Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Steve Miller sang about “Phoenix, Arizona, all the way to Tacoma” but didn't mention Idaho, the location of his former property where he gained inspiration for the song "Wide River." It's on the market for double its last sales price seven years ago.
The 13-acre compound is listed for $29.5 million — a $13.5 million increase since bought by private buyers in 2018. Miller recorded several songs in his time at the home, even once welcoming Paul McCartney.
Co-listing agent Jessica Blake of Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices said the pandemic boosted demand in the Ketchum, Idaho, market where the property sits. “People wanted to be able to be outdoors and so we saw a lot of people move into the area during COVID, and then that surge continued after,” she said. The home is 6 miles from Sun Valley, a major ski resort town.
Blake said recent off-market sales are comparable to the price, and the unique offerings of the compound add to its value. The listing includes an 8,074-square-foot main house, a chapel, a recording studio that welcomed renowned musicians, an art workshop and three attached guest cabins, each with a full kitchen.
Miller of the Steve Miller Band — whose hits “Rock’n Me,” “Fly Like an Eagle,” and “The Joker” are all classic rock staples — custom built the property’s structures from 1988 to 1992. The main house is ranch-style with three bedrooms, four bathrooms, a four-car garage with 2,872 square feet, and a second-floor library loft.
In Miller’s former private recording studio includes an instrument vault, drum booth, climate control, piano lift, kitchenette, bathroom and vaulted cedar beams.
According to a 2016 interview with Idaho Mountain Press, Miller wrote the song "Wide River" about the Big Wood River next to the house.
“Living here has been one of the greatest parts of my life," Miller said about his 30 years in Idaho.
Former Beatle McCartney joined Miller in his studio for the recording of McCartney's 1997 song "Young Boy," according to an interview in a book that accompanied the archive edition of McCartney's 2020 album "Flaming Pie." McCartney's song "Broomstick" was said to have begun in Miller's studio, though it was recorded elsewhere.
The property is well-suited as a primary residence for creative types, according to Blake, with unique spaces and surrounding nature. The art workshop is a converted barn, while the main house has custom cabinets for a large office.
The sellers hosted several weddings on the property, changing what was Miller’s archive building, housing his memorabilia, documents and photography, into a chapel. The vaulted ceiling features a 15-foot stained-glass window by local artist Jacques Bordeleau. Other stained-glass creations from Bordeleau are found in the main house.
No remodeling work has been done since the property last changed hands in 2018, said Blake, but the listing comes with architectural plans for a teardown and rebuild that the sellers solicited.
Idaho’s Eagle Creek runs through the property and Big Wood River borders it, giving the owner 1,100 square feet of water frontage. That’s “unheard of” in the area, said Blake.
The property offers private access to outdoor recreation. “It has multiple bridges and trails; it’s a storybook,” said Blake. “You can hike or Nordic ski in your own backyard.”
According to Homes.com data, the property is the priciest listing in the Sun Valley-Ketchum region, a market that’s no stranger to multimillion-dollar sales. Ketchum’s median price is $1.35 million, and Sun Valley’s is $1.5 million.