"As a song poet, there are few in the world today to match him" - Green Man Review, USA

Internationally acclaimed songwriter, performer and recording artist Gary Miller was born in Durham in the North East of England in 1966 and raised in Sherburn Village, a small ex-mining community 3 miles east of Durham City.

He founded British folk-rock cult-legends The Whisky Priests (1985-2002) at the age of 19 with his accordionist twin brother Glenn - “the Joe Strummer & Mick Jones of folk music” - rising to international prominence during the mid eighties and throughout the nineties as principal songwriter, lead singer, guitarist & mandolin player with The Whisky Priests.

He simultaneously and successfully co-managed the band’s entire business affairs with his twin brother Glenn and together they founded their own independent record label Whippet Records, in 1988, for releasing The Whisky Priests and related recordings worldwide.

The Whisky Priests released a string of internationally acclaimed albums but were particularly renowned worldwide for their incredible live shows:

“A Whisky Priests show is the sort of stuff to make your hair curl; honest, earthy, loud, raucous and tremendously uplifting” (Folk Roots, UK)

When the twin brothers decided to end The Whisky Priests in 2002 for personal reasons, Gary retired from live performance and professional recording due to what became a long-term illness lasting six years but continued working in the music industry, for example, as an agent at Adastra ("the UK's largest Folk, Roots & World Music Agency"); as a music industry tutor; on a variety of projects in collaboration with other artists; as a commissioned songwriter; and as a qualified and experienced community arts practitioner, developing and working on a wide variety of community projects through the UK as a musical director and workshop leader.

In 2010, he resumed his recording career with the release of Reflections on War, his highly anticipated and landmark ground-breaking debut solo album and first CD of all new material in 10 years.

In 2017 he released Mad Martins, his most ambitious project to date:

"To say that this is a masterpiece is still an understatement." (FRaME Music)

"A veritable triumpth!" (RnR Magazine, UK)

"A magnificent piece of work" (folking.com)

"An extraordinary work"(FRUK)

In 2018 and 2019, he released four singles and an EP as a precursor to the album 'From Coalfield to Battlefield' and is currently working on a further series of projects with his partner, illustrator Helen Temperley, including 'Northern Grit (The Good the Bad and the Greedy)' and 'The Butcher Baronet', a Folk-Rock Opera based on the legend of Sir John Duck ("Durham's Dick Wittington").

ALBUM RELEASES (all on Whippet Records):

Nee Gud Luck - The Whisky Priests - 1989 (reissued 1994)

The First Few Drops - The Whisky Priests - 1991 (re-issued 1994)

Timeless Street - The Whisky Priests - 1992 (re-issued 1994)

Bloody Well Live! - The Whisky Priests - 1993

The Power and The Glory - The Whisky Priests - 1994

Bleeding Sketches - The Whisky Priests - 1995

Life’s Tapestry - The Whisky Priests - 1996

Think Positive! - The Whisky Priests - 1998

Live on Radio Heemskerk - The Whisky Priests - 1998

A Few Drops More - The Whisky Priests - 1999

“Here Come The Ranting Lads!” - Live! - The Whisky Priests - 1999

Going Down With Alice - Mad Dogs and Englishmen - 2000

Bloody Well Live! Special Edition! - The Whisky Priests - 2000

Stand Fast Stand Steady - Gary Miller & Ralf Weihrauch - 2005

Reflections on War - Gary Miller - 2010

"Gary has a real flair for conjuring imagery from the past with a gritty reality. He possesses an inbuilt and empathic understanding of social history, which is voiced in direct tell-it-like-it-is language (not lacking in literacy or lyrical expression, however), boosted by a keen sense of melodic invention, manifested in canny tunes and often seriously catchy choruses. There’s also a strong regional (north-east) folk sensibility within Gary’s songwriting that’s key to the memorability of his songs." (FRUK).

"Miller actually writes great songs with words that mean something and are usually substantially rooted. His ability as a songwriter who captures folk sentiment and communal memory must now be unquestioned." (Folk Roots, UK).

“A writer of cleverly composed mini-epics. Gary Miller has managed to produce some excellent images of life in the past and the present day.” (Rock ‘N’ Reel, UK).

"Miller has the glorious knack of penning irresistible choruses with a lyrical depth beyond the norm and a strong commercial ear, his worth as a composer ought to be worth its weight in gold." (Folk on Tap, UK).

"One of the most literate and insightful songwriters in the world of folk-rock; his writing has always been exemplary. He touches on every level of human emotion. And his melodies are equally as brilliant as his prose." (All Music Guide, USA).

"One of the best lyricists of our time." (Backline, UK).

"Miller has an enviable range." (Musician, UK).

“Forceful biting lyrics. In years to come (his) songs will be documents of our social history.” (Folktalk, UK).

“Cracking songs which show a good eye for gritty and earthy reality. Images, sympathies and genuine true life are painted with such a vast range of colours – why hasn’t Gary brought out a book of poetry?” (The Modern Dance, UK).

“A fine songwriter, offering skillfully drawn portraits of characters and life.” (Outlook, UK).

“The feel of Gary Miller’s lyrics carries traditional sensibilities. His original lyrics are as appealing as the melodies to which they’re set” (Dirty Linen, USA).

“The songs of Gary Miller are modern folk music, no less.” (Folk On Tap, UK).

“Words with powerful imagery by a powerful wordsmith. He has the ability to draw on aspects of his own experience and adapt and develop these into strong story lines - these are songs to identify with. His eloquant and impassioned delivery speaks to the lost innocent in us all. I’d like to hear a range of singers tackling Gary’s great songs.” (Folk Buzz, UK).

"The man has folk roots that spring from the coaly earth of the North East - a rare quality indeed." (Conrad Jay Bladey, Hutman Productions, USA).