本名岩松信。父亲八岛太郎是一个无产阶级画家，曾在美国做过劳工。母亲八岛光也是一名画家。他的双亲时常因为政治思想问题而被投入监狱。1939年，岩松信的祖父将他送往美国。十五岁的岩松信独自在纽约过着艰苦的生活，常因受到种族歧视而感到痛苦。高中时代热中于棒球运动。
Denny Miller was born in Bloomington, Indiana, where his father, Ben Miller, was a physical education instructor at Indiana University. He and his brother, Kent, began playing basketball almost from the day they were born. The Miller family left Bloomington when Denny was in the fourth grade. He and his brother played basketball in Silver Spring, Maryland, and Baldwin, New York, before the family moved to Los Angeles. It was at University High School in Los Angeles where Denny and Kent came to the attention of coach John Wooden.
