Luke "Long Gone" Miles

Luke "Long Gone" Miles (May 8, 1925 – November 22, 1987) was an American Texas blues and electric blues singer and songwriter. He was a protégé of Lightnin' Hopkins and variously recorded or performed with Hopkins, Sonny Terry, Brownie McGhee and Willie Chambers. Miles is best known for his 1964 album Country Born, issued by World Pacific Records.

Life and career Miles was born in Lachute, Louisiana. he worked on a cotton plantation until the early 1950s and listened to blues music on the radio. Suitably inspired, Miles moved to Houston, Texas, in 1952, with the single aim of meeting Lightnin' Hopkins. Miles stated, "I went to Houston for one reason. I went to see Lightnin’ Hopkins. That's what I went for and that's what I did. Lightnin' Hopkins taught me just about everything about blues singing. The first time I ever sang in front of an audience was in 1952 with Lightnin'. The first day I met Lightnin' he named me "Long Gone" … and I've been Long Gone Miles ever since".

Nervous at his first concert, Miles dropped the microphone. However, he persevered and played at local clubs, and he subsequently appeared on several of Hopkins's recordings, including the "live album", Country Blues (1960).

In 1962, Miles recorded two singles for Smash Records, accompanied by Brownie McGhee and Sonny Terry.

However, in 1970, Miles lived up to his stage name and disappeared for a long time from performing and recording. He never spoke to or heard from Hopkins again.

Singles Year A-side B-side Record label 1962 "Let Me Play with Your Poodle" "War Time Blues" Smash 1962 "Long Gone" "War Time Blues" Smash 1964 "Long Gone" "No Money, No Honey" World Pacific 1965 "38 Pistol" "Lena Mae" Two Kings 1965 "Early One Morning" "Losing My Mind" Two Kings 1969 "Hello Josephine" "Little Sweet Thing" Kent