Band of Gypsys Drummer Buddy Miles Dies

Buddy Miles, who played drums for Jimi Hendrix's Band of Gypsys, died at his home in Austin, Texas yesterday. He was sixty. In addition to Hendrix, Miles worked with the likes of Carlos Santana, John McLaughlin, Stevie Wonder, Muddy Waters and David Bowie over a four-decade career. But his biggest contribution was to Band of Gypsys, a band that, along with bassist Billy Cox, was immortalized after performing four nights at the Fillmore East in NYC around New Year's 1970. Later in his career, Miles' contributed vocals to the California Raisins' version of "I Heard It Through the Grapevine," and was most recently plotting a Band of Gyspys reunion with Cox and other guitarists. In a statement yesterday, longtime friend Cox called Miles "an unsung musical genius."

• 
  MUSIC The Top 25 Teen Idol Breakout Moments
• 
  MOVIES & TV 'Game of Thrones': The Show Vs. the Books
• 
  POLITICS Matt Taibbi: Facebook IPO vs. Shareholders
• 
  VIDEOS Exclusive: Garbage Rip Through 'I Think I'm Paranoid'

Song Stories

“Smells Like Teen Spirit”

Nirvana | 1991

"Smells Like Teen Spirit," named after a brand of deodorant marketed to girls, was Kurt Cobain's attempt to "write the ultimate pop song," he said, using the soft-loud dynamic of his favorite band, the Pixies. Cobain "had that dichotomy of punk rage and alienation," the song’s producer, Butch Vig, told Rolling Stone, "but also this vulnerable pop sensibility. In 'Teen Spirit,' a lot of that vulnerability is in the tone of his voice." Sadly, by the time of Nirvana's last U.S. tour, in late '93, Cobain was tortured by the obligation to play "Teen Spirit" every night. "There are many other songs that I have written that are as good, if not better," he claimed.

More Song Stories entries »

Twitter