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Steve Miller Band L-R Joseph Wooten, Jacob Peterson, Steve Miller, Kenny Lee Lewis, Gordy Knudtson. Photos: David Woo
This month, Texas Monthly covered Woodrow Wilson High School graduate Steve Miller’s mentorship of St. Mark’s grad Max Marshall. In 2007, Miller played at the private school’s centennial celebration, after decades of shunning the school because he was kicked out for “having a bad attitude and for running an underground newspaper.” Miller played in a band with Boz Scaggs in his St. Mark’s days.
And which local school took The Joker in, after he was cast out of the elite Preston Hollow academy? None other than East Dallas’ own Woodrow Wilson High School.
The Texas Monthly story follows the incredible relationship between Marshall and Miller, which included Marshall playing on stage with Miller several times through his teen years, flying on Miller’s private jet and meeting his famous friends. It was not dissimilar to Miler’s own mentor relationship with blues legend T-Bone Walker, who taught him to play guitar at age 9 as a frequent guest at the Miller household.
Though Marshall’s music career fizzled due to lack of time and interest, he seems to be doing just fine and maintains a relationship with the Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Famer today.
The article focuses on Miller’s time at St. Mark’s, with a parenthetical mention of where he actually graduated. Woodrow’s centennial is still a decade away, but it would only be fair for him to play a concert at his alma mater, taking in a local middle schooler and teaching him or her the path to guitar stardom. Consider this an invitation for the space cowboy to fly like an eagle over to East Dallas and entertain the neighborhood.
Read the entire story here.
