Famed country music star Frankie Miller has passed away at age 95.
According to a statement from his publicist, he died on August 29 at his home in Brady, Texas, from natural causes.
‘Blackland Farmer’
A proflific singer and songwriter, Miller is best known for his 1959 hit “Blackland Farmer.”
The track became Miller’s signature song, and has remained a country music staple that has been recorded by numerous artists over the years.
Perhaps the best-known version was recorded by Faron Young, and released on his 1964 album “Story Songs for Country Folks.” In this version, Young is accompanied by The Jordanaires, the vocal group that went on to back up Elvis Presley.
Other artists to record the song have included Pat Boone, singer-turned-game show host Wink Martindale and Willie Nelson.
More recently, “Blackland Farmer” was covered by rock band Hard Working Americans.
Early Years in the Music Business
A native of Victoria, Texas, Miller was born on December 17, 1930.
Just a teenager when he put together his first band, The Drifting Texans, Miller soon began making regular appearances on local radio station KNAL.
Performing in Houston, he met country start Hank Locklin, best known for “Please Help Me, I’m Falling.” Locklin helped Miller land a record contract with Gilt Edge Records, which led to the release of five singles recorded at a single 1951 session.
His music career took a hiatus when he served in the Korean War for two years, rising to the rank of sergeant while receiving the Bronze Star.
A Teenage Sensation
After returning stateside, Miller resumed his career, and was signed by Columbia Records.
Between July 1954 and November 1955, he recorded a dozen tracks, including “Hey Where Ya Goin?” and “It’s No Big Thing.”
Miller became a fixture on the Cowtown Hoedown on Fort Worth radio, and in 1959 signed with Starday Records. That led to the release of “Blackland Farmer,” which became one of the label’s top sellers.
First appearing on the country charts in April 1959, “Blackland Farmer” made it into the Top 5, returning to the charts in 1961 when it reached the Top 20 while crossing over into the pop charts.
A 1971 cover of “Blackland Farmer” by Sleepy LaBeef landed in the Top 70, while singer Elizabeth Cook covered the song for her 2010 album “Welder.”
A second single for Starday, “Family Man,” also made the Top 10. “Baby Rocked Her Dolly” reached the Top 15 in 1960, while “A Little South of Memphis” achieved Top 40 status in 1964. Over a period of seven years, Miller recorded nearly 50 tracks for Starday.
Cashbox Magazine selected Miller as “Most Promising Country Artist” in 1960. He regularly performed on the Louisiana Hayride — where Colonel Tom Parker famously discovered Elvis Presley — and appeared on both the Grand Ole Opry and the Ozark Jubilee.
During those years, Miller toured with numerous artists who would go onto become country music icons, including Johnny Cash, George Jones, Patsy Cline, Ernest Tubb, Buck Owens, Lefty Frizzell and Willie Nelson.
A Late-in-Life Second Act
In the late 1960s, Miller decided to return to Texas — and put his music career on hold for the next three decades.
It wasn’t until the 1990s that he returned to the music business, experiencing a burst of late-in-life success.
At that point, he resumed touring, performing primarily throughout Texas. He also experienced significant success overseas, which included headlining the Rhythm Riot in England in November of 2003 and a successful tour of Sweden in 2015, at the age of 85.
He also continued to release records. His album “The Family Man” came out in 2006, which included rerecorded versions of “Blackland Farmer,” “Family Man” and other vintage tracks, in addition to new material described as being “hardcore country.”
He followed that up with the 2012 album “Back When Gas Was 60 Cents A Gallon,” and his final full-length album in 2020, “A Friend Remembered: My Tribute To George Jones,”
Paying Tribute
“The first major tour I worked following my move to Nashville in 1959 was across western Canada with several other new country artists…among them Frankie Miller. He had a hit record with ‘Blackland Farmer,’ and I had just come out with ‘Ninety-Nine Years.’ Most of the fans had no idea who either of us was, but we formed a friendship back then that has lasted to this day. He’s been one of my favorite artists and favorite people for a long, long time,” shared Country Music Hall of Famer Bill Anderson.
“I had the good fortune to be signed as a songwriter to a company that published Frankie Miller’s catalog when I was still in my 20s. We used to have these parties and play all the old vinyl. Every single time, it was a special point in the night when the needle got dropped on ‘Blackland Farmer,’ usually followed by ‘Baby Rocked Her Dolly.’ Frankie was truly a singular voice. I’m so glad I was introduced to his work,” said singer Elizabeth Cook.
“Frankie had just completed work and released his biography, ‘The Blackland Farmer: Life Among Country Music Legends,’ written by Greg Wilson,” added Tracy Pitcox, president of Heart of Texas Records. “He remained active in the industry and continued to enjoy making music into his 90s. He even was a special guest and performed with his long-time friend Willie Nelson a few years ago at the Luck Reunion.”
