'Little Hank' Is All Grown Up: Alex Miller Discusses His Calling To Play Music
By Brandon McGlone
sports@garrardcentralrecord.com
Alex Miller has performed in several different venues across the country but is solidly at home on his grandfather's farm in Garrard County. “I’ve grown up around Garrard County and the farming community," he explained. "My first word was ‘tractor.’ It’s always been special to me -- a way to escape and go out and work and stay in shape. I’ve learned a lot through farming -- how to work hard and do things on your own. It’s transitioned over into my musical career and aspirations.”
(Lancaster, KY - July 9, 2020) - It was never a question of if Alex Miller would be a performer -- the only question was how much time he would spend on the stage. At 17, Miller has made it clear that his passion for music, natural skill, and commitment to perfecting his craft, will make him a driving force in the future of the industry.
Miller has performed from Georgiana, AL for the Hank Williams festival to Indianapolis, IN at Bankers Life Fieldhouse for a rodeo where he sang the national anthem in front of thousands. But the lifelong Garrard native has his roots firmly planted in his hometown.
His first public performance beyond church walls was at the Garrard County Fair when he was barely four years old. He sang ‘Me and God’ by Josh Turner. He doesn’t remember much about that event (being so young) but vividly recalls being only seven and performing in downtown Lancaster for the Tobacco Festival.
“I remember my friend Drew Fain coming back to school and telling people, ‘Yeah he’s a big star. He was up there on the Square and I was up there watching him,’ “ Alex laughed about his newfound fame at Paint Lick Elementary. “It was such a big moment in the grand scheme of my career but I had no idea.”
Standing on the courthouse steps and facing out into the crowd of a couple hundred, Miller entertained the onlookers while pickin’ on a guitar that was as big as he was. Looking back he believes he was fortunate to be so young when he started playing on a bigger stage such as this one -- he wasn’t old enough to realize how nervous he should’ve been.
“I remember getting dressed up in a white hat, white shirt, blue jeans and white boots,” Miller recalled. “A funny story about the boots -- I couldn’t find white boots for boys so for like the first two years of my career I was wearing girls boots! So anyway, I got up there looking like George Strait or whatever. I’d been taking guitar lessons for about six months, so I wasn’t no Eddie Van Halen or nothing, but I got up there and did ‘My Bucket’s Got a Hole in it,’ ‘Hey Good Lookin’ and ‘I Saw the Light.’ It was intimidating with that many people, but at that age I didn’t even realize how nice that gig was... to perform in front of so many.”
Throughout much of his early career Miller was billed as “Little Hank Williams” because of his small stature and affinity for covering the legendary country music artist’s songs. But the Garrard County High School senior-to-be isn’t so “little” anymore, and he definitely doesn’t have to worry about finding women’s boots to match his outfit.
At six foot and five inches, and now wearing a size 14 shoe, Miller has matured into a large young man physically, with an even larger personality and booming voice to match (though he has retained his baby-face features). His grin is as wide as the brim of his cowboy hat and you’d be hard-pressed to find someone Alex would consider a stranger after speaking with them for just a few minutes.
Miller’s family has been the cornerstone in his ability to pursue his dreams. He is the grandson of Lee and Linda Christopher, and GB and Sandra Miller, all of Lancaster. He is the son of Roger Miller and Brandi Hall, also of Lancaster. They have all been key in emotionally and financially supporting the young talent.
His grandfather, GB (not initials standing for anything -- literally G only and B only), has become Alex’s de facto manager -- booking his gigs, keeping track of the master schedule, and making sure Miller gets his name and voice into as many platforms and ears as possible. GB is also the spark that ignited Alex’s shared passion for music.
“He saw a picture I had of Hank Williams I had on the wall is what I think got him interested in singing,” GB recalled. “I just think he has a God-given talent for music. He just amazes me, and I think amazes a lot of other people when they hear him sing for the first time.”
A fondness for trains is what really catapulted Alex full-steam ahead on his musical journey, and GB was all but happy to be the catalyst between the two loves.
“When I was a kid (three) I used to have a train table with these little wooden trains and I’d pull them around this little track,” Alex explained. “Got me to wondering what kind of songs they sing about trains so I asked my granddad. He bought me a Hank Williams CD that had a song about a train on it. I listened to all the songs on the album and thought, ‘This guy is good!’ So there came my love for Hank Williams -- off that one CD.”
The song by Hank Williams Sr. was ‘Pan American.’ Around that same time Josh Turner had come out with his hit ‘Long Black Train.’ It was as if the toddler train conductor had literally found these voices that were singing to him about his passion, and it didn’t take long before the affection skipped tracks from trains to music.
