Rhett Miller

Rhett Miller at the Triple Door in Seattle. December 10, 2013 Stewart Ransom "Rhett" Miller II (born September 6, 1970) is the lead singer of the alternative country rock band Old 97's. He also records and performs as a solo musician, and has been published as a writer of both fiction and non-fiction.

Early life Miller, a seventh-generation Texan, was born in Austin, Texas. Miller's parents divorced when he was 17 years old. Miller, the oldest of three children, has a younger brother and sister. Rhett's paternal grandfather, Giles E. Miller, was a young millionaire scion of a successful textile family who, in 1952 owned the first NFL football team in the south, the Dallas Texans. The Texans folded after seven games, marking the last time an NFL franchise would go bankrupt.

Miller's family lived in Highland Park, Texas, where he went to Armstrong Elementary School. In 4th grade, Miller was hospitalized for several months due to a severe inner-ear problem. In 6th grade, he began attending St. Mark's School of Texas, a private boys' school in North Dallas. He started taking guitar lessons when he was 12 years old and writing songs when he was 13. Miller has said that his time at St. Mark's was very difficult, and that he was ostracized and bullied, leading to depression which culminated in a suicide attempt at the age of 14.

Career In 1989, while still in high school, Miller released an album called Mythologies. The album title was taken from a book of essays by the French media philosopher Roland Barthes. Only 1,000 copies of the CD exist. Miller signed and numbered each one.

In 2002, Miller released The Instigator on Elektra Records. The record was produced and recorded with Jon Brion, received critical acclaim and substantial airplay on alternative-oriented radio stations. It includes a cover of Brion's "I Believe She's Lying" and "Fireflies", a duet with Rachael Yamagata.

In 2009, Miller released his fourth record, the self-titled Rhett Miller, on Shout! Factory. The record includes Jon Brion on guitar and bass, The Apples in Stereo's John Dufilho on drums and Billy Harvey on guitar. In 2011, Miller self-released a live recording of The Interpreter: Live at Largo.

In 2012, Miller released The Dreamer. The record, a Maximum Sunshine release which Miller self-produced, included collaborations with Rosanne Cash and Ben Kweller.

In 2015, Miller released his sixth solo record, called The Traveler, on ATO Records. The album was a notable shift for Miller, as he recorded it with a Portland, Oregon-based bluegrass band called Black Prairie, which includes members of The Decemberists. The album also features contributions from Peter Buck and Scott McCaughey of R.E.M.

In 2018, Miller released The Messenger on ATO Records.

In 2022, Miller released The Misfit on ATO Records.

In 2025, Miller released A Lifetime of Riding by Night on ATO Records.

Writing Miller has written short stories, essays and articles that have appeared in Rolling Stone, The Baffler, Bookforum, Sports Illustrated, McSweeney's, The Atlantic, and Salon. 2004: Recorded a version of Simon and Garfunkel's "Homeward Bound" for one of MasterCard's "Priceless" advertisements 2008: Co-produced the first EP, No One Will Know, of New York band The Spring Standards 2009: Appeared as a member of the musical ensemble in the 30 Rock episode Kidney Now! 2019: On 1/23/19 Miller announced the 1/24 start of his podcast, Wheels Off, subtitled A Show About the Messy Reality Behind the Creative Life. In partnership with Revoice Media, it's an 11-episode series; each segment features host Miller conversing with musicians, writers, artists, actors, comedians and other creative people about the pivotal moments that shaped their work, what it means to create in a digital age and grappling with the challenges and joys of living a creative life.

Awards In 2025, Miller's band the Old 97's received a Lifetime Achievement award from the Americana Music Association.

Philanthropy In 2006, Miller and his brother Ross Miller launched the Breathe Easy Concert Series, an annual event in Dallas that raises money for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation and awareness about cystic fibrosis.

In 2016, Miller appeared as part of the Okay to Say initiative sponsored by the Meadows Mental Health Policy Institute in Dallas, which encourages the use of therapy to prevent suicide and address mental health issues. In the campaign, Miller discusses his own suicide attempt when he was 14 years old, Miller said that Jason Isbell encouraged him to talk publicly about his sobriety. Miller now lives in New York's Hudson Valley.

Miller said he got the nickname "Rhett" because his mother liked Rhett Butler from the movie Gone with the Wind.

Released: 1989 Label: Carpe Diem Format: LP, CD — —

Released: September 24, 2002 Label: Elektra Format: LP, CD 126 —

Released: February 28, 2006 Label: Verve Forecast Format: LP, CD 138 —

Released: June 9, 2009 Label: Shout! Format: LP, CD, streaming 128 50

Released: June 5, 2012 Label: Maximum Sunshine Format: LP, CD, streaming 139 50

Released: May 12, 2015 Label: ATO Format: LP, CD, streaming — 27

Released: November 9, 2018 Label: ATO Format: LP, CD, streaming — —

Released: September 16, 2022 Label: ATO Format: LP, CD, streaming — —

Released: October 10, 2025 Label: ATO Format: LP, CD, streaming — —

Live albums

2011: The Interpreter: Live at Largo (Maximum Sunshine Records)

Singles Year Single Peak positions Album US AAA 2002 "Our Love" — The Instigator "Come Around" 7 2006 "Help Me, Suzanne" — The Believer 2009 "I Need to Know Where I Stand" — Rhett Miller 2012 "Out of Love" — The Dreamer 2015 "Most in the Summertime" — The Traveler 2018 "Total Disaster" 28 The Messenger "—" denotes releases that did not chart

Other contributions 2003: The Executioner's Last Songs: Volumes 2 & 3 (Bloodshot Records) – "Dang Me" 2005: This Bird Has Flown - A 40th Anniversary Tribute to the Beatles' Rubber Soul (Razor & Tie) – "Girl"

Filmography

Works and publications Chronological order

– short story

- poetry