'I slept at the side of the stage while my dad performed live with stars like Tina Turner'
A proud son has looked back on his dad John Miles’ mega career in music which took off 50 years ago this week.
John Miles junior has relived his childhood memories including ‘falling asleep in a flight case’ at the side of stages all over the world.
Twenty two years with Tina Turner’s band
John’s dad had an incredible life. He played with Tina Turner’s band from 1987 to 2009, as well as Led Zeppelin founder Jimmy Page, the late Joe Cocker and opera tenor Andrea Bocelli.
He was born in South Tyneside and later lived in Offerton near Penshaw Monument. He played at venues across the North East including the Locarno in Sunderland, and City Hall in Newcastle.
‘Every time we had a school holiday, we would fly out to wherever he was’
Jarrow-born John Miles’ success soared this week 50 years ago when his song Music was first released. It rocketed to number 3 in the UK music charts and was top of the pile in Belgium and Holland, as well as being a top 10 hit in Argentina, Ireland, Italy, Switzerland and Germany.
It also became the anthem for the annual Night of the Proms concert series. John senior died in 2021 in Newcastle after a short illness.
Now, on the 50th anniversary of his biggest hit, son John has his own fantastic memories and said: “My earliest memory is seeing him in 1984/85 at the Empire Theatre in Sunderland. When I was a baby, they used to get me to sleep in a flight case by the side of the stage.
‘It was so long, he didn’t think it would get any radio play’
“Every time we had a school holiday, we would fly out to wherever he was. I grew up in hotels and watching him play.”
John junior remembered how ‘Music’ came about. ‘It was a song my dad wrote in 20 or 30 minutes but it was so long, he didn’t think it would get any radio play.”
He also recalled how his dad linked up with a world megastar.
“It was in the late 80s when he got a call saying ‘Tina Turner is looking for a new keyboard player. My dad flew out to Los Angeles, did an audition and played with her from 1987 to 2009.”
John junior lives in Belgium where he performs live himself but he is currently in the North East and hopes to arrange a show which will come to South Tyneside later in the year, featuring his dad’s music. Watch this space!