Whatever It Takes

Between Sundays

A Little Naughty Is Nice

Snowman In Birmingham

According to Country singer DJ Miller, an artist’s ability to entertain a crowd is the single most important part of today’s Country music experience. Being able to deliver an unforgettable stage show for your fans is often what separates the stars from the superstars. That’s just one of the reasons why audiences shouldn’t be surprised to find the enthusiastic young singer from Idaville, Indiana, racing through the crowd during one of his sets, or hanging out on the lawn with a group of fans in the middle of a show. He’s even been known to get down on one knee and dedicate a touching love song face-to-face to one of his many female fans. At only 21 years old, there’s certainly one thing that DJ Miller learned early on in his career, and that something is how to entertain!

“You can’t be the only one having fun,” Miller explains. “You have to interact with the crowd. You want them to be wondering what’s gonna happen next. If you just stand there and sing your songs and play your music, you might sound really good, but if you don’t give your fans a real show, then they may not have a reason to come back and see you again.”

Miller remembers at an early age watching superstar Garth Brooks wow audiences with his theatrical stage presence and ground-breaking performances. Years later, DJ would develop a similar appreciation for Brad Paisley’s live show and electrifying guitar work. Along with the strong guidance and influence of his father, Darryl, it wasn’t long before
the impressionable young DJ was working on his own patented brand of showmanship.

“I would tape the Garth Brooks live concerts on television as a little kid and then watch them over and over,” he remembers. “I saw him do all these crazy things on stage, but the crowd loved every minute of it, and I recognized that. It was at that point that I decided I wanted to go into Country music.”

As a teenager, DJ developed his on-stage persona playing local gigs, from community events to state and regional fairs and competitions. His career took a significant step forward, however, when he met producer Johnny Morris in 2009. Morris introduced DJ to a host of Nashville songwriters, including hit-makers Don Goodman (Blake Shelton, Faith Hill, George Strait) and Charlie Black (Alan Jackson, Reba McEntire, Phil Vassar).

“Songwriting comes to me in spurts,” he says. “I try to write as much as I can. Sometimes I’ll sit down and try to write a song and won’t come up with anything I like, and then other days I’ll write a song in a half-hour. It’s a process, but I’m fortunate to be getting help from some of the best in the business, so I feel very blessed for that.”

A busy touring schedule and weeks at a time out on the road visiting radio stations only allows for quick trips to and from Nashville, where he gets in as many writing and recording sessions as possible. Songwriting is a craft he’s becoming more and more excited about as he works on his debut release.

In 2011, Miller embarked on a door-to-door radio tour visiting 35 states and over 200 stations to promote his single “Whatever It Takes,” an earnest ballad that was released nationally to Country radio in January 2011. He and his team are carrying the momentum from that single and radio tour into his next single "Between Sundays" coming to radio in June 2011. The universally themed mid-tempo song will strike a familiar chord with old and young alike. In between the fury of radio stops and touring, Miller is working on his debut album, which is scheduled for release in late summer 2011.

And even though Miller is living the crazy life of a new country music artist, he is staying focused on doing what he does best – coming up with creative and entertaining ways to give his fans a concert experience they won’t soon forget.

“It’s always important to make that person in the front row feel special,” he says, “but to me, the real key is making that person in the back row feel just as special.”

DJ Miller

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