With a guitar nearly as big as him, Alex Miller at the age of seven performs on the courthouse steps for a crowd at the 2010 Rural Heritage Tobacco Festival. Miller has grown, both physically and as an artist, but these Garrard County roots continue to be an influence in his career.
“He would always listen to Hank Williams, Ernest Tubb, and a lot of the older country artists,” Alex said about GB and how his granddad was his inspiration into the industry. “I’ve read books and researched to learn about the music, the roots, their thoughts, and try to inspire myself in a way. The older artists are the guys I really look up to as far as music, and how to play in a band, how to organize a group, and make music the way it ought to be played.”
And how ought it be played?
“Music is very subjective to its own type of people,” according to Alex. “I feel like it doesn’t matter who you are or what type of music you’re listening to -- the people make the music; the music doesn’t make the people.”
Alex has since expanded his repertoire by finding an appreciation for every kind of music from jazz to metal to R&B. He agreed that “bluegrass outlaw with a spiritual influence” is a good way to describe his current sound.
GB has been excited to see his grandson’s growth and credits God with giving Alex the temperament and talent to perform. He’s proud that Alex has stuck to his spiritual roots that had him singing in front of churchgoers as a kid.
“He loves to sing for the Lord. He’s never satisfied if he does a show unless he gets to close with a gospel. I’ve always just said I’m thankful that the Lord gave him so much talent and I’m proud he’s done so well.”
GB also recalled what Alex’s guitar instructor (who took Miller on at age six though he usually won’t work with kids until they are at least nine), told him about his ability to perform:
“Alex, if you don’t make it as a singer, you’ll make it as a guitar picker,” instructor Mike Carpenter reportedly told him. “If you don’t make it as a guitar picker, you’ll make it as an entertainer. It’s not ‘if’ you’ll make it, it’s ‘when.’ “
Alex Miller in 2015 at the Ross Country Jamboree where he performed in Scottsburg, IN. Miller's grandfather, GB, surprised Alex by not telling him his name would be appearing on the marquee.
At age seven, the year Alex performed on the courthouse steps for the festival, many different opportunities began to open up for him. He won the Farm Bureau variety contest and started getting gigs and big opportunities like performing at the Burgin Barn in Mercer County.
However, it was also at this age that something in his personal life made him cling to music, and perhaps is why he has continued to hold on so tightly.
“One of the things that really influenced me to get more involved in music is when I was about seven my mom and dad split,” Alex explained. “It was a way for me to get away from everything and just do something I enjoyed.
“I was upset to be honest with you. Music is therapeutic in its nature. It’s an expression of what someone is feeling. For me at seven, eight, nine years old and going through my parents’ divorce -- a lot of country songs are about that ya know -- it fueled my love for it even more. It helped me through those times and I don’t know what I’d do without it.”
Despite their separation, Alex’s parents have committed to working together to back their son’s dream and continue to co-support his passion.
“It was an emotional time,” Brandi Hall, Alex’s mother candidly said about that period during the family’s life. “His dad and I genuinely co-parent. We want what’s best for our boys and we respect each other. We do what we can to make it as less stressful for them as possible. But a child, especially at seven, is going to have certain emotions and feelings, and he has put those things into his music. He has written some very adult-related songs to be as young as he is.”
While it was GB that bought Alex his first country music CD, Brandi insists that she was nurturing Alex’s musical abilities while he was still in the womb by playing George Strait and Frank Sinatra for her child-to-be… two artists that if combined bear a resemblance to Alex’s style.
“His heart has been in singing and music and it’s been very evident since a young age,” Brandi said. “You can get a sense or vibe from someone. He has an old soul and a genuine and humble heart which are good qualities to have. I’ve seen that in him since he was little, and his dad and I have always supported that passion.
“I couldn’t ask for a better kid. The Lord has blessed me with two amazing boys. Seeing Alex follow his dreams, and being able to witness it, is truly a beautiful sight. I am honored to be his mother and to watch his story unfold, and I hope to be able to witness that story for a long time.”
Alex’s music is a family affair which, according to Alex, is essential:
“It takes a tribe.”
The family has nurtured, fertilized, watered and given sunshine to the blooming country rose. Even his little brother, Parker (12), is 100 percent Team Alex, saying, “I look up to him and he’s my best friend.”
