By Brandon McGlonesports@garrardcentralrecord.com

At just 17 years of age, Alex Miller has already made a name for himself on the local music scene. On February 14, the Garrard County High School senior will make his nationwide debut. The classic country crooner is set to be featured on the season 19 premiere of the hit ABC show American Idol.

“Cloud nine!” Miller expressed his feeling about being selected to perform in front of the all-star panel of judges Luke Bryan, Katy Perry and Lionel Richie. “I was floating on air. I had no idea it would go that well. It just completely took me off guard -- never would’ve guessed.”

American Idol has promoted this season vigorously, and Miller has already been shown in several of the iconic show’s advertisements. While he is unable to discuss whether or not he received the “golden ticket” and progressed to the next round of the competition, Idol’s promotion of Miller hints that the series felt it was important to showcase the Lancaster native… Take that as you will.

In one commercial that aired during the CMA Awards, Miller can be seen walking through the door on his way to perform in front of the celebrity judges. The advertisement shows Carrie Underwood, a country music star that won the show 15 years ago, during her original audition. It then asks, “Who will we discover next?” 

In another promotional video American Idol gives an insight into Miller’s time with the judges. 

Luke Bryan appears and says, “What I love about American Idol is you never know what’s going to walk through that door. There was a kid, Alex, from Kentucky. I actually got up and played with him.”

The video then shows Miller and Bryan next to one another, each with a guitar, as they together belt out Merle Haggard’s “Big City.” Katy Perry can be seen and heard letting out a loud and supportive, “Yeah!”

“Of course I didn’t think that was going to happen,” Miller said, still in awe, about getting to jam with the country music legend during his audition. “He got up there and we picked a song we both knew. It was like, ‘Oh my God, Alex Miller, you’re up here singing with Luke Bryan! Who would’ve dreamed that you’d be doing something like that?’ I tried to take mental pictures to remember that moment as best I could. It’s something I’ll always treasure. I didn’t really know what to think about it other than I had great gratitude and it was a great honor.”

What led to that “great honor” began as a somewhat consequential (especially for a 17-year-old) fork-in-the-road conversation about what was ahead.

In the fall, Miller and his mother Brandi Hall were filming Alex performing a song for his weekly social media video. The two got into a discussion about the future, about college, and about whether music played a role in Alex’s path in life.

“It was a serious discussion about music versus paying the bills,” Brandi explained. “I was just thinking, ‘Lord, he just needs a sign on how he needs to go on his path in life’ -- not that he needs to have it figured out by 17 -- but some type of sign or validation.”

That sign followed immediately as Brandi was online that night and saw that American Idol was doing open-call auditions.

“I signed him up and told him he was trying out,” she laughed.

Miller decided he would appease his mother and agreed to amuse the longshot opportunity.

“I didn’t think I’d have a shot of getting anywhere with it,” Miller thought back. “I got prepared and practiced quite a bit. I figured if I was going to show them what I got, might as well do the best I could.”

On September 15, 2020, Miller connected with producers from Hollywood via a Zoom video call. In the middle of his living room he sang Johnny Cash’s “Folsom Prison Blues.” 

“I thought I should probably do something I’m familiar with, and that’s one of the better songs I do,” Miller explained.

The producers liked what they heard and set him up for another audition in front of another set of producers.

The second group of Hollywooders enjoyed Miller’s original song “I’m Over You, So Get Over Me,” and thus sent him to a third round of Zoom auditions.

This time, Miller’s rendition of Jimmy Martin’s “Freeborn Man” made yet another group of new faces confident enough in his abilities that they invited him to California to perform in front of the celebrity judges.

“We were taken aback and humbled,” Miller described his and his mother’s emotions at hearing they would be making the trip out west to try out for American Idol in person. “I thought they were going to tell me to stay in Lancaster and get a paper route. But they were very nice and complimentary, and told me to get ready for the next round.”

In October, Miller and his mother were off to San Diego, one of three satellite tryouts in California that the show was holding auditions in front of Perry, Bryan and Richie. Normally the preliminary round of the show would be filmed in cities across the U.S., but COVID-19 pushed the studio into limiting the audition sites to a more controllable atmosphere.

Miller insisted that the opportunity was enough of a thrill, and that regardless of how he does in the competition he was just happy to be given a chance. He reminded himself of this as he flew to San Diego.

“You just wish for the best, and if the best don’t happen the worst will have to do,” he explained in his matter-of-fact twang. “So I wasn’t too torn up about it and was going to accept whatever happened no matter what. Still nerve racking though.”

After several days of filming b-roll footage it was finally time for Miller’s turn in front of the judges. He prepared several different songs, just in case, but chose to open with his original, “I’m Over You, So Get Over Me.”

“That song has always been popular and stuff -- people tend to like it,” Miller reasoned. “It’s relatable. I thought if the people around here like it, why wouldn’t the people out in California? It definitely seemed like it was something different than what they had gotten before.”

As we saw in the promotional video, this wasn’t the only song Miller performed. Though he isn’t sure what will air and didn’t want to disclose anything he shouldn’t, Miller said the audition was full of some “nice surprises.”

“I was sick with anxiety,” Miller recalled the moments just prior to the audition. “I tried not to think too much and don’t remember much. I don’t even know what all might be on TV, so I guess we’ll all be seeing something new on February 14th. I just remember giving myself a pep talk -- you’ve made it this far, just go in there, be yourself, have fun and they’ll have fun too.

“I just went out there and was Alex Miller.”

Just being “Alex Miller” -- just being himself -- has gotten the young man a long way in his brief 17 years on earth. It is safe to say that if Hollywood recognizes what his hometown has known for a long time, he could be positioned well to take off like a rocket through the American Idol launching pad.

“I’m just blessed,” Miller said. “The whole experience has been humbling. Regardless of what happens I’m going to be happy that somebody from Lancaster got to share what Lancaster is all about. I want to thank all the people around here for supporting me all these years. People in Lancaster and other local places have always been nice to me, helped me with my career, and had a hand in making me better. There’s people all around that have put a piece of the puzzle in place and hopefully I’m about to put it all together. I hope everyone tunes in on February 14th. They’re going to see a Lancaster, Kentucky boy do a Lancaster, Kentucky thing.”

The season premiere of American Idol airs on ABC Sunday, February 14 from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. ET/PT. A local watch party is in the works but has not been finalized.