 1976 album “Fly Like an Eagle”:

(Today is also AC/DC singer Brian Johnson’s birthday. I was going to feature him but couldn’t find any good AC/DC songs with him singing. Bon Scott rules!)