“Mom has always pushed me to sing and play,” Alex described the dynamic. “She’s never told me I wasn’t good enough or discouraged me. She’ll give me positive criticism on my work and I go directly to her when I have something new to see what she thinks. Dad does a lot of the driving. He’s always supporting me and telling me to keep at it. They’ve always been there -- that’s the main thing. Heck, me and my granddad have probably put 100 thousand miles on each car he owns. I can’t thank my mom, dad and my grandparents enough for all they’ve done for me. I’ve been really blessed.”
Miller already has an impressive resume. He is a Kentucky Colonel, is a regular on WLJC’s Hour of Harvest television show, has twice played at the Lyric Theatre in Lexington for the nationally broadcast Woodsongs Old-Time Radio Hour (including once being accompanied by the band Exile), finished in the top-12 in the Pigeon Forge Path to Fame Contest, has represented Garrard County 4-H for the last 10 years at the Kentucky State Fair and, at 10 years old, was Renfro Valley’s youngest recurring act in their 75-plus year history.
Still, Garrard County is his bedrock -- his home.
Alex Miller performing at Renfro Valley in Mount Vernon in 2015 at age 12. Two years prior Miller was made the youngest ever regular at the historic venue. He was billed as "Little Hank Williams." He once met Williams' daughter, Jett Williams, at Renfro who encouraged him to keep working in the industry and to find his own voice.
“Garrard County means a lot to me,” Alex said. “It’s a small community. You get to know everybody. Garrard people have always come out and been supportive. They’re always nice and encourage me to keep going -- keep singing and keep playing -- and always looking forward to what I have coming out new. I know they’ll always have my back.
Alex Miller poses at the Lyric Theatre in Lexington the day he was chosen to advance in the Pigeon Forge Path to Fame Contest where he finished in the top 12. Miller's dream is to one day perform at the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville.
“I’ve grown up around Garrard County and the farming community. My first word was ‘tractor.’ It’s always been special to me -- a way to escape and go out and work and stay in shape. I’ve learned a lot through farming -- how to work hard and do things on your own. It’s transitioned over into my musical career and aspirations.”
Miller will be the vice president of GCHS’s Future Farmers of America chapter this school year. FFA has provided Alex opportunities to expand his talent and his mind, and he is thankful for the encouragement he has received from Christen Roseberry and Aaron McDonald, the club’s sponsors for the past three years.
“They were always pushing me on my talent and have been a lot of help in my music career,” Miller said. “Through FFA I’ve been able to go to national conventions, been able to travel, meet all kinds of people from all kinds of different places. Garrard FFA has been instrumental in my musical career. It broadened my mind and allowed me to see how different people think. It’s made me into more of a people-person than I already was.”
During the National FFA Convention last year he placed in the top 15 for talent with a performance that was broadcast on RFD-TV at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. Last week it was announced that he had finished second in the state FFA Talent Competition with his original song ‘Always More Fish Out in the Sea.’
Short term Miller’s goal is to get his music out into the world by putting together an album.
“It all starts small,” he said. “I didn’t go out there and sing at Renfro Valley at three years old and that’s how this has to go too.”
He has written a plethora of original songs that he wants to record in-studio.
Alex Miller, 17, prepares to film his weekly video that he posts to Alex Miller Music on Facebook. Miller can also be found on Instagram at Kentucky_Kowboy. While social media is a great way to put his talents into the world, he would like to soon record an album to really propel getting his music into more ears.
“There’s been some good songs come off of napkins, and cardboard boxes and stuff,” Miller explained his creative process. “I have one written on a paper dinner plate. But you know how a preacher gets up in the pulpit and his message just seems to flow from him in a way? That’s kind of how writing a song is like. I don’t necessarily write music first or lyrics first, I just write it as it comes to me.”
Long term his penultimate goal would be to sing at the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville and, if blessed enough, hopes to one day become a member.
“I’d feel like that was it,” Alex said with a twinkle in his eye, thinking about the possibility. “There wouldn’t be anybody in the whole wide world that could top me then. Getting on the Opry is like saying to yourself, ‘You know, it was all worth it in the end. Here I am performing at this historic place, in front of all these people, and I went through a whole lot getting here but by God! Here I am and that’s all that matters.’ “
And don’t think the young man is living a pipe dream. With his grizzled grit and natural ability, the sky's the limit. It may not be long before John Michael and Eddie Montgomery aren’t the only famous country music artists that list Garrard County as their childhood home.
If you are interested in finding out more about Alex Miller and his music you can search “Alex Miller Music” on Facebook and add him on Instagram at Kentucky_Kowboy. It would be wise to follow the young man’s career now so when you do eventually see him on CMT you can say, “Hey, I knew that fella before he was famous!”