Bill Miller (impresario)
| Bill Miller | |
|---|---|
| Born |
1904 Pinsk, Russia |
| Died |
December 9, 2002 (age 98) Palm Springs, California |
| Citizenship | United States |
| Occupation | Impresario |
| Spouse(s) | Denise B. Miller |
| Children |
Jimmy Miller Judith Miller Susan Miller |
| Parent(s) | Lena and David Miller |
| Family |
Jason Epstein (son-in-law) Kerri-Anne Wright (daughter-in-law) |
Bill Miller (1904 – December 9, 2002) was an American impresario.
Born to a Jewish family in Pinsk, Russia in 1904, the son of Lena and David Miller.[1][2] Wiliam Miller's family immigrated to the United States when William was a year old first settling in Brooklyn and then Jersey City.[1][2] His father worked as a building tradesman.[1][2] He does not know his family's original surname.[2] He has one sister, Mollie Miller Vine.[1] He dropped out of high school after two years to pursue a career as a vaudeville dancer as part of the duo Miller and Peterson.[2] He danced professionally until he was 30 after which he worked as a vaudeville agent.[1] In 1945, he purchased the Riviera, a nightclub overlooking the Hudson River in Fort Lee, New Jersey which had closed during World War II, and renamed it Bill Miller's Riviera.[1] He booked many of the top acts at the time including Tony Martin, Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Jerry Lewis, Sammy Davis Jr., Joey Bishop, Mae West,[1] and Tito Puente.[3] In 1953, the Riveria was shuttered to make way for the Palisades Parkway.[1]
In the same year, Miller purchased a 10% interest in the Sahara and moved to Las Vegas at the invitation of Milton Prell (who founded the Sahara in 1952), becoming its entertainment director.[2] Starting afresh, as many of his former acts had already been taken to Las Vegas by former Copacabana Club employee, Jack Entratter, he hired Ray Bolger, Donald O'Conner, and Marlene Dietrich.[2] He also pioneered the Las Vegas lounge show concept booking Louis Prima, Keely Smith, and Sam Butera.[2] In 1955, he left the Sahara and bought an interest in the new Dunes where he again worked as their entertainment director.[2] At the Dunes, he developed the first of the big Las Vegas production "feathershows" named Smart Affairs and later developed burlesque shows Lido de Paris and the Folies Bergere with his former producer in New Jersey, Donn Arden.[2] He operated a hotel in the Dutch West Indies before returning to Las Vegas where he served as the entertainment director of the Flamingo founded by Kirk Kerkorian where he helped to launch the career of Sonny and Cher with Phil Spector.[2] In 1969, he worked at Kerkorian's new hotel The International where he booked Barbara Striesand and revived the career of Elvis Presley.[2] The International became the world's largest resort hotel during his tenure.[1] He retired in the 1970s.[1]
Personal life
Miller married four times.[4] He was survived by his fourth wife, Denise B. Miller.[1] He had three children, record producer and musician Jimmy Miller (who predeceased him in the 1990s and was previously married to Australian television personality, actress and singer Kerri-Anne Wright), New York Times reporter Judith Miller (married to editor Jason Epstein), and Susan Miller; and a stepson, Jerry Johnson.[1][5] He died on December 9, 2002 in Palm Springs, California at the age of 98.[1]
References
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 Kelley, Tina (December 12, 2002). "Bill Miller, 98, an Impresario In the Golden Age of Las Vegas". New York Times.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Evanslas, K.J. (February 7, 1999). "Bill Miller". Las Vegas Review-Journal.
- ↑ Foer, Franklin. "The Source of the Trouble". NYMag.com. Retrieved 2016-12-01.
- ↑ McLellan, Dennis (December 15, 2002). "Bill Miller, 98; Vegas Hotels Entertainment Director, Club Owner". Los Angeles Times.
- ↑ Berkowitz, Peter (April 8, 2015). "Judith Miller's "Story": Setting the Record Straight". Real Clear Politics.