Big Miller

Atop a tall plinth of concrete sits Big Miller, a large figurative bust of internationally renowned jazz vocalist Dr. Clarence Horiatius ​“Big” Miller. The lost wax cast bronze sculpture depicts Big Miller holding a microphone and singing, with the two pieces mounted individually in relationship to one another. 

Miller was born in Sioux City, Iowa in 1922, and was rooted in church music and the blues. During his career, he performed with some of the greatest bandleaders from the golden age of jazz and blues, including Duke Ellington, Lionel Hampton, and Count Basie. Upon becoming a Canadian citizen and relocating to Edmonton in 1973, Miller quickly became a fixture of the local music scene, and was equally well known for his work and an educator and mentor. He died in 1992. 

A committee was struck in 2002 to begin raising funds for the memorial. In addition to the Edmonton Arts Council, who became involved with the project in 2006, some 50 individuals and organizations contributed to fund the sculpture. The sculpture was originally scheduled to be unveiled in 2003 for the 30^th anniversary of the Edmonton Jazz Society; however, the artwork was not unveiled until September 2009.