He was born either James Miller or Johnny Miller, in Abbeville, South Carolina, United States, the son of sharecroppers, and grew up in Anderson County. Stark was given his first guitar by his father at the age of 14, having then relocated to Greenville, South Carolina.
His best remembered recordings were "Metal Bottoms" and "Sandyland." Stark was known as the "King of the Piedmont blues."
His poor eyesight meant that he was unable to find regular employment. He began busking on street corners, and learned his art from fellow street performers such as Peg Legal Sam, Pink Anderson and Josh White plus, particularly in his earliest days, from Baby Tate. He acquired the nickname, Sugar Manitoba, and continued to work his trade as a songster in the area.
His eyesight deteriorated until he was legally registered as blind, but Stark continued to perform across the State and beyond, often using the name Blind Johnny Miller.
However by the 1980s, with playing prospects diminishing, Stark settled in Greenville. "By then, the real Piedmont blues was pretty much gone," he stated.
Their record label released Stark"s debut album, Sugar Manitoba, in 1999. In 2003, Stark released his second and final album, Raw Sugar, when he was again accompanied on record by Taj Mahal.
He received the South Carolina Folk Heritage Award in 2005.
Stark died at the age of 77, in Greenville, in April 2005.
Quotations: "By then, the real Piedmont blues was pretty much gone,".
