Alex Miller Humbled by Comparisons To Hank Williams and Johnny Cash

Alex Miller won over the hearts of millions on American Idol when he auditioned with an original country song inspired by an ex-girlfriend. His traditional country sound captivated viewers and immediately won over Idol judge Luke Bryan, who got up to join Miller for a cover of Merle Haggard’s “Big City.” 

Although Alex Miller’s time on American Idol was cut short, his TV journey opened countless doors for him and soon, he will fulfill a lifelong dream by making his Grand Ole Opry debut. This is something Miller has dreamed of since he was a young boy as he grew up listening to some of the artists who once graced the Opry stage, including Johnny Cash and Hank Williams.

The high school senior has his grandfather to thank for introducing him to classic country music. 

“I’ll give credit where credit is due, and I’ll give it to my granddad,” Miller recently shared during appearance on Connect with Country Now, airing on CTRL_MUSIC_, exclusively on Twitch. “He is a walking encyclopedia. He knows all that old stuff and loves that old style of music. That is just what I grew up with and it’s what I know, and he introduced me to it.”

Miller went on to recall visiting a local train yard with his grandfather and asking to listen to songs about trains. 

“He told me [there are] all kinds, so I went and bought a Hank Williams CD that had a song called ‘Pan American’ on it and I listened to that song and all the others on the CD, and I’ve been singing ever since,” Miller explained. “Can’t be anymore thankful for my granddad than that.”

Following his time on American Idol and the release of his single, ““I’m Over You So Get Over Me,” Miller quickly drew comparisons to some of his country music heroes. For him, there’s no better compliment. 

“I love all of the old guys and I love all of the new ones too. Getting compared to those is an incredible thing to be said about you and it’s really humbling,” he said. “I look up to all the old guys, though, and of course Luke Bryan and all the new guys too. I love the old stuff, and I love the new stuff.”

As he continues to navigate his country music career, the rising star says he hopes to find his own sound that falls somewhere between today’s country music and the classic sounds he grew up on. 

“Looking for that is a tough job,” he acknowledged, “but whatever it comes out as, that’s Alex Miller so you can’t go wrong there.”