Top > Entertainment > 2006 > July > 2006-07-21

The Pianist Who Accompanied Sinatra Passes Away

Nobody lives forever, not even in the entertainment world. Bill Miller, the pianist which worked with the famous singer Frank Sinatra for more than 40 years, has died at age 91. He was hospitalized in Montreal, where he had been performing with Frank Sinatra Jr., after breaking a hip and then suffering a heart attack.

Miller, who was born in New York City, started his long partnership with the elder Sinatra in 1951, and accompanied him on the well known songs such as "My Way," "Young at Heart" and "Strangers in the Night". Even when Sinatra recorded with jazz piano legend Count Basie, Miller still played on some of the album`s ballads, so strong their companionship was.

The two entertainment stars had an argument in the late 1970s and did not work together for 6 years because of that. Miller also played at Sinatra`s last concert in 1995. For the past eight years Miller had been working with Frank Jr., who recently told The Washington Post that Miller was "the greatest singer`s pianist there ever was." Miller often conducted Sinatra`s band and also functioned as a musical director. Miller`s daughter Meredith said: "He kept a low profile. He never insisted on anything. He didn`t seek out fame. He was very low key and I think that was one of the reasons that he and Frank Sr. and Frank Jr. -- but Frank Sr. in particular -- got along so well."