John Miles (1949-2021)

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At 11.15pm last night our hearts were shattered into pieces and I don’t think they will ever repaired. Our hero, our best friend, the legend, our Dad passed away after a short illness. Dad had the most amazing life and leaves behind a wonderful musical legacy. We are so proud that we got to call him our Dad, him and Mam gave us the most incredible life and showed us the world. We couldn’t have wished for a better Dad. We love you so much with all our hearts. Rest in peace Dad until we meet again

It is with great sadness and with those words posted by his daughter that we learned of the passing of John Miles, during the night of December 5th at the age of 72 in his hometown of Newcastle in England.

A multi-talented musician he is most famous for his timeless track and superhit ‘Music’

At the peak of his success, in 1976 and 1977, John Miles made several appearances on the weekly pop TV show Supersonic. The debut album did receive some attention in the US. Two singles from the debut album reached the US Billboard Hot 100 chart, “Highfly” peaked at No. 68, followed by “Music” which stalled at No. 88. “Slow Down” was his biggest US chart hit, peaking at No. 2 on the disco chart, and at No. 34 on the Billboard Hot 100 in June 1977.

From 1985, John participated almost every year in the Night of the Proms, a series of concerts held yearly in Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany… The concerts consist of a combination of pop music and popular classical music (often combined) and various well-known musicians and groups usually participate. Miles always performs “Music”, and also sings other songs.

In 2009, the album The Best of John Miles at the Night of the Proms was released, which included “Music” and cover versions including “All by Myself”, “Bohemian Rhapsody” and “It Was a Very Good Year”.

I had the chance to see John perform at the Proms, the year Grace Jones appeared. Their rendition of Proud Mary (see video above) at the end of the show felt like a full-circle moment for me. Sjef and I talked to John in our hotel after the show and he really was the kindest person ever. He didn’t seem to be bothered to see us inquiring about Tina but we were genuinely happy to see him face to face and to have had the opportunity to talk to him a bit.

John started touring with Tina in 1987 and soon became a pillar of the Queen of Rock’s band.

First, as a keyboard player on the Break Every Rule Tour. During the gigantic gig, he would also duet with Tina and his guitar, in lieu of Bryan Adams, on ‘It’s Only Love’ and apply his vocals on ‘I Can’t Stand The Rain’.

On subsequent tours, he would mostly play the guitar but also support vocals on almost every song, most notably during the ‘Better Be Good To Me’ screaming session with James Ralston and Tina. Like Kenny Moore, he was an integral part of the show, fans know the ‘John moments’ and a live Tina song without his vocals isn’t the same!

Proving their indefectible professional and personal bond, John would perform every tour with Tina until her retirement in 2009.

While he wasn’t touring with the Queen of Rock, John also appeared on Jimmy Page’s 1988 album Outrider and subsequent tour (his wide-ranging vocals allowed him to cover both Robert Plant and Paul Rodgers from Page’s two previous bands) and played Hammond organ on Joe Cocker’s album Night Calls (1992).

My most sincere and deepest condolences to Mr. Miles’s family, friends, and Tina.

Published by Ben

Teacher - Traveller - Blogger - Founder of Tina Turner Blog (2010)

30 Replies to “John Miles (1949-2021)”

  6. Merci Ben😭pour ses nouvelles. Je suis très touché par la mort John✌🙏🙏🙏✌On lui souhaite un bon voyage dans le nouveau monde✌️🙏❤️Je sais que tu continueras à jouer de tes instruments dans ta nouvelle vie. Merci pour tout…. Et toute famille♥️♥️

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  7. Fly home, John, and thank you for the music. Who could ever forget his duet with Tina, Try a Little Tenderness, my favorite. Condolences to his family at this time of unexpected loss. He was a class act.

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  9. My wife and I are great fans of Tina and her entourage! My wife passed away Oct 30th so I send condolences from me for both of us. Rest in peace “Gentle Giant”

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  10. So,so sorry to hear of the passing of your
    Dad Ben.May you and your family know that God is with you during this difficult time.
    Please find comfort by reliving the special memories spent together.
    God Bless You & Your Family,
    Jules Marshall

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  11. My heart goes out to the family of John Miles and. To his close knit family of Tina Turner s concerts and music.
    I hope others feels the way I do; that the world hat lost a perfect soul.
    Rest now in peace John.

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  12. “Que você possa renascer com o mesmo brilho, com a mesma energia que me encantou nesses anos dourados junto com a Tina Turner! Fica aquí minhas mais sinceras condolências a essa pessoa extraordinária John Miles!”

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  20. No doubt he sacrificed many days and nights not being able to see his own family, and yet what a proud and momentus sacrifice it was ..a great performer in his own right , and yet to play alongside the icon tina must have been thee most proud moment for his family ..the world has lost a great musician and soul rip xx

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  21. John was an incredible musician and had a great voice. I never get tired of listening to John and Tina Turner singing, Try a Little Tenderness. It is no exaggeration when I say he took the roof off.

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  22. So sorry for John’s family. I was lucky enough to see and meet John when he was in Tina’s band in 1987 when I won a weekend in London including the Wembley gig and I stayed in the same Mayfair hotel as the band. I last saw John at Edinburgh Castle in 2014 when he closed the evening in style with his fantastic ‘Music’. Rest in Peace xx

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  23. Probably the most underrated musician I can think of. We have lost a truly versatile guitarist, pianist, songwriter and wide raging vocalist who could do it so competently right to the end.
    John Miles caught my attention back in the 70s with ‘Highfly’ when I just 12! But as a keen music enthusiast as most of us were, he was one to watch. Probably happier being a working musician than going for stardom, his live performances especially the chemistry with Tina Turner will go down as some of the greatest moments in musical history RIP John Miles. What a sad, sad loss.

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  26. I just read where John Miles passed in December. This one hit me in the gut. I only know him from the videos that I have been watching non-stop, for the last few years. He was such a joy to watch and he brought so much energy and talent to the stage. He was a beautiful human being. Well done John.
    ❤A fan from the States.

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  27. Truly was underrated….should have been a massive household name on the lips of everyone. But you WERE noticed for your remarkable natural gift of music so music truly was your first and last love…and ours when we heard you sing and play.

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  28. If you really want to understand John Miles, take a listen to his album ‘Zaragon’ which has a depth rarely mined by any other asrtist that I know. I wore out the vinyl, it was a chance to hear John & his band without studio string overdubs & orchestras which had featured on previous albums. It’s the most solid rock album of all time. His work with Tina was outstanding too. R.I.P. Mr. Music.

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