Old 97's
The Old 97's performing in 2008
Background information
Origin	Dallas, Texas, USA
Genres	Alternative country Country rock Country
Years active	1993–present
Labels	Big Iron Idol Bloodshot Elektra New West
Associated acts	Sleepy Heroes Ranchero Brothers Rhett Miller
Website	Old97s.com
Members
Rhett Miller Murry Hammond Ken Bethea Philip Peeples

The Old 97's are an alternative country band from Dallas, Texas. Formed in 1993,^[1] they have since released nine studio albums, two full extended plays, shared split duty on another, and have one live album. Their most recent release is The Grand Theatre, Volume Two. They are recognized as pioneers of the alt-country movement during the mid to late 1990s along with bands such as Uncle Tupelo, Drive-By Truckers, Whiskeytown, The Jayhawks, and The Bottle Rockets.

Career[link]

Initially a popular Dallas bar band, the Old 97's toured the country after releasing their first album, 1994's Hitchhike to Rhome and 1995's split EP release Stoned / Garage Sale with fellow Dallas band Funland on Idol Records. In Chicago, they caught the attention of Bloodshot Records and were signed to record their next album. 1995's Wreck Your Life brought them to the attention of Elektra Records,^[1] who hoped that alt-country could be a new post-grunge fad. Lead singer Rhett Miller, born in Austin, later lived in New York City and Los Angeles. Many of the band's songs include local Texas references, with New York City, Los Angeles, and Chicago appearing as well.

Most songs are written and sung by Miller, with bassist Murry Hammond picking up the vocals on one or two tracks per album. Hammond also handled a number of country covers, especially in the band's earlier years. Hammond also performs gospel at his local church. The band's 2004 album Drag It Up also includes a song written and sung by guitarist Ken Bethea, "Coahuila."

The band has never reached the level of success expected of them by the music press and was one of the acts purged from Elektra after the merger of Time Warner and America Online. In 2005, Blender magazine ranked the band's most successful single, 1999's "Murder (Or A Heart Attack)", as the 176th greatest song "since you were born."^[2] However, more recently, their music has been featured in a number of hit movies and TV series, including The Break-Up ("Salome", "Melt Show", "Timebomb"), Ed ("Question", "King of All the World"), Scrubs ("Question"), and Veronica Mars ("Adelaide", "Four-Leaf Clover", "The New Kid").^[3]

Rhett Miller has recorded four solo albums, with 2002's The Instigator receiving substantial airplay on alternative-oriented radio stations. He toured with Neil Finn in 2004. Miller's second major commercial album, The Believer, was released in February 2006.^[4] Murry Hammond's solo album, I Don't Know Where I'm Going But I'm on My Way, was released April 21, 2008.

The Old 97's have been heralded as a great live band, although they claim never to rehearse their act.^[5] They included five live songs as a bonus disc on Satellite Rides, and released a live double CD set recorded at historic Gruene Hall in 2005, Alive & Wired.

Rhino Entertainment released Hit by a Train: The Best of Old 97's, an eighteen track compilation of songs from the band's beginnings through 2001, featuring liner notes and an essay by rock critic Robert Christgau.

Satellite Riders is faux "tribute band." It's actually an alias the band performs under when contractual obligations prevent them from using the Old 97's name.^[6] The recording of "Timebomb" from the live album Alive & Wired was made available for download along with other alt-country songs for the music video games Rock Band and Rock Band 2.^[7]

Their current project, The Grand Theatre, was released in two volumes. The first The Grand Theatre, Volume One was released on October 12, 2010.^[8] The second The Grand Theatre, Volume Two was released on July 5, 2011.^[9]

Members[link]

• Rhett Miller – lead vocals, rhythm guitar and lyrics
• Murry Hammond – bass guitar, occasional lead vocals, backup vocals
• Ken Bethea – lead guitar, backup vocals, lead vocals on "Coahuila"
• Philip Peeples – drums and backup vocals

Discography[link]

DVDs[link]

• 2005: Old 97's Live (New West Records)

References[link]

External links[link]

• Old 97's Official web site
• Old 97's on Myspace
• Official Rhett Miller Website
• Hit By A Train, Fansite
• July 2009 Interview with L.A.Record

Rhett Miller
Rhett Miller CD release party at the Bowery Hotel June 15, 2009
Background information
Birth name	Stewart Ransom Miller II
Born	(1970-09-06) September 6, 1970 (age 41) Austin, Texas, United States
Origin	Dallas, Texas, United States
Genres	Alternative country
Occupations	Musician, songwriter
Instruments	Vocals, rhythm guitar
Years active	1989–present
Labels	Carpe Diem Elektra Verve Forecast Shout! Factory
Associated acts	Old 97's Sleepy Heroes Ranchero Brothers
Website	RhettMiller.com

Stewart Ransom Miller II , better-known as Rhett Miller (born September 6, 1970) is the lead singer of the alternative country band Old 97's and a successful solo musician. He graduated from St. Mark's School of Texas, a private boys' school in Dallas in 1989 and briefly attended Sarah Lawrence College on a creative writing scholarship before dropping out to pursue a music career. His first musical endeavor was in 1990 with Murry Hammond and drummer Benjamin Warrenfells, who formed the Sleepy Heroes, an alterna-pop band. The Sleepy Heroes released one album, Under a Radio Sun, before their breakup.^[1]

History[link]

Rhett Miller has recorded four solo albums.^[2] The 1989 album Mythologies was produced and recorded by future Old 97's member Murry Hammond.^[3] The 2002 album The Instigator, produced and recorded with Jon Brion, received critical acclaim and substantial airplay on alternative-oriented radio stations.^[3] In 2006, Miller released The Believer, his first effort for the Verve Forecast label.^[3] It includes a cover of Brion's "I Believe She's Lying", and "Fireflies", a duet with Rachael Yamagata. His most recent album, Rhett Miller, was released in June 2009 (Shout! Factory), and includes Jon Brion on guitar and bass, The Apples In Stereo’s John Dufilho on drums and Billy Harvey on guitar. Upon the album's release, Rolling Stone called it Miller's "strongest solo set ever." "I Need To Know Where I Stand" is the first single from the album, and was available for listen on Miller's MySpace page several weeks before the release of the album.

In 2004, Miller toured with Neil Finn and recorded a version of Simon and Garfunkel's "Homeward Bound" for one of MasterCard's "Priceless" advertisements. Songs from Miller's second solo album, The Instigator, were featured on an episode of Joan of Arcadia during its short run on CBS. Songs by both Miller and Old 97's have been used in the soundtrack of the American comedy series Scrubs. Miller also covered The Beatles song "Girl" for 2005's This Bird Has Flown - A 40th Anniversary Tribute to the Beatles' Rubber Soul. In 2008, Miller co-produced the first EP, No One Will Know, of New York band The Spring Standards.

Miller married model Erica Iahn a week after he completed production of The Instigator. Iahn found out she was pregnant with their first child, Max, while Miller was wrapping up his tour with Tori Amos to promote the album. Their daughter, Soleil, was born in the spring of 2006. Miller's song "Happy Birthday Don't Die" is his imagining of what the world will be like when Soleil celebrates her 100th birthday.^[4][5]

Discography[link]

Albums[link]

Other Releases[link]

• This Bird Has Flown - A 40th Anniversary Tribute to the Beatles' Rubber Soul, "Girl"

References[link]

External links[link]

• Official Rhett Miller Website
• Rhett's MySpace page
• Official Old 97's Website
• Q&A with Rhett Miller