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Luke Williams, aka Bushwhacker Luke, just announced that his Uncle Bob "Butch" Miller, who was his longtime partner in The Sheepherders and The Bushwhackers, has passed away. Miller was 78 years old.
As PWInsider.com reported several days ago, Miller had flown from New Zealand to The United States, where he took ill and had a medical episode shortly after arriving in Los Angeles.
Miller was rushed to a hospital in Los Angeles immediately via ambulance but sadly passed away last night.
Miller and Williams had an amazing global run as a team, first as the Kiwis, then the Sheepherders in Mid-South and Jim Crockett Promotions, among other territories. They moved to the WWF in the late 1980s as the babyface Bushwhackers and were a big staple of the company for a long time. They were inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2015, which was their last public appearance together.
Williams wrote:
"Late last night, I lost my friend, brother and tag team partner of over 50 years with the passing of Bob "Butch" Miller. My heart goes out to his wife Helen, his lovely daughters Sharon and Kirsten and all of his grandchildren. From the early-1970s when we were young mates wrestling for John da Silva in New Zealand, my first impression of Bob "The Chest" Miller (as he was called in those days) was that he was a first-class redneck, and what bloody redneck he was! But he was also an all-around good guy and a great friend. By the time we reached our mid-20s, we found ourselves traveling the world together, from New Zealand to Australia to Malaysia, Singapore and Japan, before "invading" the North American territories in Canada and the United States as The Sheepherders. In 1988 we were in our 40s and still at the top of our game when we got a call from the offices in Connecticut with an offer to join the largest and fastest growing wrestling promotion in the world, the WWF/E- The Bushwhackers were born! As The Bushwhackers we appeared in the largest venues in the world, in front the the biggest crowds professional wrestling had ever seen! And we were eventually honored by our fans and peers with our inclusion in the WWE Hall of Fame in 2015 and the Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2020. We did it all, we saw it all, and we accomplished it all together. This past weekend in Los Angeles, Bob flew in from New Zealand to join me for Wrestlemania weekend and the related festivities, neither of us knowing it would be our last days together and his last days of life. If you were to read the story of my life it would say that I am only child, but it would be wrong. In life I had a brother and his name was Bob Miller. I love you, Bob. Until I see you again, WOOOOAHH YEEEEAAHH!"
Miller had come to the States for the duo's first appearances together since, including a scheduled Wrestlecon signing. An official biography on the team was released several months back and was an excellent read.
PWInsider.com sends our deepest condolences to Miller's family, friends and fans.
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