Americana Music Magazine – Bluegrass, Roots, Folk, Blues, and Old-Time
Hailing from Lancaster, Kentucky, Alex Miller recently relocated to just north of Nashville, TN to be closer to the hub of his heart’s desire – making music. The 22 year old traditional country enthusiast made his way to the national spotlight by way of a 2021 American Idol appearance. His 2022 debut album release, Miller Time, launched his music career into high gear, and produced a string of charting singles, ultimately landing him on the Grand Ole Opry in 2025.
Like many singers, Alex started singing in church – he was just six years old. And while Bluegrass music was all around Alex growing up, he never really considered himself a bluegrass artist. “My grandpa loved old country music,” Alex recalled. “Ernest Tubb, Hank Williams, Buck Owens, Merle Haggard – so I grew up riding around in his farm truck listening to that stuff – it became a part of me and became a part of who I wanted to grow up to be. I started singing that stuff pretty much as soon as I picked up a guitar.”
When Alex was 17, unbeknownst to him, his mother signed him up to audition for American Idol. “If you’ll recall, covid was going on at the time,” he said. “I didn’t have any gigs, I wasn’t going to school, I didn’t know what I was going to do, so I didn’t have anything to lose. She signed me up, I give her credit for that – I probably would have never done it (Idol) if it hadn’t been for her.”
Alex made it to Hollywood week, and then they requested that he perform a pop song. “I said no, I’m a country singer. ‘I’ll do “Silver Wings” by Merle Haggard’. So they sent me home on a pair of silver wings, I guess you could say,” he quipped. “But to be honest, I’d probably be on a tractor right now if it wasn’t for American Idol. I’m very thankful, and it’s very nice to be able to play music for a living, because that’s all I ever wanted to do.”
Alex’s latest album, More Country Than You Know, is scheduled for an April 10th release.