Taps Miller

Marion Joseph "Taps" Miller was born on July 22, 1915, in Indianapolis, Indiana. An American entertainer, he worked as a trumpeter, vocalist, and dancer throughout a career that spanned stage, club, and recording work across multiple decades.

Miller began performing in New York City stage revues in 1932, continuing that work through the end of the decade. Among the productions he appeared in during that period was Blackbirds of 1939. His Broadway credits also include Shuffle Along, in which he appeared in 1952.

In the early 1940s, Miller took on an emcee role at Kelly's Stables and performed as a percussionist at Clark Monroe's Uptown House. In 1944 he joined the USO, serving as a sideman for Alberta Hunter. He contributed as a vocalist to a Count Basie recording in 1945, and following the war he returned to New York and resumed work with Basie.

Miller joined Mezz Mezzrow's band in 1953, embarking on a tour that took the group through Europe and North Africa. During that tour he led a recording session in Belgium alongside Buck Clayton and Kansas Fields. He also performed in Paris with Raymond Fonseque. Miller remained in France for a period after the tour concluded. The details of his later life are not known.