Rock Legend Steve Miller Honored With 2025 Les Paul Spirit Award

Forbes

a day ago

Steve Miller (of the Steve Miller Band) performs during show at Fenway Park. (Photo by Danielle ... More Parhizkaran/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)
During a career spanning more than five decades, the Steve Miller Band has turned out a long list of iconic songs to include 'The Joker,' 'Fly Like An Eagle,' 'Rock'n Me,' 'Jet Airliner,' 'Abracadabra,' and many more.
Rock and Roll Hall-of-Famer Steve Miller has sold tens of millions of albums, his songs streamed billions of times, and his Greatest Hits (1974-1978) is among the top 25 best-selling albums of all time.
On Monday night, at a ceremony at the Gibson Garage in Nashville, Tennesse, Miller was honored with the 2025 Les Paul Spirit Award.
Michael Braunstein, Executive Director of the Les Paul Foundation, presents Steve Miller with the ... More 2025 Les Paul Spirit Award
The annual award is given to those who exemplify the talent, creative spirit, and innovation of the late Les Paul. Paul not only invented the solid body electric guitar, he created many of the techniques used in the recording studio today such as multi-tracking, overdubbing, echo, and more.
Miller becomes the fifth rock singer/guitarist to win the Spirit award. Past recipients include Bob Weir, Nile Rodgers, The Edge, and Peter Frampton.
For Miller, however, it has a little deeper meaning. He had a special connection with Les Paul. Paul, a close friend of Miller's parents, was Miller's godfather. They had a close personal relationship that began when Miller was a child and continued until Paul's death in 2009.
Steve Miller performing with his friend and mentor, the late Les Paul
In accepting the award, Miller talked about first seeing his friend and mentor during a six-week stretch when Paul performed at a club near Miller's home in Milwaukee.
'I was just shy of being five years old and my dad would take me every night to see him play,' Miller recalled. 'And I couldn't believe how much fun this guy was having. This was back when he was in his early thirties. We all know the older Les, but the young Les was the baddest guitar player in the country.'
Paul later taught Miller his first three guitar chords.
'Watching Les play, I learned some things from him that were really amazing. He invented so many tools and things that we as recording artists, and Nashville, is built upon. It dawned on me that everything he did was really obvious and really simple, but he was the guy who put it all together, therefore he was a genius.'
The actual award was handcrafted by Paul and his son, Rusty, with wood from Paul's studio in New Jersey. It comes as Miller just finished building a brand-new studio of his own. It's his fifth, and at 81 years old, Miller says it will be his last.
'This new studio is the best sounding one I've ever built, and this piece of Paul's studio is the first thing that's going in there. I can't thank you enough!'
Steve Miller says he'll put his Les Paul Spirit Award (handmade by the late Les Paul and his son) in ... More his new music studio.
Then, he set the award aside and brought out his Steve Miller Band keyboardist, Joseph Wooten, along with some other musician friends to jam for a little bit.
'We're going to do a few tunes for you right now in memory of Les, and lay some vibes down here in the greatest, grooviest music store in the world!"
Miller's handful of songs included a mesmerizing version of 'Fly Like An Eagle,' accented by Wooten's incredible B-3 magic on the keys.
Steve Miller performs at the Gibson Garage in Nashville, TN, June 9, 2025, in front of photo of ... More Miller with the late Les Paul. Band members: (L-R) Aaron J. Hatmaker (bass guitar), Steve Miller (guitar), Jessie Wooten (drums), Luke Janklow (guitar), and Joseph Wooten (keyboard)
Then, Miller switched to an acoustic guitar and did a dynamic version of 'The Joker' that had the entire crowd singing along.
Les Paul would be very proud.
Singer, songwriter, and master guitarist, Steve Miller.